Last issue we talked about creating your vision for your outdoor living area. The next step is the implementation and the care of your new garden space.

 

Care and Maintenance of the Summer Garden

 

Summertime is the time where our gardens give generously to us, provided we do our part to keep the plants in tip top shape, even when the temperature and humidity rises.

 

In Bayview’s “We Plan, You Plant” garden coaching program, we teach our clients not only how to put a plan together for a gar­den, but also to make sure they have the information they need to ensure that it survives and thrives. Here are a few things to keep in mind to keep your garden looking good.

 

Now is the time to make sure your gardening beds are properly mulched. To adjust to the heat, we recommend adding peat moss to your garden beds, which both looks good and will help retain moisture. If you prefer the look of wood mulch, we suggest double shredded wood mulch, which looks the most natural and will break down and enrich the soil below.

 

It is also the time to pull out spent spring annuals, (like pansies) and replace them with colorful summer annuals like petunias, impatients and coleus. Planting 6 inch pots of annuals like sunflowers, dahlias and marigolds directly into garden beds or containers is a way to get quick impact with less effort. Mandevilla, a twining tropical plant looks very elegant climbing up a trellis and provides gorgeous summer color. Most of these summer annuals will last into the fall if properly watered and fertilized.

 

Other plants that love the heat include melampodium, Gaillardia, lantana, portulaca and coreopsis. Succulents like purselene and hens and chicks are very low maintenance plants that thrive in the summer heat.

 

Be aware there is a delicate line when it comes to watering, too little your plants will perish in the heat, too much and they will experience too much humidity and rot. As a rule of thumb, we suggest watering garden beds deeply 2-3 times per week for about 20 minutes at a time. Plants need water most at their roots, so consider the use of soaker hoses and drip irriga­tion that delivers water right to the surface of the roots. Your container gardens need additional watering, as they are more prone to dry out. A good way to check if your plant needs water is to put your finger into the soil up to the first knuckle; if the soil is dry the plant needs to be watered. Watering cans and other small containers work well for spot watering.

 

There are also steps you can take to keep your plants looking their best. All flowering plants should be fertilized every 7-14 days to keep the blooms pro­ducing and healthy. Most perennials (plants that return every year) need a lit­tle attention if you want them to continue to perform. For flower­ing perennials like the Platycoden or Montauk daisies, deadhead spent flowers to prevent the plant from going to seed.

 

With new perennials, if the roots of your new plant are wrapped around the plant when you remove it from its container, be sure to slice the rootball in a few spots to get those roots prepared to move once the plant is planted. A few perennials that perform well and require little care are Russian Sage and Agastache (Anise Hyssop) and Daylilies like the Happily Ever Appster “Red Hot Returns”. If your plants are not producing as they once were they may have become overgrown, so divide them to bring back their vigor.

 

Contrary to garden myth, did you know that you can plant shrubs and trees year round? The key is to keep water consistent and to make sure the right plant is in the right spot. Shrubs, like Weigelias and Hydrangeas (especially dwarf ‘Pink Elf’ and ‘Hornli’) help to define the space for perennials and flowerbeds and pro­vide interest themselves through blooms or contrasting foliage. You can’t beat Knockout or Carpet roses for all summer color with little maintenance. Late flowering trees include Crape Myrtle, Rose of Sharon and again Hydrangea trees. Hardy Hibiscus with its large flowers will certainly brighten up a corner of any garden.

 

Here are a few additional ideas to focus your summertime gar­dening efforts:

 

Container Gardening

 

Did you know that you could grow just about anything in a container? The biggest advantage to growing in containers is you can control the environment (water, soil, nutrients) and have the flexibility to move your plants to find the best spot for them. Containers should be free-drain­ing and planted with a soil mix specifically designated for con­tainers. The best container gar­dens have a combination of tall and medium plants and smaller trailing plants and a variety of flowers and leaf textures. You can plant various colors or try planting different plants all of the same color for a unique look.

 

For example:

 

1. Trailing Wave petunia (short), Celosia (medium) and Angelonia (tall)

2. Calibrachoa (short), Argyranthemum (medium) and Coleus (tall)

3. Geraniums (medium and tall versions) and bacopa (short and trailing)

 

Another unique container idea is to pot up a water garden with pond plants, you can even add fish. The best part is, the garden has all the water it needs and can brighten up a corner of your deck or patio.

 

At Bayview, you can bring your pots for us to pot up, or you can do it yourself at our in-house potting station. We also carry a large inventory of beautiful, high quality pots by New England pottery and the Pamela Crawford Side Planting basket collection for all of your container garden­ing needs.

 

Fragrant Plants

 

Summertime brings out the best in fragrant plants. Roses, gardenias, heliotrope, Alyssum and cosmos all bring their own distinct fragrance to the gar­den. You might also try Daylily, “Scented Sundance” or the Stewartia tree. This is also where herbs come into play, with basil and lavender leading the way in fragrance.

 

Gardening to Attract Butterflies

 

Butterflies like it hot, in the sun. You can attract these beauties by planting a variety of nectar plants including, Butterfly bush, Red Salvia, Black-eyed Susan, Coneflower, Monarda and Hibiscus. Plant your plants in clusters and it is also a good idea to provide a shallow source for water. On July 19th, at 10am, Bayview will be hosting a work­shop at the Garden Center to help you design your butterfly garden. Call 609-641-0648 for more information.