Six Steps To The Perfect Summer Garden
Overwhelmed! That's how you are probably feeling when it comes to getting your garden ready for summer. After all, it's pretty hard to sit out and enjoy the beautiful weather when your yard is covered in weeds, overgrown plants, and clutter. Lucky for you, we put together these six steps to get your garden summer ready. Keep reading to find out more.
Six Steps To The Perfect Summer Garden
​Step One
The first step to getting your garden ready for summer is to dial it back to the bare essentials. It may take a few weekends, but using the right equipment can make working your garden faster and easier. Make sure you have the following gardening equipment, and that they are in fine working order:
Remember, when using power tools of any kind, safety needs to be your number one priority. If you aren't sure how to operate the tools you need, seek out professional advice, or hire a professional gardener or call a licensed arborist at Riverside Tree Service to do the work for you.
- Lawn Mower
- Weed Wacker
- Lopers
- Pruning Shears
- Hedge Trimmer
- Trowel, Shovel, Spade, Fork
- Wheelbarrow
- Garden Hose & Watering Can
Remember, when using power tools of any kind, safety needs to be your number one priority. If you aren't sure how to operate the tools you need, seek out professional advice, or hire a professional gardener or call a licensed arborist at Riverside Tree Service to do the work for you.
​Step Two
Once you have done a thorough spring clean up on your property, paired back any overgrowth and thoroughly weeded your garden areas, it's time to consider what you want your newly-revamped garden area to look like. If you don't have any particular landscape design going on, you can use this as a clean slate to design anything you'd like. Take your ideas to paper and plan out a simple sketch as to where you'd like to put what. Consider the sunny and shaded areas in your garden, and see what plants would work best in those areas. You can also purchase a soil test kit in order to analyze your soil and get fertilizer recommendations.
The overall design or theme that you choose for your garden will depend on several things, including budget, personal taste, and the space that you have available. Bear in mind, though, that the most popular choice tends to be designs that are easy to maintain, such as Zen or Japanese influenced gardens or outdoor spaces with a wild or cottage style look.
The overall design or theme that you choose for your garden will depend on several things, including budget, personal taste, and the space that you have available. Bear in mind, though, that the most popular choice tends to be designs that are easy to maintain, such as Zen or Japanese influenced gardens or outdoor spaces with a wild or cottage style look.
​Step Three
When you have a clear idea about the type of garden you will be creating, you can begin the tasks that will lead you to your finished product. In particular, it's worth adding your larger trees and shrubs before your smaller plants and flowers. Additionally, now is the time to decide where to place any patio or seating areas, absolute musts for those wishing to maximize their time in the garden. Benches, chairs, patio and bistro sets, swings and hammocks are great additions to any garden.
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Step Four
The flora that you choose to plant in your garden will need to look its best in summer, so any plants and flowers that bloom between June and September are your best bet. Be sure that the plants and flowers you chose not only look aesthetically pleasing but are well suited to both the type of soil you have in your garden, as well as the climate you're in. You can check your zone to see what plants work best in your area before purchasing any flora.
In a summer garden, you will of course have to keep an eye on pest control, as you don’t want those summer soirees to be spoiled by a bug infestation, or your ornaments to fall victim to some of the bolder wildlife in the area.
Always remember to add ground cover and mulch, too!
In a summer garden, you will of course have to keep an eye on pest control, as you don’t want those summer soirees to be spoiled by a bug infestation, or your ornaments to fall victim to some of the bolder wildlife in the area.
Always remember to add ground cover and mulch, too!
​Step Five
Once you are happy with all of you planting choices, it's time to add some additional accessories to your garden, to make it as comfortable as possible to spend time in.
The first and arguably most crucial garden accessory is to buy is something that will provide shade that you can sit under. The summer sun can be unforgiving, and without a shade source there's no way you'll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
A patio umbrella (whether stand-alone or installed over your patio table) can work well for smaller space. However, if you are looking for a larger area to shade, why not consider installing a gazebo canopy or a sailcloth awning instead? You can also invest in a retractable awning for use over your deck or patio, too.
The first and arguably most crucial garden accessory is to buy is something that will provide shade that you can sit under. The summer sun can be unforgiving, and without a shade source there's no way you'll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
A patio umbrella (whether stand-alone or installed over your patio table) can work well for smaller space. However, if you are looking for a larger area to shade, why not consider installing a gazebo canopy or a sailcloth awning instead? You can also invest in a retractable awning for use over your deck or patio, too.
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​Step Six
Lastly (and possibly the most fun), it's time accessorize!
- Consider hanging fairy lights in the trees and above the patio to make your garden space more inviting and useful at night.
- Add gazing balls on wrought iron stands.
- Pepper walkways with staked solar lights.
- Install a birdbath and bird feeders, to encourage feathered friends to visit.
- Use plant stands that look like bicycles and carts, or simple tiered or ladder type stands.
- Add garden gnomes or other small statues.
- A firepit is a great idea.
- Create a fairy garden within your garden!
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Now that your yard is all ready for summer enjoyment, check out this infographic from fabricguru.com on how to care for your outdoor fabrics:
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