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The heat of the summer can sometimes make it feel as if everything will melt away. But don’t let a harsh summer chase you away from enjoying a beautiful summer garden filled with vibrant colors and fragrances. Plant your summer flowers in the spring when the frost is gone and the roots can take hold in healthy, fertile soil.
Not sure what you want to grow? Here are some great ideas to fill your summer garden.
Growing plants in the summer
Before you start planting your summer garden, make sure you prepare the soil. Summer flowers and vegetables have to withstand the boiling summer heat, which can easily wilt young plants still trying to take root. Start by removing any debris from the garden, including sticks and leaves. Weed the area thoroughly to prevent those buggers from choking the roots of fresh transplants.
Add a top layer of fresh, fertile soil and have mulch on hand to cover the flowerbed. Mulch helps keep water in the soil which will help roots from drying out in the summer heat. Using mobile containers for more delicate flowers is also wise for maintenance.
“When it comes to containers and hanging baskets that are showing signs of stress, the best thing you can do is to move them into the shade and check often for dryness,” Kata Karam, editorial director at Monrovia Plants wrote in Good Housekeeping.
Flowers to plant in summer
There are a lot of flowers that do very well in the middle of the summer. Think about the colors you want to see, as well as whether you want pollinators in the garden. Ask your kids to pick their favorites and plant them together. They’ll take pride in the garden, making it easier for you to get some help in watering and weeding.
Here are our five favorite summer flowers:
- Canna lilies: A tropical addition that splashes warm color tones across the yard in the late summer months. The sprays of flowers sit amidst bold large leaves make you feel like you’re in a rainforest.
- California poppies: Enjoy a range of colors, including red, pink, yellow, orange, and cream. Known to withstand the harsh California summers, these flowers do best if planted and left to root well. They don’t like to be transplanted.
- Petunias: These hardy flowers will bloom all season if you deadhead them by removing old growth and seeds. These come in a variety of colors and do better in arid climates.
- Mexican sunflowers: More like a shrub than the traditional stalk of a regular sunflower, these bright orange and yellow flowers prefer an arid climate without much rain.
- Zinnias: A great pollinator for summer gardens to attract bees and hummingbirds. Zinnias are great for containers or along paths where a splash of color is desired.
Summer vegetable plants
A summer garden isn't just for the flowers. You can get a lot of great edibles from your summer garden with little effort, as long as you know which vegetables will flourish in summer heat.
Here are five great summer vegetables for your garden:
- Peppers: Grow well alongside both tomatoes and eggplants, since all three prefer full sun, rich soil, and thorough watering. Try an assortment of peppers that might include bell peppers, sweet peppers, and a variety of chiles.
- Beans: If you want something fresh for the dinner table daily, plant pole beans, runner beans, or bush beans. As these begin to fruit, you will have plenty to choose from on a regular basis.
- Southern peas: Make sure to plant these after the last frost to ensure they survive. Give full sun or partial shade for best results with sandy soil.
- Okra: This does well even in harsh summer environments with direct sun. Make sure to pick okra before the pods grow beyond 4" to avoid them over-maturing, which will lead to the plant no longer producing okra.
- Shallots: Plant in the early spring for a summer harvest, keeping the plants in full sunlight and loose, fertile soil. Plant with cabbage and tomatoes.
Remember that gardening is a great way to get outside and spend quality time with the family. The kids will enjoy getting their hands dirty and will love the results when they see their plants start to bloom.
You can make it a great adventure for the kids, as mom Sara Torpey discovered. “I give them a handful of mixed-up flower seeds every year for them to plant wherever and it’s fun to watch what comes up,” she told Mom.com.
Curiosity is the path to learning. Help your kids be curious with a summer garden.