The lovely Texas summer is in the air. Stepping out into the warm sun is a nice reminder of the season and all that is to come. While we have been blessed with decent temperatures and lots of rain, it is important to keep up the maintenance of your summer garden. Check out these tips and embrace the wonderful season!
TIP 1: WATERING
When it comes to summer, we know how important it is to hydrate our plants and keep them hydrated. The key is to water efficiently. The early morning is the best time of day to water your plants because the soil will have time to absorb the moisture before the temperatures rise and the water evaporates. To avoid plant wilt under the hot sun, examine your plants in the morning. If they are feeling the heat, water deeply around the base of your plants. This will allow the roots to grow deeper and away from the hot surface. Morning watering also allows the foliage to dry earlier which prevents the development of disease.
TIP 2: PULL WEEDS AND PICK FRUIT
Weeds are nobody’s friend, especially to your plants. Weeds can quickly become overbearing in your landscape if not maintained. Growing weeds can get thirsty, which creates a competition with your plants for moisture. When you are watering your landscape, take that time to examine for weeds. Take your gardening routine up a notch and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Examine your fruit and vegetable plants and pick any ripe and ready fruits. This allows new growth to develop and prevents your fruits from falling and rotting on the ground. Also, ripe fruits demand a lot of moisture which can cause extra stress on your plants. Avoid wasting water and pick your produce!
TIP 3: USE MULCH
Think of mulch as the protective shield of your landscape. Mulching your flowerbeds and around your plants creates a natural and nourishing barrier between the soil and the summer sun. Protecting the soil from the direct sunlight keeps the soil cool and moist thus giving your plant’s roots the proper environment to grow and develop. Mulch reduces water use by preventing evaporation and allowing the plants to absorb water at a steady rate. It also regulates soil temperature protecting delicate root systems, and reduces weed growth. Not to mention, mulch will complete the look of any landscape and cedar mulch can even help deter mosquitoes! Pick up Calloway’s Premium Mulches at our store nearest you today!
TIP 4: ADD COLOR
Embrace the season with sizzling color in your landscape or containers! Pick plants that are heat tolerant or drought tolerant and take note of their sun requirements. Replace your tired-looking plants with vibrant color that will thrive throughout the season.
CORA® VINCA
Cora® Vinca is a great choice for bringing vibrant blooms to your flowerbeds, hanging baskets, and containers. Its dense leaves are rich and green topped with star-shaped blooms. They attract butterflies and other beneficial pollinators and love the summer sun.
PENTAS
Add fireworks of star-shaped flowers to your landscape with Pentas. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard while dazzling your containers with pops of color. Pentas love the heat and will make any planting space look full and beautiful.
SWEET POTATO VINES
Sweet Potato Vines have attractive heart-shaped leaves that remain lime green in color throughout the season. This relatively low maintenance plant works as a fantastic groundcover. Sweet Potato Vines are the perfect sun loving addition to any flowerbed, container, and hanging baskets.
YUCCA
Ideal for Texas, Yucca has attractive succulent grassy leaves that are olive green in color with showy spikes of flowers. Drought tolerant and heat tolerant, this plant loves the sun! In fact, they should only be grown in full sunlight. Yucca is a tall and ornamental plant that will fill your landscape with beauty.
CONEFLOWER
Coneflower is a relatively low maintenance plant. It is considered to be a drought-tolerant plant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden. The masses of daisy flowers add groups of colorful hues around your landscape and will continue to shine throughout the season. This perennial will return every year with proper maintenance.
Some other great options for adding sun loving color to your landscape are Lantana, Salvia, Texas Sage, Rosemary, Crotons, Coleus, Angelonia, and so much more! Ask one of your Texas Certified Nursery Professionals for more information!
Too hot to plant? Need some assistance? Stop by our Pick & Plant table at our store nearest you! You pick it, we plant it! Stay cool and let us do the planting for you!
Have fun refreshing your summer garden!
