It’s summer, and the bees are buzzing, the children are playing, and you’re feeling relaxed. In the summer, you don’t need to worry about winter storms, wind, and floods. At the same time, your garden is at its peak and beginning to wind down into fall. What can you do at this time of year to design your garden space? 

Plan Your Use of Your Garden Space 

If you enjoy using your outdoor kitchen, you have a fire pit, or you love to lounge on the patio or read a book under the trellis, this one’s for you. Make sure that you consider how you’re using your garden space in the summer, and think about how you’d like to use it in the future as well. Some additions you could consider are: 

• Adding a trellis to add shade to the garden 
• Creating a pond 
• Developing a central area for entertaining 
• Creating a focal point in your outdoor living space, such as a fire pit 
• Sprucing up your front porch or deck to make it a better space for relaxation 
• Adding awnings or an entire undercover outdoor room

Create Structures in Your Garden

Summer is the time to plan and execute ideas about garden hardscaping. If you need a new fence, summer is the time to add it to your garden. If you need to add new stonework around your garden bed, summer is the driest time of year to add that element to your garden as well. Some summer projects that you can pursue are: 

• Adding a new garden bed structure that you can plant during the fall 
• Developing or repairing a garden path
• Creating terraced gardens 
• Making a welcoming garden – replacing beds in front of your doorway and under your front windows
• Add lighting to make your home an enjoyable place to entertain after dark

Consider how you can make your existing structures look updated as well. For example, Ideal Home suggests that you “Keep a feeling of warmth even in a shady corner with bright cushions and matching planting.” Adding decorative items to your deck or front porch can help enliven a space.

Watch for Drought 

Although it makes it easier to build structures in your garden, summer’s heat can be a challenge for your garden as well. In the summer months, look for signs that drought is taking a toll on your garden and make plans to counteract this in the future. For example, if you see that one specific garden bed is baking in the sun, consider adding mulch, a shade shrub or tree, or a more efficient way to water the bed, such as underground irrigation.

Manage the Seasonal Transition

Summer is a time to reflect on how your garden weathered the spring and how it will transition into the fall. Aim for a garden full of color and texture right from the beginning of the season to the end. Add annual plants if you need to add some color in the summer. 

In early summer, add:

• Irises
• Poppies 
• Peonies
• Bleeding hearts 
• Early roses 

Strong midsummer flowers include: 

• Astilbe 
• Daylily 
• Hollyhock 
• Phlox

As you transition into fall, consider: 

• Aster
• Anemones 
• Late lilies, daylilies, and irises 
• Phlox 

While it’s bright and sunny, summer is not the right time to transition in perennials: fall is better since the plants are more likely to receive rainwater and root well before the winter season. Use this season to observe your garden and plan your plantings rather than adding a lot of perennials that will need ongoing summer watering to survive.

At Harry Helmet, we’re dedicated to making your home and garden blossom. Are you ready to add seamless gutters, gutter covers, roofing, or awnings to your home? Contact us to schedule a free estimate today.

Written by Del Thebaud