The summer months offer the perfect time to get outside and enjoy your garden. While the sunshine and dry weather may be great for us, it can be tough on our gardens. Your lawn and plants are likely to struggle with the lack of rain, so you will need to do plenty of upkeep to make sure it remains looking great.
So, while the sun is shining and the rain is keeping at bay, what can you do to help your garden to look its best?
Mow Your Lawn on the Longest Setting
This latest long dry spell may seem pretty rare in the UK, but when the weather stays summery, your lawn can start to suffer. One way in which you can maintain it is by cutting in longer rather than shorter. Quoting one of the senior gardening specialist Dave Crowder from BP Tools:
“If you cut your grass short, there is less surface area to soak up moisture. Cutting it a little bit longer gives your grass a better chance of hanging onto the little water it does get.”
Water Plants Carefully
Watering your plants is obviously important, but it’s also essential that you are careful in the way you actually water them. Firstly, you should water your garden in the morning or evening when it is a little cooler. This will help to ensure that the water doesn’t just evaporate before it is able to penetrate deep into the soil.
You should also make sure that you water directly into the soil rather than leaves and petals which can be burnt in the sunshine.
You can invest in a water butt so you don’t have to use your hosepipe during the hot months. Sites like Water Butts Direct and Even Greener carry plenty of different options for you to choose from.
Utilise the Shade
The hot sun can quickly dry out soil and sap the moisture from leaves and petals. If you can add shade to your garden, this could help it to stay healthy. Consider moving potted plants to more shaded areas where they will be better protected from the sun.
You could also create shaded areas by adding pergolas or awnings, giving your garden a little protection for the blazing sunshine. Take a look at this article from the BBC which gives step-by-step instructions on how to build your own pergola from scratch.
Keep Up With Maintenance
A garden takes work, and this is no less true during the summer months. Thankfully, the warm weather can mean that it is more enjoyable to get outside and keep up with the odd jobs that need doing, little and often.
Whether it’s deadheading plants or keeping bushes trimmed back, all of these small jobs will help to keep your garden looking great during the summer. Best of all, you’re left with a space that is beautiful and enjoyable where you can sit back and relax in the sunshine.
