Summer allows some time to enjoy gardening, with most of the hard work behind you. Spring is often the best time to whip the garden into shape providing time to relax through the hot Summer months ahead. Summer gardening can be a glorious time in the garden with plantings of Agapanthus on show and native species’ endless flowering, providing sweet reward for the Lorikeet & other honey eaters.
Possums love native flowers too, along with Hibiscus flowers. If they are rampaging in your veggie patch, then it might be time to provide a native food source by replacing exotic species to distract them. Otherwise using a natural deterrent could be called for, so check out our Vegetable Garden eBook for Organic Pest Spray Recipes.
Keep The Water Up
Maintaining a regular watering regime will ensure potted plants don’t dry out and exotic species survive the season. Native plantings will perform the best through drier periods however still require some support which mulching provides. New plantings of exotic species may establish themselves faster, if planted on water crystals. This ensures constant moisture in the soil around the root systems, taking the pressure off regular watering and freeing up your gardening time for more important things.
Garden Design Makeovers
Utilize hot days to plan improvements within your current garden design. The inclusion of shade trees or large shrubs that have been selectively trimmed can provide welcomed shade to entertaining areas, blocking morning and late afternoon sun and cooling circulating breezes.
Converting hard surfaces that radiate heat by replacing them with mulched gardens or turf will also reduce the temperature within you garden & in turn your house.
Summer brings storms and in some instances lots & lots of rain. Maintaining your property will reduce the risk of flooding. If you are new to your property, take a walk around in the rain to assess just where there might be drainage issues that need your attention. Sometimes a well positioned garden bed will help direct running ground water away from a building or garden area so as to reduce any flooding issues during heavy rainfall.
Dry river beds act as decorative drains and add immense interest to your landscape design. This type of installation is both functional and decorative providing opportunity to include a bridge and path that leads you into another area of the garden. Dry river beds are easy to install. Once levels are established, ensuring fall in the desired direction, creating a swale in the required width and length. Line with Geo Fabric or alike and then fill with 30-70mm River Rock with some larger “man handables” to the edges to ensure a natural look. If your Dry River Bed is edged by the lawn then you will need to install some type of edging which can be a metal edge, brick edge or a continuous concrete edge if that’s the look you like. Often its better to have gardens that edge the dry river bed with open sections where the ground water can access. in the approach can extend on your garden design too, be visually appealing and cost you less then engaging a plumber.