Summer Gardening Tips

Summer is a great time to start a garden, and one of my goals for the season is to get my hands dirty in a little soil and get to growin’.

My roommates and I recently started growing some fruits and vegetables as a fun little side project. When you live in a city, having large backyards with lots of grass isn’t quite the norm, so we’ve been making the most out of our little back patio and trying to utilize it as much as we can. I got inspired to start growing more things after I did the post on regrowing foods from scraps. I’ve been keeping an eye on my pineapple, avocado and green onions, and it’s been so cool to see some signs of growth! A lot of my friends have beautiful gardens that they spend a good amount of time working on, and it’s definitely encouraged me to become more of a green thumb. It’s so rewarding to plant something with your own bare hands, then watch it grow and come to life.

little plants

If you are looking for a new project to pick up this summer, planting a few seeds is a great way to be outdoors and spend some time with mother nature. Here are some helpful tips I’ve learned that can help make the most out of summer gardening!

plants

Commit

This is always an issue of mine. I’ve said many times that I want to start planting some things, but wanting isn’t actually doing. If you’re going to garden, you have to commit. A garden takes upkeep, and if you aren’t going to stay on top of it, things might not grow and lack of care will make the plants die. Gardening is supposed to be fun, so make sure it’s something you really want to do before starting.

soil

Try a Community Garden

If you are new to gardening and are intimidated to start one on your own, try visiting a community garden in your neighborhood! Since a lot of people are working together to keep up the shared space, chances are a friendly pair of hands might be able to teach you a thing or two. This is also a way to get more involved in your community, and meet some new faces!

garden

Pick a good spot… and the right stuff.

When picking a spot to start your garden, you need to think about sun exposure. 6 hours of direct sunlight is great for a lot of different plants, so it’s best to choose a place that will provide enough sun while still allowing some shade. It’s also key to pick the right type of things to grow…especially if you are a new to gardening. If this is your first go around, here are a few things that are easy to grow in the summer:

Tomatoes

Summer Squash

Peppers

Herbs (Basil, Chives, Dill, 

Marigolds

Sunflowers

Succulents

growing onions

Check The Weather

To save you some time, check the forecast and plan to plant right before a rain storm hits. Nature will do its thing and provide your plants with the water they need while giving you a bit of a break!

watering plant

Water early

If it’s a dry summer and rain has been absent, you’ll need to give your plants a little more love. It’s best to water your plants earlier in the day before the afternoon sun dries out the soil, and night watering will keep the plants damp overnight which can attract more fungus. One inch of water a week is a good measure for watering, and always aim for the roots!

little plants in teh garden

Thank The plants

It’s okay to talk to your plants…they are living, you know ;). I learned this tip from one of the women I look up to most here at Free People. She has a lot of things growing in her backyard, and she always remembers to thank those little guys for growing. Plants provide for us and the rest of the world we live in…the are necessary for life on this planet. Respect them, thank them, and love them!

flowers and butterfly

Do you have any gardening tips for the summer? Please share!

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9 years ago

Ahhh, I love gardening! Be sure to loosen the roots when planting. This is something I grew up knowing because my mother is an avid gardener but something many people don’t know. If you don’t do this the plants won’t live!

http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com

9 years ago

I just started my garden this month and I’m so excited to harvest things soon! If you check out my blog you can see some pictures of my garden AND my artwork!

9 years ago

Love this post! I love gardening and that is definitely helpful :)
Have a nice day x

Laura
9 years ago

I have some ideas that you can use!
I live in the inside of Catalonia, so there are a dry weather and it’s really important to keep our plants fresh.
1- Don’t let the direct contact of the sun. If you don’t have an space with shadow, it’s a good idea to put an old bed sheet to make a “roof”.
2- Throw water on the floor (if you can) to keep the humidity.

8 years ago

Impressive write-up! Those are great gardening tips. It would definitely comes in handy. Thanks a lot for the share.

8 years ago

Thanks for writing up this page http://blog.freepeople.com/2014/07/summer-gardening-tips/. It’s really helpful. You have a lot of great resources mentioned on your blog!

I have a suggestion for another fantastic resource:

http://backtomygarden.com/tips

I’m sure a lot of your readers would benefit from that one as well. Anyways, just wanted to say thanks and repay you with a suggested resource you can add to your tremendous site. :)

Keep up the great work!

Cheers,

Dave

p.s. how was your garden this summer?

7 years ago

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