Summer Gardening Tips: The Essential Guide to Keeping Your Garden Healthy

We fantasize about our summer garden all year and yet when the time comes we can quickly start to feel overwhelmed by the long list of tasks or sheer heat!

This is game time for gardening and to make the most of it we need to make sure we are prepared and tackle important jobs in small increments.

Whether you're tending raised garden beds, coaxing blooms from a container on your balcony, or quietly waging war against powdery mildew, summer gardening is a mix of practical timing, thoughtful choices, and knowing when to water (and when to take a nap). Here's what to do now for a garden that stays healthy, and beautiful, all summer long.

Gorgeous Summer Garden at Perch Hill

Top summer garden tasks to stay on top of:

Tidy, Trim, and Deadhead

Stay ahead of garden pests like spider mites or aphids hiding on the underside of leaves. A simple spray of soapy water works wonders, and looks a lot less dramatic than it sounds. When all else fails you may need to just squish those unwanted critters with your bare fingers.

Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers to re-bloom (especially true for roses and geraniums). Trim taller plants that have gone leggy, and check your flower borders for baby weeds, especially after it rains, before they graduate to full-blown nightmares.

Feed the Soil, Not Just the Plants

Your garden soil works hard in summer, and it deserves a little care too. Add organic matter like compost or aged manure to improve soil structure and moisture retention. If you’re short on supply, check out your local garden center or better yet, a working farm for real cow manure or try your hand at backyard composting with kitchen scraps for the best garden compost.

If you have clay soil you can mix in sand or organic gypsum to help break it up. And always think to test before adding too much fertilizer as too many nutrients can do more harm than good.

Testing your soil is a critical step in understanding its nutrient composition and pH level, which are essential for successful gardening and farming. To accurately test your soil, start by collecting samples from various locations within your garden to get a representative analysis. Use a clean spade or soil probe to take samples from the top 6 to 8 inches of soil, where most plant roots grow. Avoid areas that are too wet or have been recently fertilized. Combine these samples in a clean bucket, mix them thoroughly, and then spread the mixture out to dry. Once dry, place about one cup of the soil into a labeled bag.

Contact your local cooperative extension office or purchase a home soil test kit, and follow the instructions to send the sample to a laboratory or test it yourself. The results will guide you in making informed decisions about the type and amount of fertilizers, lime, or amendments needed to optimize soil health and plant growth. In New York and the Northeast USA we like to use Dairy One (the same lab used by Cornell). You can view their their list of packages and pricing here.

Watering Your Summer Garden and Watering Restrictions

Summer isn’t the time for light sprinkles. Hot weather calls for deep watering, the kind that gets past the soil surface and down to the plant roots. Aim for about an inch of water per week (more in dry weather or with container plants, which dry out faster). Early morning is best; your plants will thank you.

We like to use self-watering pots or add a 2 to 3 inch layer of organic compost or mulch, like shredded leaves or pine needles, to retain soil moisture and act as a weed barrier.

If you’re in an area with water limitations, prioritize drought-tolerant plants, group types of plants with similar needs together, and skip anything fussy. Even better: install a drip irrigation system for slow, efficient watering. We like Drip Works Irrigation kits which come in various sizes and can be added on to if needed. They are easy to install and repair for home gardeners and can be set to a remote timer if you're traveling.

Refresh Your Containers and Beds

The heat of summer can be brutal on container gardens and annual flowers. If your potted plants are starting to look a little crispy or sad, don’t hesitate to pull them out and replant with fresh options. Use fresh potting soil, check the drainage holes, and consider soluble plant food for a quick nutrient boost.

In your garden beds, remove any dead plants or those struggling with disease or pest damage. This isn’t cruelty, it’s making room for things that want to thrive.

Take Notes and Learn for Next Year's Summer Garden

Keep a garden journal (even just in your Notes app) as well as photographs documenting each month and noting what worked, what didn’t, and anything you wish you'd planted sooner or later. Note any insect pests, weather patterns, and beautiful plants you spotted at a friend’s house or in a forgotten corner of your local park. Your future self will thank you.

A Quiet Garden Moment for the Littles

What to Plant in Summer

Believe it or not, summer is planting time for certain heat-loving beauties. Here are our list of reliables:

The Best Flowers and Annuals to Grow in Summer

• Zinnias – We love the Queen Lime series and direct sew from seed with ease

• Cosmos – So pretty and the most productive cut flower

• Marigolds – Pest-repellent and cheerful, they make excellent companions in a veggie raised bed

• Sunflowers – Tall, sunny showstoppers that double as bird feeders

• Calendula – Bright petals and bonus edible and herbal benefits

• Petunias – Easy-going, full of color, and happy in containers

Summer Harvest of Marigolds and Tomatoes

The Best Veg to Plant in Summer

• Summer squash – Fast-growing and a generous harvest

• Swiss chard – Pretty for the flower bed as well as tasty for dinner

• Okra – Thrives in hot climates and loves being picked often

• Beans (pole and bush) – Give them sun and they’ll climb or sprawl

• Carrots – In cooler regions, they’re still fair game with the right soil

• Sweet potatoes –They love a long, hot growing season

The Best Herbs to Plant in Summer

• Basil (Genovese, Sweet, Purple) – fast growing and thrives in warm weather

• Mint – Invades if left unchecked so great for pots

• Chives – Hardy, fast-growing, and surprisingly pretty when in bloom

• Thyme – Low-maintenance, fragrant, and a work horse in the kitchen

• Lemongrass – Bold, citrusy, and striking height for containers

The Best Perennials to Plant in Summer

• Echinacea – Great for pollinator gardens and heat-tolerant. We love the Canteloupe variety.

• Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan) – Tough, cheerful, and spreads beautifully. We love the Cherry Brandy variety.

• Coral Bells (Heuchera) – Colorful foliage that adds texture to any bed throughout the year

• Salvia – Hardy, elegant, and a great companion for roses

• Daylilies – Practically indestructible and pair beautifully with the more sophisticated lilies

The Best Plants to Grow in Summer in Warm Climates

• Summer squash

• Swiss chard

• Coral bells(Heuchera)

• Zinnias

• Acid-loving plants like gardenias

• Coreopsis

• Geraniums

• Amaranth

The Best Plants to Grow in Summer in Cooler Climates

• Perennial flowers like echinacea and rudbeckia

• Leafy greens for a late summer harvest

• Brassicas like Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi

• Cool-season annuals like pansies + violas, calendula, dianthus, snapdragons, and sweet alyssum

If you’re in a very warm region, use shade cloth or plant in shady spots during the afternoon heat to protect new additions.

Summer Heirloom Asters As a Cut Flower Crop

Taking Care of Your Body While Gardening This Summer

You have to remember that gardening is a sport and requires training like all other physical activities that require endurance. Coming out to perform rigorous gardening after being indoors all winter requires a warm up period as well as some stretching before and after each session.

The quickest way to injure yourself is to go from zero to hero. We are all guilty of stepping outside with a single task in mind, being immediately distracted by a weed and returning inside five hours later in need of an Epsom Salts bath! Stay focused and avoid overdoing it on Day 1.

To go easy on your body, also think about changing positions often. If you're weeding, move from a squat to sitting to a gentle forward lunge to change things up and not put too much pressure on one area.

Know When to Get Help from Landscape Professionals

We are all for DIY, but some things, like planting a tree, re-shaping planting beds, or installing hardscaping are better left to professionals or at least postponed until the weather cools. Before we call for backup we like to amass a longer list of garden tasks to so as to avoid extra call out fees or start up costs associated with their services. We also make sure we're ready for the team when they arrive and that we're not still weeding or working on our garden plan when the heavies arrive!

Relax and Enjoy Your Summer Garden

In the heat of Summer the most important thing you can do is slow down and enjoy watching your Summer Garden unfold before your eyes. Those quiet early morning walks with a cup of tea in hand to relish what's newly unfolded, the picnic in your pollinator garden or the simple act of arranging flowers for the table or decorating a cake with the edible flowers you've grown. And knowing how fleeting it all is until you'll be back curled up in front of the fireplace with your seed catalogs and grand plans to dig it all up for the following year.

Cheers to the Summer Garden.

Botanical Summer Cocktail