Now is the time to really enjoy your garden and all the hard work you put in- use this summer gardening checklist to keep your garden looking its best the whole season!

  • To encourage fresh growth, clean up browning daylily foliage by plucking out dead leaves or cutting the clump to 20 cm above the crown.
  • Use a soaker hose to keep trees, shrubs, and perennials well watered during periods of drought. Consider buying a sprinkler timer, so that watering occurs at night or when you leave for the holidays.
  • Continually remove spent blooms from annuals to encourage continued flowering.
  • Check roses and patio tropicals for aphids, leaf rollers, black spot, and powdery mildew. Treat as needed.
  • After flowering, cut delphiniums to the ground to stimulate a second bloom.
  • Sow cool-weathering vegetables such as lettuce, kale, and spinach.
  • Weed, weed, and weed some more.
  • Water, water, and water some more depending on the weather.
  • Monitor watering of your container gardens and hanging baskets- extreme heat will call for daily watering.
  • Take a break and go on a garden tour! You’re sure to find inspiring ideas and plants!
  • Take pictures of your garden and containers at their prime. They’ll be a great reference for the next spring and will help in your planning future projects.
  • Harvest and enjoy or preserve ripened fruits and vegetables.

Click here for a printable version of our Summer Gardening Checklist.