Once July and August roll around in the garden, it’s really common for the “bloom to come off the rose” so to speak. In other words, our gardens can get a little bedraggled, and our gardening inspiration can get a little tired… Here are some great tips for your tired summer garden to freshen the look, and brighten your gardening spirit as well!

It’s Time for a New Do

Midsummer many plants have already bloomed, and tend to get a little lanky with the hot days. Almost every flower and herb can use a good haircut right about now. Spring and early summer bloomers can be cut back to one third their height. Fall bloomer, just cut a couple inches off the tops to help them grow more compactly and set more buds for fall blooming. If your plants are in bloom right now, take a pair of clippers and trim off the dead and dying blooms. This is called “deadheading” and will force the plant into setting more flowers, not setting seed. Give your plants a good deep watering with a liquid fertilizer and wait for more blooms and refreshes foliage in a couple of weeks!

Green it Up!

Lawns need another dose of fertilizer in July. Pick a cool evening and consider using an organic fertilizer. They build the soil and create a healthier lawn long term. Not to mention, they are better for the environment and not harmful to kids and pets.

Go Surfing

Online that is. You need an inspirational project to remind you of the connection you have with the living things in your garden. Pinterest is the place to find great ideas. Even if you never get one of the projects done, the time spent looking at photos of beautiful outdoor spaces will help you feel inspired to spend more time in yours.

Beat the Heat

If it’s too hot outside to be in the garden like you were in the spring, don’t use that as an excuse. Schedule time for yourself to have breakfast or tea in the garden earlier in the day, or build a fire pit and plant fragrant containers to enjoy it at night.

Color your World

Many flowering perennial plants are in a down cycle in midsummer, so pick up some inexpensive blooming annuals and pot them up for a quick and bright pop in focal areas of your garden. Check out your local nursery for what works best in your area, but Verbena is one of my favs… takes the heat and blooms like crazy! If you have planters with spring blooming pansies that have seen better days, switch them out for new annuals better equipped to take the heat.

So don’t let the midsummer gardening blues hit you or your garden. Use these tips to revitalize your summer garden and keep you inspired. Fall is right around the corner, and what a beautiful time in the outdoors!