There are plenty of ways to get the most out of summer in the garden by making simple tweaks. These range, for example, from redesigning the garden area for more fun on summer evenings to replanting the garden beds. Grow your own ingredients for garden party cocktails and impress your guests with a unique atmosphere. Here are some tips and ideas that can help you design your garden area.
How summer can feel better in the garden
With long sunny days, warm nights and plenty to pick, taste and enjoy, summer is the season to enjoy what your garden has to offer. Enjoying your morning coffee outside with a piece of toast can be a perfect start to the day. However, you could also take this time to just sit back, relax and watch the birdsbetween the garden bedsflit around.
When you go to work, you will certainly notice that you feel calmer and more focused when you start your day in the fresh air. So discover great ways to make the most of the summer months and spend more time outdoors by making simple gardening updates with instant rewards.
Grow and try out new plant varieties
Plant fruits, vegetables or herbs that you have never grown before. For example, you can plant artichokes, yellow tomatoes, purple beans, wild berries or hot peppers. Just try growing something new in the summer season to enjoy more aromas and flavors. Most likely you will be surprised and even amazed at how some plants can grow and taste.
This might inspire you to use new ingredients in your summer dishes. If you have already exhausted your kitchen garden, you can fill a few pots with unusual herbs. Examples include Thai basil, shiso, lemongrass, Vietnamese coriander, chocolate mint, chervil or lemon verbena, which can be easily integrated into many recipes.
Growing garnishes for summer drinks
Instead of buying some short-lived bouquets of herbs from the supermarket, consider planting a few of your favorite varieties for cocktail garnishes. Start with basil, mint, cilantro, or all three and get creative with others like lavender, violets, or lemongrass. If you have space in your garden and a Mediterranean climate, consider adding a fruit tree or two with standout summer drinking options like Meyer lemon, kumquat, pomegranate and lime.
Install an outdoor shower in the garden for the summer
Making your dream of a refreshing outdoor shower a reality can be easier than it looks. If you have a water connection where you have aInstall garden showerIf you can have it in the nearby garden area, all you have to do is install simple plumbing and shower fittings. For example, the outside wall of an indoor bathroom would be a good choice. Just be sure to create a path for water drainage that is further away from the house. Additionally, you can consider this as an idea for your next garden makeover.
Refresh flower boxes in front of the windows
Mini window box gardens offer great ways to add even more color and texture to your home without having to deal with larger gardening tools. Plant your window boxes with blooming summer flowers and perennials such as sun-loving lavender, geranium, lobelia and sedum. For partial shade planters, consider begonia, jewelweed and coinwort.
Spruce up planting beds in the garden during the summer
Plants with interesting foliage often require less care than those that are popular primarily for their flowers. At least you can skip drying it out. To make a primarily foliage-based garden bed as stunning as one with flowers, you can choose foliage plants with high texture and color contrast. It is best to plant them close together. For example, your bed can focus on the contrast of New Zealand flax's stringy, dark purple leaves with lighter grass and upright, architectural agave. This fills the garden with color and creates texture for more visual interest in the plants.
On the other hand, opt for all flowers and plant a bed with a single type of lush summer bloomer for a pop of color. It will require a bit more work to maintain than a mixed foliage garden bed, but this is how you celebrateSummer in the garden. Sunflowers are also easy to grow, and as cheerful as they look, they can always be a good choice.
Provide water sources for beneficial insects in the garden
If you live in an arid climate, the months between rains can be tough on local birds, insects and other wildlife. This is especially true in areas where development has taken away their natural water sources. So try setting up a simple fountain, or just fill an empty coaster with water. As you relax in the garden, observe how useful these creatures can be for your plants. Remember the water feature orGarden fountain in summerconstantly filled and clean as these little creatures learn to rely on it as a water source.
Celebrate and relax in the garden during the summer
With a few simple, inexpensive updates, your outdoor space can feel like a new festive space. Try setting up lights, hanging a paper garland or a traditional bunting to add ambiance. Bring out some colorful throw pillows for a barbecue or summer party, or invest in a movable fire pit for outdoor social evenings.
Make your patio even more inviting by laying out a colorful rug for the summer season. Most outdoor rugs are made from durable nylon, polyester or polypropylene, which often come from recycled sources. Many are treated to prevent fading from exposure to sunlight. However, those made from bamboo, jute and other natural fibers are less weather-resistant. Therefore, they are best used on a covered terrace.
Summer days or evenings are for lounging, and what could be better than swinging in a hammock? Hang them between trees or the beams of a sturdy pergola. If you don't have the perfect place to hang it, you can invest in a hammock with its own frame. These have the advantage that you can choose an inviting spot in the garden to set them up.
