Lifestyle

July brings weeding and watering to the garden

By David Epstein

July 10, 2014

2 minutes to read

July is the hottest month of the year and although we have only had a few days in the 90s this summer many days have been above normal leading to rapidly drying conditions.

Soil loses moisture at very different rate depending on the exact make up of your earth. The more sand and less organic matter you have, the quicker the soil will tend to dry out.
I call the 7th month of the year weeding and watering month. I really find that this month is all about those two chores and although you can certainly plant vegetables this time of year, weeding and watering are jobs one and two.

Containers may dry out so fast they need water every day. You can move many containers into a shady spot if you go away for vacation. You’d be surprise how much slower the water evaporates when they are not in the sun.

Another great thing to do in the summer is add to your garden. I like to add small pieces of art to the garden to break up the flow of plants. Adding something as simple as a bird feeder, a sculpture or even a small water feature can bring something very unique to the garden.
In my own garden I have several of these elements. Many of them are just things I like such as frogs and large rocks, but they do bring something special.
A few years ago I added an arbor or archway to the path in the back of the house. I was amazed how much different the path felt leading into the woods.
In addition to weeding and watering and adding art, you can do some pruning now. I tend to prune those things which have become overgrown and are growing into the paths around the yard. I also find some of my hosta have grown so large they are blocking other things. You can simply clip the hosta leaves off at the base of the plant.
Checking for deer and insect damage is also important in mid-summer. The days can be very hot and I like to get outside early in the morning or during the latter half of the evening to do some of these things.
I have seen one lone deer in the yard the past week and have started placing Irish Spring soap and human hair around the perimeter of the yard. I have had luck with this approach in the past, but have been negligent about it lately which is probably when the deer are back.
If you read the most recent blog, I did write about art in the garden. Since that entry I had a chance to film some of what was in the garden and now I can share it with you below.