Jobs to do in the summer garden

  • Remove weeds that develop in beds and turf while they’re young.
  • Collect design ideas by taking a garden tour or walking through neighbourhoods.
  • Cut back yellowing and browning foliage of bulbs such as daffodils.
  • Deadhead annuals and roses to promote more blooms.
  • Train climbing vines such as clematis and honeysuckle. Cut back the tips of quick-growing vines such as wisteria and hops.
  • Freshen planters by adding pollinator-friendly favourites such as zinnias and heliotrope.
  • Monitor for insect pests and disease, especially Japanese beetles, and act quickly to control them early.
  • Plant a late summer crop of spinach, beets or arugula.
  • Harvest fast-growing herbs such as basil and preserve chopped leaves by drying or by freezing them in ice cube trays.
  • Water the garden and containers responsibly: draw rainwater regularly from rain barrels.

Photo: Metaphoricalplatypus/Flickr