This Summer Gardening Checklist Will Help You Stay On Track
Another huge challenge for gardeners is maintaining a reasonably consistent vegetable harvest throughout the summer. This is complicated by aggressive weeds taking over previously calm beds and rows, pests that consume or destroy fruits and heat waves that threaten to completely destroy all your hard work and throw some garden plants into their equivalent of "battery save mode."
Choose Plants for Your RegionYou can create a more consistent harvest by selecting plants that will do well under the conditions you have, such as short-season tomatoes that fruit quickly, ensuring you get a crop before the summer's heat halts production, cucumbers that are resistant to mildew and other diseases and squash that can bear a little bit of a pest burden.
Plant Several Varieties of Each PlantPlanting several different varieties of each type of plant you hope to harvest can also help stagger harvest dates, since they will often mature at different speeds. You can also trick same-species plants into this same staggering harvest by starting your new plants at two-week intervals throughout the summer (while still allowing enough time for the last batch to fruit before the first frost).
For example, if you intend to plant four squash plants, but want to be sure they're always producing, you might start your first squash plant as soon as the last frost has passed, for example, on April 15. You'd start the second volley April 30, and so forth.
It generally takes a set number of days for vegetables to produce, which should be specified on the seed package, so you'd have continuous flow using this technique. It's a good idea to start more than one plant at a time so you can save the strongest of the batch and discard the other starts.
Compare Quotes From Top-rated Landscaping Contractors
Free, No-commitment Estimates
Consider a GeotextileAdding a geotextile, also sometimes called a weed cloth, with mulch on top can help keep weeds to a minimum and help keep your vegetable garden's moisture level more even as the heat of the summer wears on. The mulch can then be turned back into the soil to break down once you remove the fabric after your last harvest of the year.
Your Home. Your Decisions. Our Support.
Get expert advice on your home, design tips, how much to pay for pros and hiring experts, delivered to you daily.
Thanks & Welcome to the Forbes Home Improvement Community!
{{ newsletterState.EmailErrorMsg }}
I agree to receive the Forbes Home newsletter via e-mail. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information and details on how to opt out.15 Deer-Resistant Annuals To Keep Your Garden Safe
© Provided by The Spruce David Burton / Getty ImagesIt's pretty exciting seeing timid deer come by your property. But that delight can turn to disappointment if they start nibbling on your carefully cultivated plants. Thankfully, there are lots of easy-to-grow deer-resistant annuals to provide a fast-growing, long-blooming pop of color. And, even though these plants won't usually live longer than a year, many annuals readily reseed, so you'll find more appearing next season.
While no plants are definitively deer-proof, many are much more deer-resistant than others. Check out this list of carefully curated, popular deer-resistant annuals that experts rate as rarely damaged by deer.
© Provided by The Spruce The Spruce / Kara RileyIf you're looking for pretty, fragrant heirloom flowers that are a perfect fit for a cottage garden, look no further than sweet alyssum. Deer won't graze on these hardy annuals or short-lived perennials, which form a ground-hugging carpet of blooms. Flowering in spring, the blooms fade in summer and reappear in fall. And, providing they get enough sun and moisture, these easy outdoor plants thrive with little to no maintenance.
Cornflowers (also known as bachelor's buttons) are ideal cool season annuals with dainty, colorful flowers. These plants bloom from mid-summer into the cooler fall temperatures, providing you deadhead spent flowers. Their easy-growing wildflowers reseed rapidly, so you should have a beautiful new cluster of cornflowers yearly.
The California poppy is a striking orange flower that grows as a perennial in its native zone. It makes for a pretty annual that happily reseeds in cooler regions. Impervious to grazing deer, these plants need plenty of sun and loose, well-draining soil to thrive. You can enjoy the blooms from late spring to early summer, and deadheading spent flowers encourages a longer bloom period.
Annual vinca is a rabbit-proof plant as well as one that deer aren't fans of. Pick a sunny spot to appreciate the blooms of this fast-growing plant from early summer to fall. There's no deadheading needed with this self-cleaning species, and the trailing ground cover is a great choice as a spiller plant for container gardens. Just keep it away from your four-legged friends; annual vinca is toxic to people and pets.
Calendula is an easy annual to grow from seed after the last spring frosts, and its bright, daisy-like blooms appear in abundance within six to eight weeks after sowing. Pinch back young plants to prevent leggy growth and deadhead to encourage more blooms. Other than that, offer a rich, well-draining soil and enjoy.
You can enjoy the classic, colorful beauty of tall snapdragons from spring to fall, although they stop blooming when temperatures soar in summer. Perfect plants for attracting hummingbirds to your yard, pinch young stem tips and deadhead spent blooms to maximize their flowering time. A sunny spot and regular watering will see your snapdragons thrive.
Looking for annual flowers to grow in dry shade? Look no further than deer-resistant spider flowers. Perfect as a tall focal point in your garden border, the bright blooms of these plants draw pollinators to your yard. You don't have to stake this statuesque species when grown in a sunny spot. In a partial shade location, it might need some extra support.
Starflowers make for great companion plants to grow alongside tomatoes. They aren't just deer-resistant; they're plants that repel the insect tomato hornworm, which can decimate your tomato harvest. And their vivid blue blooms and fresh cucumber-like fragrance are a welcome addition to any landscape. Grow in a sunny spot to promote abundant blooming throughout summer and strong stems. These plants are toxic to people and pets.
Dill is a fantastic deer-resistant herb to grow in your yard. The ornamental feathery foliage, appealing fragrance, and clusters of tiny yellow flowers mean it's more than just a culinary herb. Pick a sunny spot with rich, loose, and well-draining soil to enjoy late summer and early fall blooms.
You can't go wrong with easy-to-grow, bright-blooming marigolds when you're searching for deer-resistant annuals for your yard. Their preference is for a full sun position with weekly watering. If you offer this, they have a long bloom period, providing you deadhead spent flowers. There are many marigold species to choose from, depending on the size and color you want for your space.
There are many reasons to love the deer-resistant shrub lantana. The bright flowers of this pollinator-friendly annual bloom year-round when the climate is mild enough, and their salt tolerance makes them popular in coastal landscaping. They flourish in bright spots and, although they are drought-tolerant, even moisture is best to promote abundant blooms. It's best to keep these plants away from your cats and canines, as lantana is toxic to people and pets.
Lobelias are tender perennials mostly grown as annuals in the U.S. This deer-resistant ground cover results in a swathe of attractive, brightly colored small blooms carpeting your landscape. With a long summer-to-fall bloom period, these plants are popular with pollinators. Lobelias are a low-maintenance landscaping option that appreciate rich, well-drained soil and even moisture.
Tall stock flowers are a cottage garden favorite. There are many colors to choose from with these long-lasting, edible blooms, and their delicate fragrance is an added bonus. In most regions of the U.S., these are biennial plants or half-hardy annuals, living for two years and flowering in their second year. Low-maintenance stock flowers can grow in full sun or partial shade, and they appreciate rich, well-draining soil.
Verbenas are ideal deer-resistant annuals for growing in full sun. Continuously blooming with small star-shaped flowers from early summer to fall, they add a splash of bright color and lure in beneficial pollinators. Depending on the species, they have trailing, mounding, or upright habits, so you can find one for just about any spot in your yard. All they need is access to bright sun and evenly moist soils to thrive. Lemon verbena and several other species are toxic to pets.
There are many deer-resistant species of easy-growing zinnias to choose from. No matter what color or size you want, there's sure to be one that fits your landscape. From the tall Zinnia elegans for the back of borders to the small 'Thumbelina' series for growing in petite patio containers, providing you offer a sunny spot, they'll cope with pretty much any conditions you throw at them.
Read Next:31 Best-Deer Resistant Flowers and Plants to Grow
Garden Guy Column Explores Hummingbird And Butterfly Friendly Plants
Nurseries and garden centers are filled with plants waiting for a permanent home. When you are selecting all the "must-haves" for this year, in addition to thinking about color and size, why not also think about attracting hummingbirds and butterflies?
Although not specifically by design, many of the plants in my gardens are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. These creatures provide months of interest and color to the landscape and are entertaining as well. I have not studied either hummingbirds or butterflies, but the plants I have attract many different species of butterflies. Additionally, although I haven't checked their IDs, I believe that the same pair of hummingbirds nest somewhere in our gardens each year and have for many years.
I saw the first butterfly this season at the beginning of March, long before it became consistently warm. And, while I haven't spotted "our" hummingbirds yet, I have previously seen them by about mid-April. Once the new hummingbird kids leave the nest, we are entertained daily by the aerobatics performed as mom and dad try to drive them away. It is my understanding that these birds are quite territorial.
Bob Hatton
Many plants are available locally to attract these and other birds and insects that are friendly, if not entertaining. While not every plant I will mention is attractive to both birds and insects most are, so I will not differentiate between them.
I have many different Salvia species, most being perennials. Both hummers and butterflies love them and since there are always several of them in bloom, Salvias are an almost constant food source. These seem to be the first thing and the last thing that hummers go to each day.
I cannot attest to their liking all Agastaches (giant hyssop, hummingbird mint), but they like A. Cana and A. 'Desert Sunrise' in my gardens. The latter smells like bubblegum to me and, unlike some Agastaches, it remains compact and does not flop over.
Two magnets, especially for butterflies, are Asclepias (butterfly weed) and Buddleias (butterfly bush). As with Salvias and Agastaches there are many different sizes and colors from which to choose, and both provide months of bloom.
Story continues
Other plants include species of Lonicera (honeysuckle), Aquilegia (columbine), Penstemon (beardtongue), Delphinium, Monarda (bee balm), Caryopteris (blue mist spirea), Lantana (lantana, shrub verbena) and others. Also, don't forget butterfly caterpillars. I have Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) and Petroselinum crispum (curly leaf parsley) that many enjoy.
For several years, we had a Passiflora caerulea (passion flower vine) in a container on our back porch in front of our seating area. Since all stages live on the vine, we enjoyed watching cycle after cycle of Gulf fritillary butterflies go through the stages from egg to adult butterfly.
Most of these plants will provide season after season and year after year of color with little effort. It is a bonus that they also bring special visitors to the gardens that also add to the joy of gardening, having colorful gardens, and with many also being pollinators.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Garden Guy column: Plants that attract hummingbirds, butterflies
