Temperatures are expected to be higher than ever this summer, with record-breaking heatwaves already hitting the Southwest United States. You might be prepared with ways to beat the heat, but what about your garden?
Flowers, lawns, and outdoor foliage alike can shrivel under soaring temperatures. If your garden isn’t built to survive the heat, don’t give up just yet—there are a few things you can do to help protect your plants from heatwaves this summer.
A shade cloth is essentially a suspended tarp you’ll place above plants you want to shade from the heat of the sun. These cloths will let some light through, so your plants will still be healthy in the shade, but will prevent the sun from burning plants or harming plants that can’t tolerate full sun.
Unlike covering your plants for a winter frost, you’ll need to make sure the cloth isn’t directly making contact with any part of your plant. This will ensure your plant is properly shaded without it burning.
Shade clothes can also enable you to cover multiple sections of your yard at once, providing all of your plants with a solution to stay cool this summer.
Not mowing your lawn might seem like a counterintuitive summer activity, but it’s actually the perfect way to help your yard thrive. Tall grass retains shade and moisture, so the soil in your yard will be less likely to dry out under the hot sun. This will help keep your grass growing tall and lush, even without any maintenance.
If you absolutely must trim your lawn this summer, keep the length as long as possible. This will ensure your lawn won’t be directly exposed to hot temperatures during its period of regrowth after mowing.
You might not be an early bird, but if you want your plants to thrive, you’ll
The website greengrove.cc is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
When you see a caterpillar on dill in your garden—or other plants—you may be startled, grossed out, or annoyed that your plant is being systematically decimated. I get excited. Because I know it’s a black swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes) that’s going to turn into a beautiful butterfly. And that butterfly is going to become one of many valuable pollinators in my garden. I see a few types of swallowtail butterflies fluttering about my property, landing on various annuals and perennials. They are am
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Q: Our 25-year-old Aloha rose has failed to bloom again this season. It used to be in full bloom throughout the month of June. Can you recommend any treatment to restore it to its former glory? A Forsyth
Looking at your latest bountiful harvest, you may realize that you need to learn how to freeze broccoli. This is a great problem to have! When your garden efforts pay off with a bumper crop, you can preserve your vegetables to enjoy year-round. There are several steps required to freeze broccoli, but it’s pretty easy. All you need is a good knife and cutting board, along with a large pot and a large bowl. In this article, you’ll read tips for harvesting broccoli, all you need to know to prep broccoli, and finally, how to freeze broccoli that you grew yourself. Why freeze broccoli from the garden Eating “local”—meaning from the garden—is an aspiration for many of us. While season-extensio
Perfecting your garden is a process of trial and error. And sometimes, when you’re in the thick of it, it’s nice to call in an expert for some sage advice or words of encouragement.
It’s hard to deny that the Midwest hosts the lion’s share of tall and dramaticnative perennials, but we in the Northeast also have some statuesque species that will make arresting additions to your garden. In addition to using them for their ornamental appeal, growing these regionally native plants can help to ameliorate habitat loss and provide food for local wildlife. The following three perennials also happen to have similar growing conditions and can be grown together in the same design.
There is much to love about passion flowers (Passiflora spp. and cvs., Zones 6–11). There are over 550 different species in the genus; some are shrubs and trees, but the ones that are most familiar to gardeners are the tropical-looking, tendril-bearing, climbing, flowering vines. These are the passion flower varieties that fall into my category of favorites. Some of these beauties even produce deliciously complex-flavored, fragrant, sweet-tart fruit.
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Aesthetics and style trend have taken over our interiors, and we love that trends are spreading into our outdoor spaces, too. This year, as organic decor and biophilic design continue to dominate our home decor feeds, a similar gardening trend is growing—literally.
There are so many great gardening hacks out there. From using eggshells as fertilizer to creatively sourcing free plants, we all know you can create a stunning outdoor space with plenty of things you can't buy at your standard garden center.
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.