From watering and weeding to entertaining family and friends over a summer barbecue, July can be a busy time in the garden. Nevertheless, if you find yourself wanting to fill some gaps in the borders or empty spaces in your containers before the fall, there is still time to sow some fast-growing annuals for autumnal color.

Often germinating in just a few days and blooming within a matter of weeks, fast-growing annuals can be a cost-effective and efficient way of filling any gaps at this time of year. Over my nearly two decades of professional horticultural experience, I have discovered which annual flowers can be planted now and still have time to bloom before winter sets in.

Furthermore, it is not just flowers you can plant in July; there is still time to sow salads and vegetables this month for harvest later this season. Here are seven of the best.

Ornamental Cabbage

Also known as ornamental or flowering kale, ornamental cabbage (Brassica oleracea) may resemble its edible relatives but is grown for its striking color and form rather than for food. Perfect for a fall and winter garden, ornamental cabbages are available in shades ranging from cream and pink to blue and purple.

Germinating in around one week in soil with a temperature of 65°F - 70°F, ornamental cabbages can reach maturity in 60-90 days, meaning if sown in July, you could be enjoying their vibrant hues come September.

Ideally suited to a fall planter or the front of a border and available in pink, white, or a mix, Flowering cabbage – Osaka series are available from True Leaf market.

Dwarf Cosmos

Instantly brightening borders, adored by pollinators and florists, it is no surprise that cosmos are a widely grown annual flower.

Typically started in late spring or early summer, you can also sow cosmos in July. However, in order to mature before the winter sets in, you might want to choose a faster-growing dwarf variety such as Cosmos ‘Dwarf Sensation’ available from True Leaf Market rather than the taller Cosmos bipinnatus.

Germinating in as little as one week and flowering in 60-90 days, dwarf cosmos is a great choice for later-season sowing. Sow indoors or outdoors at a depth of a quarter of an inch, water in gently and protect from slugs and snails.

To avoid dispersing seed when watering, a watering can with a fine rose or a gentle setting on a hose spray gun is recommended. The Haws Bartley Burbler watering can with fine spray rose is available to purchase from Amazon.

Amaranth

Grown for cut flowers, as a crop, and as a microgreen, the Amaranthus plant group is made up of both annuals and perennials. However, it is Love-lies-bleeding, or Amaranthus caudatus, that is prized for its cascading flowers.

Amaranth matures quickly and thrives in the heat; it dies back with the first frost of winter, which makes later sowings possible for those with a mild fall. Maturing in about 10-12 weeks, you will want to sow it as early in July as you can to allow it time to bloom.

Requiring light to germinate, make sure they have contact with the soil, but do not cover. Sow in cell trays and place in a propagator or heat mat, such as the VIVOSUN heat mat with digital thermostat available from Amazon,, set to 65°F to 75°F until seedlings appear then pot on as they grow.

Plant out in full sun and keep the soil moist. Love lies bleeding seeds are available to purchase from Amazon.

Dill

Botanically known as Anethum graveolens, florist’s dill is so called due to its use as a cut flower. It produces fine and feathery foliage upon which grew elegant clusters of tiny yellow flowers.

Low maintenance and drought tolerance make dill an easy-to-grow annual to sow in July. You can sow it directly outdoors into a prepared seedbed that receives full sun, or sparingly in a pot under cover. Cover the seeds very thinly with soil and keep moist until germination occurs, usually within 10 days.

With experience of growing it as a cut flower commercially, florist’s dill tends to flower more quickly when given as much sun and heat as possible, making a July sowing ideal in warmer areas.

Maturing in 65 days, you can purchase dill seeds – ‘Bouquet’ from True Leaf Market.

French Marigolds

Cultivated for their vibrant orange, red, and yellow flowers, French marigolds (Tagetes patula) are a great addition to a vegetable patch for their natural pest-controlling characteristics.

Whether planted in a container, front of a border, or in a greenhouse, Tagetes keep blooming all summer long until the first frost of the fall. Adding some warm color to a hot border or a fall display, French Marigolds are easy to grow and care for.

Faster-growing than African marigolds, Tagetes can be sown outdoors or undercover in July and tends to germinate within 1-2 weeks. Blooming in as little as 50 days, if sown in early July, you could be enjoying its striking blooms before the end of August.

Developing maroon and yellow flowers, Naughty Marietta French marigold seeds are available to purchase from Botanical Interests.

Cornflowers

Perfect for a wildflower garden, cornflowers, or bachelor's buttons are among the most stunning blue flowers to grow.

Typically planted in the spring, you can also sow Centaurea cynus in July, albeit with a shorter flowering season. Thriving in full sun and poor soil, sow them where they are to grow, and, in the right conditions, they will bloom within 10 weeks from sowing.

Alternatively, you can sow them in a pot using a seed mix such as Miracle-Gro Seed Starter Potting Mix available at Walmart. For a change from the commonly grown blue cornflowers, why not try 'Black Magic' bachelor's button Seeds available from Botanical Interests, for its striking and unusual deep maroon flowers.

Baby's Breath

One of the best fast-growing plants with tiny flowers is baby's breath (Gypsophila). Adored for its panicles of minute white or sometimes pink flowers, Gypsophila adds a delicate and airy feel to any pot or border.

Furthermore, as a quick-maturing annual, it can bloom in as little as 50 to 60 days from sowing.

With a dislike of being transplanted, direct sowing is generally preferred, and needing light to germinate, should not be covered with soil, but merely pressed gently into damp soil. Once germinated, thin plants to 12-18 inches apart and avoid fertilizing, as this can lead to more leafy growth and fewer flowers.

With its delicate pink blooms, Gypsophila ‘Gypsy Deep Rose'Gypsophila' seeds are available to buy from True Leaf Market.

With all this talk about fall color, you may be thinking about what you can sow in the fall for an early spring display next year.

From hardy annuals to perennial options, our best flowers to sow in the fall are full of varieties you can sow for healthier and stronger plants and an earlier display next year.

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If you've always wanted to grow your own herbs and fresh salad but don't have much outdoor space, Costco's self-watering raised planter could be the answer. Designed for patios and small yards, the elevated cedar bed also features a built-in water reservoir that helps keep your plants consistently hydrated, which with the intensely hot summer we are having takes the worry and effort out of constant watering.

Unlike traditional containers that can dry out quickly in summer, this planter stores up to six gallons of water beneath the soil, allowing plants to draw up moisture as they need it. There are other, similar planters on the market. I particularly like this self-watering raised bed from Amazon, which has a sleek design.

It's a simple way of transforming a small outdoor space into a low maintenance yet productive garden. This product also comes with the optional extras of a greenhouse cover and a bug cover. It's easy to see why Costco shoppers are snapping it up this season.

What Shoppers Say

Shoppers give the Costco self watering planter 4.5 stars, and are impressed with how productive the planter is, particularly for growing herbs and salad crops.

Several reviewers said they enjoyed it so much they purchased a second planter, with one writing, 'I bought one last year and liked it so much I bought another one this year.'

Others praised the self-watering reservoir feature for helping thirsty crops to thrive, with one owner commenting, 'Works great for tomatoes and other plants that need water all the time.' Another said, 'I had so much success and fun with mine that I bought a second one.'

A handful of shoppers did flag a few drawbacks. Some noted that the reservoir can become too full after prolonged heavy rain, so it may be better suited to covered patios or drier climates.

Others stressed the importance of following the assembly instructions and using a lightweight potting mix rather than heavy garden soil, which helps the self-watering system work effectively and avoids putting unnecessary strain on the planter's base.

Shop More Raised Bed Planters

With more heatwaves on the horizon, a self-watering planter or pot feels like a no brainer. These are the most stylish options we found, and all are perfect for a small outside space.

As more homeowners look for ways to maximize smaller outdoor spaces, clever designs like this are becoming increasingly popular. And the self-watering system makes it so much easier to grow, and know when to water, without the constant upkeep that traditional containers often demand.

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If the cardinal sin indoors is the ‘big light,’ the outdoor equivalent is probably the flood light. I can’t think of a faster way to kill the mood of an alfresco dinner party. String lights, candles, bossa nova… then FLASH. Welcome, Jimmy, whose 20-minute-late entrance just tripped the motion sensor. Philips Hue decided there must be a chicer way.

Its Hue Go Indoor-Outdoor Portable Table Lamp is essentially a second host – Hugo, if you will. You can simply say, ‘Turn on the lights.’ Or, ‘Hey Hue, we’re about to eat – warm it up.’ ‘Actually, let’s do amber. We've switched to Sade.’ Pair it with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, or, for the ultimate hands-free unlock – Hue Bridge – and your garden lighting is capable of just about every automation imaginable.

Warm-to-cool white is lovely, of course. But with literally millions of colors tucked inside the Philips Hue app, why stop there? Tonight, the patio light is matching the pink prickly pear margaritas. Tomorrow, who knows.

If you’re not in the mood to chat, you don’t actually have to say a word. Set routines and timers as little favors for your future self, or simply tap the button on top to cycle through preset scenes (one press) or the full color range (two). A smart portable lamp when you want it to be. Analog when you don’t.

And the Hue Go doesn’t tire easily, either: up to 48 hours of battery life. Forty-eight hours. Host a cocktail hour on Friday, dinner on Saturday, and chances are you’ll still have enough charge left for another week’s worth of alfresco evenings.

As a style editor, I’ve spent season after season obsessing over linens, flowers, and glassware when, in reality, it’s the lighting doing most of the heavy lifting. Jimmy can keep showing up 20 minutes late. Hugo can host. The flood light, however, is officially off the guest list.

‘Lights, please...’

Affordable Color-Changing Portable Lamps

Philips Hue remains the name to beat when it comes to smart lighting. But if the Hue Go isn’t in the budget this summer, these portable lamps also know a thing or two about setting the mood outside.

Philips Hue is the gold standard of smart lighting, and should you summer with Hue Go, you’ll soon see why. If you’ve already fallen for its color-changing bulbs indoors, this is the natural next step for the patio.

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Zinnias are vibrant flowers that dazzle gardeners with glorious blooms from midsummer through to the first frosts. They are perfect for brightening up gardens of any size. Those with smaller spaces needn’t miss out, as you can enjoy an energetic display by growing zinnias in pots.

These tender annuals come in a variety of sizes and colors, including both single and mixed colors, and there are lots of compact zinnias perfectly suited for containers. They need sun, heat, and moisture for the best display. Give them a large container, regular watering and feeding, and deadhead them, and you can enjoy a long pot display.

If you want to grow zinnias in pots successfully, there are a few key points to get right, including buying the right variety, such as these Thumbelina zinnia seeds from True Leaf Market. The good news is that these annual flowers are simple to maintain. If you do the following, you’ll be enjoying a flamboyant performance of blooms in no time.

Essential Tips for Growing Zinnias in Pots

Growing zinnias in pots is made all the easier by picking compact types. Dwarf or smaller-growing zinnia varieties still come in all manner of colors, but they are easier to maintain in pots than taller types. Compact zinnias mean you don’t need such large pots, the plants don’t need staking, and the container is at less risk of being top-heavy and toppling in high winds.

Dwarf zinnias are also popular bedding plants, with the likes of Profusion Series zinnias, Zahara Series zinnias, and Thumbelina zinnias some of the most sought-after, measuring in at between 6-18 inches, depending on the variety.

Pick a container at least 12 inches wide and deep and fill it with a well-draining potting soil for container gardening. Moisture management is crucial, so any soil needs to retain moisture but be well-draining, and the container needs drainage holes.

This premium organic potting mix from Burpee is made from moisture-retaining coconut coir and is perfect for growing zinnias in pots.

A 12-inch pot can fit three compact zinnia plants, which can either be sown directly into the soil in early summer or you can plant zinnia seeds indoors in modules in late spring (use large modules or biodegradable pots as zinnias don’t like root disturbance). Alternatively, you can buy seedlings as plug plants to pop straight into your pot. If you opt to grow taller zinnias, the pot will need to be at least 16 inches wide.

Zinnias do love sun; the more sun they get, the better the plants will flower. Place your container on a sunny deck, patio, or balcony where the zinnias can thrive in at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Too much shade can mean fewer flowers and misshapen stems as the plant desperately stretches to find sunlight.

Shop Zinnias That Are Perfect For Pots

How to Care for Zinnias in Pots

• Watering - Zinnias in pots will require regular watering to keep the soil moist in the summer. They are thirsty plants, and in containers will dry out quicker than when growing in flower beds. In the summer, it may mean watering plants in containers daily. Check the moisture levels an inch or two under the soil surface, and water when it feels dry. A moisture meter (you can get a soil moisture meter at Amazon) can help to show when you need to water plants. When you do water, always do so deeply, and take care to water the soil surface rather than the foliage, which can lead to fungal diseases.
• Feeding - To keep zinnias blooming as long as possible, feed the plants at least every two weeks with a high-potassium feed once the first flowers appear. The fast-growing flowering annuals will use up the nutrients in the potting soil after around a month. A regular feeding regime ensures the flowers have the essential nutrients they need to keep producing new blooms. A high-potassium feed usually comes in the form of a bloom booster or tomato feed, such as this concentrated plant fertilizer at Amazon.
• Pruning - Once the plants reach 10-12 inches tall, it is beneficial to pinch out zinnias. Removing the growing tip may seem harsh, but you are being cruel to be kind. This technique encourages lots of lateral growth that will carry more flowers. To do this, remove the central growing tip just above a pair of leaves. Once the zinnias start flowering, start regularly deadheading the plants. Taking the time to deadhead zinnias focuses the plant’s energy on producing new flowers, so you get the longest display of blooms. Remove faded flowers with a pair of shears or pruning snips just above a leaf node or new bud. I am a fan of these Felco pruning snips at Amazon for such intricate trimming tasks.

The Best Pots for Zinnias

At the end of the season, you can collect zinnia seeds to sow again into your pots next year. If you’ve loved this year’s displays, collecting seeds is a cost-effective way to plan for next summer’s container garden.

Stop deadheading once the overall show starts to fade and let the flowers produce seeds and dry out. Then you can cut the seed heads and collect the seeds into a paper envelope.

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July is the month when gardens begin to show their true character. Some plants surge ahead as if they’ve discovered espresso; others stall, sulk, or simply sit there looking philosophically disappointed. The difference, more often than not, is feeding. A well-timed fertilizer application now can turn a tired display into a confident midsummer performance across beds, borders, and containers.

In practical terms, July fertilizing is about maintenance rather than indulgence. We are not encouraging reckless growth or leafy excess for its own sake. Instead, we’re supporting plants that are actively flowering, fruiting, or recovering from earlier bursts of energy. Think of it as a gentle but firm reminder: the season is not over yet, and neither are you.

If you’re planning what to add to your garden this month, it pairs beautifully with our guide on what to plant in July – the best veg, salads and flowers, which sits nicely alongside this discussion of feeding what you already have growing. One hand plants, the other feeds - gardening at its most civilized.

1. Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla)

Hydrangeas are the divas of the midsummer garden. Give them the wrong soil, and they sulk; give them the right fertilizer in July, and they perform like they’ve been rehearsing all year.

At this point in the season, a balanced, slow-release feed such as this slow-release fertilizer from Amazon is ideal. It won’t force soft growth that collapses in heat but will support those enormous mopheads and lacecaps that define temperate-zone gardens from New England to the Pacific Northwest.

I’ve found that gardeners often overfeed hydrangeas in spring, then neglect them when it actually matters. July is when they are building and sustaining blooms, and a gentle boost keeps color intense, especially the blues and pinks that depend on soil chemistry as much as enthusiasm.

For more on managing flowering shrubs through the heat, our feature on heat proof flowering shrubs offers useful context.

2. Container Plants

Container plants are the adolescents of the garden world: always hungry, rarely satisfied, and prone to dramatic collapse if ignored for more than a few days.

Petunias (Petunia × hybrida), calibrachoa, and trailing verbena are all heavy feeders in July. A liquid feed every 7–10 days keeps them flowering instead of just existing. I tend to use a high-potash fertilizer such as this Bloom Booster from Lowes, which encourages flowers rather than leafy chaos.

The key mistake I see, and I include my past self in this, is treating containers like static decoration. They are not. They are small ecosystems with ambitions. Once heat ramps up, nutrients leach out fast, and what looked like a lush planter in June can look like a forgotten salad by late July.

If your containers are feeling uninspired, our guide to container refresh tricks for summer color pairs well with this feeding schedule.

3. Lawns

Lawns (Cynodon dactylon in warm regions, Festuca arundinacea in cooler temperate zones) are often overlooked in July feeding routines, which is a shame because this is when they’re under real stress.

A summer lawn fertilizer such as this lawn feed from Ace Hardware helps maintain color and density without pushing excessive growth that demands constant mowing. The goal is resilience, not extravagance.

I’ve always thought of July lawns as slightly exhausted aristocrats, still dignified, but in need of encouragement rather than transformation. A light feed, combined with deep watering in the early morning, makes a noticeable difference within two weeks. Don't forget, watering strategies and mowing height adjustments are key to keeping a lush summer lawn.

4. Shrubs

Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) and similar evergreen shrubs are often assumed to be self-sufficient. They are not. They are simply discreet about their needs.

A balanced granular feed applied in July helps maintain structure and color, especially in formal gardens or clipped hedging schemes. I tend to prefer something steady and unfussy, like this granular shrub fertilizer from Amazon, which supports root health without encouraging awkward, overly soft growth.

This is also the moment when I remind myself that shrubs are long-term investments, not seasonal decorations. A well-fed boxwood hedge will forgive your pruning mistakes. A neglected one will not. If you’re tweaking the design of your backyard this season, looking at evergreen structure for year-round interest is a great place to start.

5. Clematis

Clematis are among the most rewarding climbers, but they are also voracious when in full growth. By July, many are in their second flush or gearing up for late-season flowering.

A high-potash liquid feed every couple of weeks supports flower production and prevents the dreaded “all leaves, no drama” scenario. I like this liquid bloom fertilizer from Amazon, which is easy to apply while pretending you’re not being judged by your plants.

Clematis respond quickly to feeding, almost theatrically so. One week they look restrained and respectable; the next they are staging a full botanical opera across a trellis.

6. Hostas

Hostas are often treated as filler plants, which is unfair. In July, when fed correctly, they become lush, architectural, and surprisingly assertive.

A nitrogen-balanced feed supports leaf development, which is the hosta’s main event. I use my own liquid fertilizer straight from the duck pond in my garden with good results, especially in shaded borders where competition for nutrients is fierce. You can make your own plant feed from comfrey, nettles or even a urine fertilizer if you want to feel really efficient.

What I’ve learned over the years is that hostas don’t want attention, they want presence. Feeding them in midsummer ensures they hold their ground visually against more flamboyant neighbors.

7. Citrus Trees

Citrus trees grown in pots are surprisingly demanding in July. They are, after all, pretending to be Mediterranean while living in a much less forgiving climate.

A specialized citrus feed such as this Miracle-Gro citrus fertilizer from Amazon keeps foliage glossy and supports fruit development without encouraging weak growth. Feed little and often rather than heavily and occasionally.

I find citrus plants have a slightly theatrical relationship with gardeners: they reward attention immediately, then punish neglect with equal speed. July is not the time to test that relationship.

For more container tree inspiration, our feature on growing citrus trees in pots offers useful design and care ideas, especially in small spaces.

8. Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses such as miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis) are often left to their own devices, which is partly why they look so effortless. But in July, a light feed can enhance height, plume development, and overall vigor.

A low-nitrogen fertilizer works best here, something that encourages structure rather than excessive softness. I’ve had success with this seaweed fertiliser from Amazon, especially in mixed prairie-style planting schemes.

Grasses are at their best when they feel slightly untamed but still intentional. Feeding them now helps maintain that balance without tipping into collapse.

If you’re experimenting with texture this year, our guide to creating prairie minimalism planting schemes is a natural companion.

What to Shop

July fertilizing is not about excess. It is about timing, restraint, and understanding that plants, like people, have moments of peak performance and moments when they need support rather than stimulation.

I’ve always found midsummer gardening to be a conversation rather than a command. The plants tell you what they need, sometimes politely, sometimes dramatically. Feeding at this time of year is simply listening more carefully.

Handled well, July fertilizing keeps everything in motion: flowers continue, foliage deepens, and containers resist the temptation to give up entirely. And in a season that can feel like it is slipping past faster than a watering can left in the sun, that continuity is worth everything.

If you’d like to expand your midsummer planting plans alongside this feeding routine, revisit what to plant in July - the best veg, salads and flowers, where the next wave of garden possibilities is already waiting.

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A heat dome is heading for the East and Midwest US, and many of us will be feeling the anxiety of keeping our gardens safe. Backyard wildlife also needs some extra support this week, as they seek ways to stay cool and hydrated.

I've just spotted one of the easiest and most chic ways to help birds in a heatwave: this Amazon hanging bubbling bird bath. Unlike other solar fountain bird baths, it can be hung from a tree branch and it has a bubbling function that creates water movement. It makes an ideal spot for birds to cool off in.

Not to mention its gorgeous design. The green hue is timeless and will effortlessly slot into any garden landscape. 'This fountain is getting a lot of good use especially during the hot days,' one reviewer describes. So, now is the time to get your hands on it before the scorching temps arrive – it'll provide a lifeline for the birds that visit.

How to Help Birds in a Heatwave

When hot temperatures come around, our garden birds can suffer. But, by having a bird bath, some garden shade, and a filled bird feeder (this one from Walmart is perfect for mixed bird seed), you can help them stay comfortable, energized, and cool.

While any bird bath is good to have, one with a solar fountain is certainly more beneficial. It creates movement that keeps the immediate area cool, it also helps keep the bird bath clean, and it can even attract hummingbirds who prefer mist over still water.

The fountain part of the bird bath offers vertical space for birds to fly through to cool down, while they still have the option to sit in the basin.

Alongside this, prioritize energizing foods. This includes black oil sunflower seeds (like this pack from Amazon).

Why Shoppers Love It

With a 4.1 star rating, it seems those who have already purchased the Amazon hanging bubbling bird bath are satisfied with its function and appearance.

'Very nice hanging bird bath. The bubbles works great!' one five star reviewer writes.

As it's solar powered, this bird bath does require sunlight exposure to operate. 'The more sunlight it receives, the stronger its power,' the product listing reads.

'It definitely needs direct sun to function,' one shopper testifies.

This does unfortunately mean you can't keep it in a super shady spot, but strategically placing this bird bath near trees and shrubs makes it easy for birds to access water and shade in one area.

You may want to use a bird feeding pole (like this from Amazon) to hang it up. Another bonus of this is that it keeps it elevated and out of reach of cats, keeping the birds safe.

There is also an option to take the fountain out and use the bird bath on its own, if you are keen to have it in a shaded spot.

The fact its constructed of durable metal also seems to be appreciated by shoppers:

'This solar fountain is well worth the money. It’s made well and the birds love it,' one person writes. 'It’s a sturdy disc,' another notes.

The fact it's weather-resistant, rust-resistant, and the decorative birds are cast iron-constructed makes the price of $35.99 great value. It's one of the most effortless and affordable ways to help garden wildlife this summer that I've come across.

Shop Our Birding Edit

Ensuring there's a clean water source and topped up bird food in your yard is just one way to help garden birds in summer. You can also incorporate lots of native planting to provide natural food sources for the wildlife in your garden.

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Warm summer temperatures call for evenings spent outside, and evenings spent outside call for ample outdoor lighting ideas – to set the mood, to create an inviting atmosphere outdoors, and to keep things illuminated after the sun goes down.

Though traditional outdoor light styles like pendants, string lights, and portable lamps are essential for brightening dark outdoor areas, I've found a portable light that blends so effortlessly into the landscape. It's called the Solar Pebble Light from Anthropologie, and as the name suggests, it looks just like a glowing pebble – an organic shape that would be perfectly disguised on a lawn, patio or poolside.

This pebble light is one of the most unique outdoor lights I've seen this summer with its organic, stone-inspired shape and soft light output. Unassuming during the day, its solar panels will soak up the sun, and at nightfall, its magical glow will subtly illuminate your patio, yard, or garden.

Being portable and solar powered, it can be positioned anywhere you want it to – so long as it has access to the sun to charge. Get a few and use them as chic walkway lights or patio perimeter lights, or scatter some within your flower beds to create a whimsical garden scene. This solar light will look best when it's naturally integrated with your existing plants and backyard decor, as if it were always meant to be there.

This solar pebble lamp reminds me of how important it is to plan outdoor lighting with the same thought and intention as indoor lighting. It's not all about having one big light; in fact, most spaces – inside or out – look better when light is layered with other light features and at varying levels.

Since this light is meant to rest on the ground, it creates a base layer of lighting for your outdoor space. I'd complement it with some mid-level lighting, like an outdoor wall sconce or a table lamp, and complete the scene with overhead lighting. Each of these layers can set the mood for different scenarios – the table lamps and overheads for outdoor events like dinner parties or game nights outside, and the ground-level pebble lights for quiet, cozy evenings outdoors.

If you're looking for more solar light ideas to complete your outdoor lighting scheme, find my favorites below. From hanging lanterns to sparkler-like stake lights, these solar light choices are bound to light up your outdoor space in style.

Shop More Solar Garden Lighting

Though some may not see it as a necessity, I think Anthropologie's Pebble Solar Light is exactly the light source you need to make your outdoor space come to life this summer. It's a whimsical secondary lighting detail that'll bring layers to your garden – making it look and feel much more complete.

But it's not the only outdoor light I have on my wish list. Check out IKEA's chrome portable outdoor lamp – arguably the chicest way to light up any outdoor dinner table after the sun goes down.

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Keystone planting is all about designing your yard with the needs of your local ecosystem at its heart. Many garden trees and plants bring very little to the biodiversity party. Others, and here I'm mainly talking native species, are critical to the survival of local wildlife and, ultimately, the entire food chain. They're the vital pillars of our ecosystem.

This important approach to landscaping isn't necessarily about rewilding, or allowing your backyard to be reclaimed by nature. It's firmly rooted in common sense – planting the right plants for your zone in the right place. Not only will it bring all the wildlife to your yard, but it will also gift you with a climate-resilient outdoor space that thrives on neglect without the need for chemical intervention.

If you worry you don't have the knowledge for this new direction, which is one of the easiest of backyard ideas, there is always time to learn new skills. I guarantee this quick and simple crib sheet will have you rethinking your planting and embracing a brilliant and biodiverse way of gardening.

What is Keystone Planting?

As Mirela Bajic of House Designer explains, you needn't worry about compromising the aesthetics of your space if you're keen to incorporate keystone planting:

'Homeowners have started to realize that a beautiful garden and an ecologically useful garden do not have to be different things. This is also changing the way designers actually specify plants, moving away from purely ornamental choices toward plants that earn their place ecologically.

'Keystone planting doesn't mean a wild or messy garden. It's about choosing more carefully, not designing less.'

Of course those plants that are most beneficial to your particular wildlife will vary hugely, depending on where you live. Plants that draw in the pollinators in Florida won't thrive in northern regions of the US and vice versa. In the UK, wildlife-supporting native species are different again.

It's also important to bear in mind that plants can be beneficial for insects in various ways, as hosts and food sources for butterflies and moths, for example, as food sources for their caterpillars, or shelter over winter.

The Benefits of Keystone Planting

It's a given that keystone planting in your backyard is a failsafe way to support your local ecosystem (which will in turn keep pests at bay). But did you know that by planting trees, shrubs and perennials that literally have their roots in local soil, you will make your life easier too?

Mirela is keen to stress that by no means do you need to start from scratch when considering introducing a few keystone species.

'Keystone plants are species that have a large ecological impact relative to their abundance. In garden design it means choosing plants that support the widest possible range of wildlife, particularly insects and pollinators.

'You don't need to redesign your whole garden to implement keystone planting. You can simply swap one ornamental shrub for a native alternative. Add a small wildflower patch in an existing border. Another tip is to leave ivy on a fence rather than cutting it back.'

So keystone planting is about a shift in thinking, towards native planting, rather than a whole new way of gardening. You will also find that your native species need much less, if any, pampering, as they are innately adapted to your particular soil and weather conditions. This means less watering, pruning and tidying for you.

Shop native plants at Nature Hills Nursery

Some of the Best US Keystone Plants

Sunflowers (Helianthus)
Not just the tall single-flowered annual varieties, Helianthus is a genus that includes around 50 wild species native to North America. They support a vital network of birds, pollinators and insects with their seeds and pollen.

Shop 'Autumn Gold' helianthus at Burpee

Goldenrod (Solidago)
A pollinator magnet with more than 100 different US species, this is a vital plant in the US ecosystem, supporting migrating butterflies, moths and bees in late summer and into fall. It's South Carolina's state wildflower too.

Buy 'Fireworks' goldenrod at Nature Hills Nursery

Oak (Quercus)
Officially designated the National Tree of the United States in 2004, it has more than 60 native species and is an ecological powerhouse supporting hundreds of insect species with food and shelter. Remember it's huge, so only for sizeable backyards!

Shop oak trees at Fast Growing Trees

Hydrangeas (abrborescens and quercifolia)
The colorful mophead varieties are in fact from Asia and of far less importance in terms of biodiversity. Midwestern US natives oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) and smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) are some of the best hydrangeas to grow, supporting a wide range of pollinators and wildlife.

Buy Hydrangea arborescens at Burpee

Shop oakleaf hydrangeas at Nature Hills Nursery

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Some of the best rudbeckias are included in around 30 species native North America (mainly central and eastern areas), supporting biodiversity as vital pollen sources for insects and food sources (the seedheads) for goldfinches and other birds.

Buy 'Goldsturm' Rudbeckia at Burpee

Cherries & plums (Prunus)
There are around 20 native cherry and plum species in the US, including American plum (Prunus americana), which thrives in eastern and central regions, and the beach plum (Prunus maritima), native to the Atlantic coast and famously resilient even in sandy and salt-laden coastal environments.

Browse cherry trees at Fast Growing Trees

Maples (Acer)
The red maple (Acer rubrum) is the most abundant tree in Eastern North America, but for the most fiery fall foliage – and maple syrup – try the sugar maple (Acer saccharum).

Browse maples at Nature Hills Nursery

Asters (Symphyotrichum)
There are a staggering 120 native species of aster in North America, making them a crucial keystone plant, providing vital late-summer nectar and pollen for pollinators (notably Monarch butterflies) and supporting more than 100 species of moth and butterfly caterpillar.

Find asters at Nature Hills Nursery

Milkweed (Asclepias)
A specialist insect magnet, milkweed is present in more than 100 native species across the US. It's also the exclusive host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars. How to grow milkweed is an easy enough garden task.

Shop milkweed at Amazon

Birch (Betula)
Known as a pioneer species, there are around 12 native birch in the US, mainly in temperate northern zones. This pioneering quality means they thrive in disturbed ground, quickly colonising and improving shallow soils .

Crabapple (Malus)
A keystone species with a long season of wildlife interest, their spring flowers feed native butterflies and bees, the leaves host caterpillars and their long-lasting fall fruit are essential food for birds, deer and other mammals. Learning how to grow a crabapple is within the reach of any gardener.

Find crabapples at Fast Growing Trees

Lupine (Lupinus)
A staggering 150 native species exist in the US, mainly in western zones. They're vital for dozens of endemic and rare species of insects, and crucial atmospheric nitrogen 'fixers', which enrich the soil. Sundial lupine (Lupinus perennis) is the exclusive host plant for the caterpillars of the endangered Karner blue butterfly.

Shop lupines at Burpee

How to Introduce Keystone Favourites to Your Yard

So to the practical design elements involved in creating a harmonioius backyard with keystone planting. As always in garden design, less is more. By this I mean not fewer plants (cram in as many as you can – there's no limit to the number of plants you should include in your outdoor space!), but fewer species.

A garden with large, bold blocks of planting (like the simple three-plant formula for a more designed backyard) will be more calming and harmonious, leading the eye naturally through the whole space with long, slow pauses.

Then repeat your planting blocks throughout the space to create grounding visual links. Not only will this make your garen feel more coherent, it's also a boon for butterflies and bees, which makes it easier for them to find their favourite plants.

The species you turn to to create a beautiful yard majoring in keystone plants will depend on your area and its native trees, shrubs and perennials. Be sure to research your localized keystone species and make a list of your favourites – this way you'll support local species and have a garden full of thriving, easy-to-care-for plants.

'Homeowners are becoming more aware of biodiversity loss and want their gardens to contribute something,' says Mirela. With a changing climate and so much of our wildlife under threat, it's more important then ever to consider biodiversity in our backyards. Every space, large or small, makes a difference.

So whether you're adding a few sunflowers or swapping mophead hydrangeas for more beneficial arborescens or quercifolia species, every little helps – and you'll be tapping into a movement that landscapers and garden designers everywhere are picking up on with enthusiasm.

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Christmas cacti aren't just festive houseplants. With the right year-round care, they can thrive for decades – even more than 100 years – rewarding you with healthy summer growth and vibrant winter blooms.

Often dismissed as a seasonal decoration, a Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) is actually a long-lived, easy-going houseplant that earns its place in your home all year round. This guide to Christmas cactus care covers the essentials, while what to do with a Christmas cactus in July focuses on the key midsummer tasks that support strong, healthy growth.

July is one of the most important months in its growing calendar. While flowers are still months away, your Christmas cactus is actively producing the healthy new stem segments that will support this year's display. The care you give it now – from watering and feeding to light and pest checks – lays the foundation for vigorous summer growth and abundant winter blooms.

If you're looking to add one to your collection, the Christmas Cactus from Plant Addicts is a beautiful, established plant that's ready to thrive with the right care. It's already made its way into my shopping cart.

1. Water Consistently, but Let the Compost Dry Slightly First

Christmas cacti appreciate more moisture than desert cacti, but they still dislike sitting in wet compost. During July, warmer temperatures usually mean they need watering a little more often, especially if they’re growing in a bright spot. Before you water a Christmas cactus, check that the top inch of compost feels dry – tools like the Xlux Soil Moisture Meter from Amazon can take the guesswork out of timing.

If you find it tricky to keep up during peak summer heat, Iridescent Self-Watering Globes offer a simple, stylish way to maintain steady moisture levels while helping to avoid overwatering.

When you water, do so thoroughly, allowing any excess to drain away completely. Never leave the pot sitting in water, as prolonged soggy conditions can quickly lead to root rot. In particularly warm homes, the plant may dry out faster than expected, so it’s best to respond to the compost rather than stick to a fixed schedule.

2. Feed During Active Growth

July falls within your Christmas cactus’s active growing season, making it a good time to fertilize a Christmas cactus. A balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer applied every two to four weeks provides the nutrients needed for healthy stem development – products such as TPS Christmas Cactus Fertilizer from Amazon are specially designed for this stage of growth. For a lighter, more convenient option between feeds, Gardenera Professional Succulent Spray Fertilizer Mist can also be used to gently support healthy growth.

Avoid overfeeding, however, as too much fertilizer can encourage weak, leggy growth rather than strong, compact plants. Stop feeding toward the end of summer, before the plant begins preparing for its flowering period.

3. Give It Bright, Indirect Light

Light levels are at their strongest in July, so now is a good opportunity to check whether your Christmas cactus is receiving the right amount. A bright room with filtered light is ideal – place a Christmas cactus a few feet back from a sunny window if needed to soften the intensity.

Too little light, or keeping a Christmas cactus in the dark, can slow growth significantly, while intense afternoon sunshine may scorch the flattened stems, leaving them bleached or reddish.

If your plant has been sitting on a south-facing windowsill, consider moving it slightly back from the glass or using a sheer curtain to diffuse the light during the hottest part of the day.

4. Move It Outdoors if Conditions Are Right

Many gardeners successfully move their Christmas cactus outdoors for the summer, where higher humidity and better air circulation can encourage vigorous growth. If you choose to place a Christmas cactus outside, select a sheltered position in dappled shade, protected from strong winds and direct midday sun. Morning sunshine is generally fine, but harsh afternoon rays can scorch the flattened stems and damage the foliage.

Before moving a Christmas cactus outdoors, wait until nighttime temperatures stay consistently above 55°F (13°C). Once outside, continue checking the compost regularly, as pots tend to dry out more quickly than they do indoors, especially in warm or breezy conditions.

5. Check Regularly for Summer Pests

Warm weather can bring unwanted visitors, particularly if your Christmas cactus spends time outdoors. Christmas cactus pests such as mealybugs, scale insects, and spider mites can quickly take hold in summer conditions, so inspect the stems every week. Pay particular attention to the joints between stem segments, where pests often hide.

If you notice an infestation, isolate the plant and remove insects with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, or treat more widespread issues with a horticultural spray such as Bonide Captain Jack's Neem Oil. Catching problems early helps prevent damage and keeps the plant strong ahead of the flowering season.

6. Propagate Healthy Stem Segments

July isn't usually the time for heavy pruning, but it is an excellent month to propagate a Christmas cactus. Healthy stem segments root readily in warm temperatures. Simply twist off a section containing two or three stem segments, allow it to callus for 24 hours, then insert it into a free-draining cactus or succulent potting mix.

Keep the compost lightly moist while roots develop. Not only is propagation an easy way to expand your collection, but removing a few healthy segments can also encourage a fuller, bushier plant over time.

Shop Christmas Catcus Essentials for July

July is all about giving your Christmas cactus the care it needs to grow well. Do it right now, and you’ll get healthier growth through summer and better blooms at Christmas.

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The best outdoor gatherings aren't always about lavish decor in grand settings; some of the most memorable occasions take place in the smallest spaces, which create intimacy, warmth, and conviviality.

However small your outdoor entertaining area – whether a tiny terrace, a bijou balcony or a petite patio – there are plenty of clever styling and hosting tricks that you can try to transform it into a wonderfully inviting and transportive al fresco entertaining space.

We've asked designers to share their best outdoor dining ideas for making small terraces work harder, from clever layouts and foldable furniture to creating ambiance with light and fire, as well as vertical styling tricks with planting and storage.

With just a few cleverly thought-out styling ideas, you can create a space that will emulate lush Mediterranean terraces, chic brownstone patios, and elegant Parisian balconies, which are just perfect for entertaining.

1. Maximize Space with Built-in Seating

When your outdoor space is small, built-in seating can be a practical and stylish option. The dual-level wooden bench seating shown above has been combined with a bistro set, allowing for flexibility depending on the number of guests, and the bench can double as surface space for small plates and glasses. Plus, it makes an excellent outdoor storage solution for spare throw pillows and blankets that you can pull out if the evening gets cooler.

Gardener and landscaper Lilly-Joan Richardson explains, 'Built-in seating can be an excellent solution for small patios, as it maximizes available space while providing valuable storage. The key is getting the proportions right, so the design feels welcoming rather than overly structured or clinical. Timber helps soften the overall aesthetic and, when combined with other materials, creates a more layered and visually interesting scheme. Adding cushions can further enhance the sense of comfort.'

2. Add Statement Furniture for a Boutique Hotel Look

You don't need an outdoor dining table to be able to entertain al fresco stylishly. This balcony features some of the best outdoor furniture, bringing a boutique hotel vibe with statement seating and bold print cushions, and a luxe marble coffee table – a chic alternative to a dining table with a smaller and lower profile. Serving sharing-style platters from a coffee table makes for a more intimate and relaxed evening, and doesn't have to sacrifice on style if you choose the right pieces.

Interior designer and founder of Studio Formichella, Rebecca Formichella explains, 'Instead of dedicating valuable terrace space to a dining setup that’s only used occasionally, we’re increasingly opting for a more intimate, less formal approach to outdoor entertaining. Think oversized seating, sculptural lounge chairs, and substantial outdoor coffee tables that encourage guests to settle in, relax, and connect. This effortless setting creates a more relaxed, hospitality-driven experience where conversation naturally takes center stage.'

3. Opt for Picnic-Style Bench Seating with Tactile Touches

Bench-style seating invites everyone to squeeze in, get cozy, and come together over conversation and good food. Interior designer and founder of Rediger Design, Brittany Rediger, says, 'When you're working with a small terrace, bench seating is one of the smartest moves you can make. It doesn't require the same pull-out clearance as a chair, which immediately gives you more flexibility around the dining table. You can also seat three people on a bench in the same footprint that two chairs would occupy.'

It's not always the most comfortable if you're sitting for a while, though, so providing some cushions (like this long outdoor seat cushion from H&M Home) and blankets will make it feel more welcoming. As Brittany adds, 'The comfort concern is easy to solve. A good cushion changes everything, and layering in outdoor pillows and a throw softens the whole space without adding bulk.'

Other elements like an outdoor rug bring softness underfoot, and a pergola with optional shade or rain cover will mean the gathering can go ahead whatever the weather. 'An outdoor rug grounds the space the same way it would indoors. Overhead lighting, whether pendant fixtures or string lights, creates an anchor point above the table and extends the space well into the evening,' concludes Brittany.

4. Use Natural Texture to Add Interest in Small Spaces

Choosing outdoor furniture in natural materials such as rattan or woven textures ensures that it blends with its al fresco surroundings – so it doesn't feel too big for the space – and brings a welcome tactility. Combined with textural planting and pots, this small terrace has been transformed from a characterless box to an elegant Mediterranean-inspired entertaining space. You can also create an instant natural backdrop with something like this mixed willow privacy fencing from Anthropologie, while you're waiting for the taller plants to grow in.

Aly Morford, co-founder and principal designer at Pure Salt Interiors, says, 'For petite patios, thoughtful furniture makes the greatest impact. While a smaller footprint calls for fewer pieces, a sculptural table and chair set can anchor the space with character and presence. Natural materials and rich textures lend an organic, effortless feel, while layers of greenery soften the design and create a sense of abundance without overwhelming the eye.'

5. Create Defined Zones with Clever Landscaping

Clever landscaping is one way to make a small patio feel expensive. Splitting a square plot over different levels can help you to zone it into defined areas. Above, for example, the barbecue is on the lower level, while the seating area is slightly higher up, allowing the host to serve their guests easily, without everyone feeling on top of each other.

Hay Hwang Kitchin, co-founder of The Gardenists, explains, 'Level changes are one of the most effective tools we have in a small backyard, because they let you define separate areas without building walls that close the space down. This creates a natural sense of journey and gives each zone its own character, meaning that a modest footprint feels considered and generous rather than cramped.'

An effective way to maximize the space is by making the landscaping work harder. 'Steps and raised edges can double as casual seating and concealed storage, so every level earns its keep. Counterintuitively, dividing a small space well is what makes it feel bigger – it reads as a series of rooms rather than one tight square,' adds Hay.

The irregular paving and planting also add interest and a subtle border between the upper and lower levels. 'A shift in the paving material – or simply changing the direction it's laid – signals that you're moving from one space to another, and a band of planting acts as a soft, living threshold. It's a gentler way to zone a garden, and it ages far better than hard divisions,' Hay explains.

6. Choose Furniture That Blends in For the Illusion of Space

Colorful furniture is a big outdoor furniture trend for 2026, and this look both taps into that and serves the additional function of drawing the eye to the natural planting. The streamlined profile of the chairs and table is the perfect choice for this small terrace, while the leafy green hue blends in with the surrounding greenery so that it almost disappears into the background.

This 3-piece bistro set from Target is a great choice as it slots together neatly in a space-saving silhouette when not in use. Metal furniture is also a really practical choice for entertaining as it's wipe-clean and waterproof, so won't be damaged by any spills.

Lilly-Joan Richardson explains, 'Green powder-coated metal furniture has made a comeback in recent years and has become a popular choice. Its appeal lies in its ability to blend effortlessly into a garden setting without overwhelming the space. The design is equally important; many pieces have a light, open structure rather than a solid appearance, helping to create an airy and uncluttered feel. The result is a cohesive look that helps tie the entire garden together.'

7. Make it Warm and Intimate with Mood Lighting

However small your space, knowing how to plan outdoor lighting can be totally transformative. In the above example, the small terrace with its high wall could feel a little oppressive; however the addition of warm lighting behind the artificial living wall feature brings an amber glow and an almost tropical vibe to the space.

'In a small outdoor space, lighting does more than almost any planting choice,' explains Hay Hwang Kitchin. 'It's what turns a daytime terrace into somewhere you actually want to be after dark. We avoid flat overhead light entirely and layer it instead: warm uplighters grazing the trees and living wall to catch texture and throw soft shadow; low glows along the seating and steps, all on dimmable circuits, so the space can shift from a working light to a candlelit mood in seconds.' These rust-colored outdoor uplighters from Home Depot are ideal for highlighting a feature without jarring with the natural aesthetic.

Hay adds, 'Keeping the color temperature warm – around 2700K, and concealing the fittings makes it feel intimate rather than functional.' The artificial wall adds 'depth, texture and greenery at eye level so the high wall recedes and the enclosure starts to feel like a cocoon rather than a constraint,' Hay explains. A good-quality artificial option is low-maintenance, too, and stays green all year round. Comfortable seating in earthy hues and a green velvet cushion add texture and complete this inviting space.

8. Switch to a Round Table and Low-Slung Seating

If you want to elevate your outdoor living room and dining space but don't have the room to create defined zones for each, opt for a furniture setup that works for both. A small-footprint round table should be large enough for a sharing platter and a few glasses, while some relaxed, yet stylish, low-slung seating works equally well for dining and lounging.

Cindy McKay, founder of Cindy McKay Interiors, explains, 'A smaller round table offers an ideal conversation zone vs a longer rectangular table, where you can’t see or chat with everyone. Round tables often fit better in smaller spaces and are much more intimate. I love the flexibility of low-slung seating, as by day it can serve as an outdoor living room or reading zone, and by evening it can be easily transformed for cocktails and dining.'

9. Create a Multifunctional Space With a Fire Pit Table

When space is at a premium, pieces that work twice as hard are essential, which is why a multifunctional item like a fire pit table is a wonderful choice. It's one of the best backyard fire pit ideas as it not only works as an alternative table space by day, but can transform a small terrace into a warm and atmospheric space by night, creating a focal point and a reason for guests to linger.

Ushi Schick and Zoe Pinksa, co-founders of Sidemark Studio explain, 'A fire pit table is especially well suited to a small terrace because it does double duty without taking up extra space. By day, it functions as a useful surface for drinks, small plates, or casual entertaining, and by night, it instantly creates a natural gathering point. It allows a compact outdoor space to feel more layered, inviting, and usable across different times of day and seasons.'

Entertaining Essentials for Your Small Outdoor Space

There's no need to be limited by a small square footage when you love to host outdoors. With thoughtful styling and flexible furniture, you can create a layered ambiance and a multi-functional space for elevated gatherings. To recreate this same intimacy in a bigger space, you'll need our 3-zone outdoor hosting guide for inspiration.

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The porch isn’t just a threshold; it’s the epicenter of the action. Front or back, it’s where we make grand exits and even grander arrivals, where we greet guests just as often as we sit back and do absolutely nothing at all.

And since that’s rather the point, it’s got to be really chic: lantern wall lights that set the mood just right (we’re loving Pooky’s colorful collaboration with Novogratz), geraniums saying hello from a terracotta footed planter, a punchy striped Sunbrella storage ottoman cleverly concealing last week’s patio cushions (we’re firm believers in seasonal outfit changes), and a swivel chair every bit as comfortable as the one in your living room (thank you, Drew Barrymore).

Then, of course, maybe a portable lamp for when you can’t quite decide which spot you like better. The dilemma remains: front or back? A good problem to have. Ahead, the chic, characterful pieces for relaxing, sipping, socializing, and making the porch anything but a pass-through.

The Round is Homes & Gardens' collection of the must-have pieces shaping styles, trends, and ideas. It brings together thoughtfully curated products that express a single moment – offering readers inspiring ways to style their homes through seasonal themes, emerging looks, and everyday pieces.

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Squirrels love to dig in my garden, especially in the loose soil of my potted plants. It provides a convenient hiding spot for their acorns but harms my plants in the process, as they disturb and damage roots.

That's why I'm finally putting a precaution in place to keep squirrels out of potted plants: these Amazon anti-squirrel pot plant grids. It's an insert to pop in your containers, creating a physical barrier that stops squirrels and other animals digging in the soil. You can even use it to stop curious pets damaging your houseplants.

It's much more durable (and subtle) than using garden netting as a barrier because it's made of thicker plastic which isn't easy for squirrels to rip through. It can even be cut down to the size of your pot: 'Easy to cut and squirrels are not smart enough to remove these!' one happy reviewer writes. It's currently discounted to just $9.99, so I'm stocking up now to prevent any further damage to my summer containers.

Why Shoppers Love Them

These Amazon anti-squirrel pot plant grids are really easy to use. They come as five 7.48" disks that can be cut to the size you need. They also have stakes to insert into the soil easily, creating a secure barrier.

'It’s been a week since I placed these and NO digging whatsoever,' one reviewer describes.

'Great for keeping the squirrels from digging in my plants,' another satisfied shopper writes. 'Works great! No more dirt mess everywhere to clean up!'

Made of ABS plastic, shoppers haven't had an issue with cutting the grids or squirrels breaking through them:

'Cuts easily to fit around the pot and plant stem,' one person describes.

It seems it's a super effective natural pest control method that helps gets rid of squirrels (and stops mischievous pets) without causing harm.

Perhaps the only issue is that they are designed for smaller pots, and won't cover the surface area of large planters. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other similar, larger pot grids on the market, such as these 20.8" pot grids on Amazon.

As a simple solution to deter squirrels from digging in your containers, this is a quick, effective, and affordable option.

What to Shop

Squirrels can be a nuisance in the yard in more way than one. Luckily, there are plenty of effective solutions to keep squirrels away from fruit trees, and you can even use cayenne pepper to deter squirrels. You may also want to make some adjustments if you have mistakes attracting squirrels to your yard.

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July offers gardeners ideal conditions for planting many ornamental and edible plants. The summer days are warm and long, making it a very productive time for sowing, as seeds will germinate and grow quickly. Whether you aspire to grow flowers, vegetables, herbs, or all three, we look at what to plant in July.

The truth is, there is a fantastic range of plants to sow that can provide blooms or crops for a very long period of time. From fast annuals for late summer to perennials for spring blooms. And speedy crops for quick harvests to hardier winter crops for food during the colder months. The one task you’ll need to remember this month is to water any sowings deeply after planting to stop the soil drying out.

To fill your garden with plants, why not take advantage of the great conditions in July? This guide to what to plant in July covers vegetables, flowers, bulbs, and herbs to boost your backyard ideas. You’ll get beautiful displays, bountiful harvests, and a colorful, packed garden to enjoy for many months, or even years.

Plant Fast-Growing Annuals for Summer Color

You may look out across your garden and see flowers in full bloom, but it is not too late to add to this year’s display.

A great selection of fast-growing annual flowers, including zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, viola, and nasturtium, can be sown this month into beds or containers and give you a beautiful display in the weeks and months to come.

These plants can be sown directly into their growing position, or started indoors and transplanted.

If you opt for the latter, biodegradable pots offer an ideal solution, as you’ll avoid disturbing the roots when you transplant the seedlings. You can get biodegradable fiber pots at Burpee.

Plant Perennials For Future Displays

July offers a chance to plan for the future and start growing perennials that can bring color and texture to flower beds for years to come.

Starting perennials from seed is a cost-effective way to bolster and boost your future displays, and you can admire the blooms each year with the satisfaction that you have grown that plant from scratch.

You can sow seeds of delphinium, columbine, coneflower, foxgloves, and lupins in July. These are best sown into trays or pots filled with a quality seed compost, like this organic seed starter at Amazon. The plants can be potted up after they germinate and planted out either in fall or the following spring.

Plant Biennials

July is also the window for planting biennials that will bloom in 12 months. These plants will develop foliage this season, and burst into flower next year – often coming to the fore in the gap between the spring bulbs and the summer perennials.

Biennials are very useful yet often underrated plants, usually overshadowed by their annual or perennial counterparts. But they do offer a valuable role to gardeners looking for color and texture throughout the seasons.

Biennials you can sow this month include sweet williams, foxgloves, honesty, and wallflower.

Plant Fast-Maturing Vegetables

In July, the warm soils and air provide an ideal environment for sowing fast-growing vegetables directly into the ground with a view to enjoying harvests in summer and early fall.

Summer lettuces, turnips, radishes, beets, and fast-maturing varieties of carrots top the list of speedy crops to sow.

Keep the soil consistently moist for great germination and healthy growth, and thin seedlings as they develop to give the veggies room to grow.

Also, regularly weed around plants with a garden hoe to eliminate any unwanted competition for water and nutrients. Depending on the crop, you’ll be able to start harvesting in as little as 30-40 days.

Plant Winter Crops

As well as short-term harvests, you can think longer term by sowing and planting vegetables in July that will reward you with harvests throughout the colder months.

While temperatures may be warm, a good number of hardy vegetables can be planted this month to pick well into fall and winter, and potentially even in spring.

Brassicas like kale, cabbage, and cauliflower, as well as Swiss chard, leeks, and corn salad, will get going in summer, and their growth slows come fall.

But the crops continue to develop and will be ready for picking in late fall or winter, or they can be left to overwinter in the vegetable garden for spring harvests.

Plant Fall-Flowering Bulbs

When you mention bulbs, most people will first think of spring bulbs, then potentially summer bulbs.

Unfortunately, fall-flowering bulbs are often overlooked. Don’t let that be the case, as July is an ideal time to plant them while they are dormant, and they will burst into glorious flower come fall.

Colchicums, also known as autumn crocus, are my favorite, offering delicate pink or purple flowers before any foliage (which appears in spring). Also, cyclamen, oxalis, and nerine can all be planted this month to bring color to the garden later in the year.

The planting rules for fall-flowering bulbs are the same as any others – plant them in well-draining soil and at a depth two to three times their height.

Plant Speedy Herbs

It is not too late to plant herbs for picking this season to use in the kitchen. Whether in a herb garden, herb planter, or on a windowsill, there is still time for homegrown pickings, all thanks to some of the fastest-growing herb plants.

The likes of cilantro, dill, basil, chives, and parsley all germinate speedily and can go from sowing to picking in 60 days or under.

All of those mentioned can be sown directly into the soil this month. Sow the seeds thinly in rows spaced about 12 inches apart, cover them with a thin layer of soil, and keep the soil consistently moist.

Direct sowing is best, as some of those mentioned, particularly dill and cilantro, have taproots and dislike being transplanted.

When discussing what to plant in July, we need to touch on shrubs and trees. While container-grown plants can theoretically be planted in July, it is not a recommended time for planting shrubs or trees.

The hot temperatures and dry conditions not only put the plants at risk of stress but places extra responsibility and workload on the shoulders of gardeners to keep the soil moist in summer. It is better to wait until conditions are cooler to add these larger plants to your garden.

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Aside from their beauty, we love Mediterranean gardens for their ability to transport us to sunnier places, with slower paces, reminding us to relax and take it easy. And while it helps to live somewhere hot to create one, it's not essential.

From white-washed casitas and rustic stone to terracotta pots and gravel surfaces, there are certain elements that broadly capture this look – which, of course, spans many different cultures.

However, particular plants are a common thread in many Mediterranean gardens too, whether they are in Italy, Spain, France, Greece or any of the other countries that border this stretch of sea and encapsulate this style. Some of these plants will even grow in more temperate places – and you don't need a large garden either. If you would like to create a Mediterranean retreat in a small space, these are the best seven plants to grow, according to horticultural experts.

'A Mediterranean garden draws its character from the climate it comes from (long, hot, dry summers and mild winters) and the plants that evolved to thrive in those conditions,' says Tabar Gifford Master Gardener and representative, High Country Gardens.

'The hallmarks are silvery and grey-green foliage (nature’s way of reflecting heat and conserving moisture), aromatic leaves that release their fragrance in the warmth of the sun, flowers in warm whites, purples, and blues, and a structural quality that looks just as good in winter as it does in the height of summer.'

1. Lavender (Lavandula)

Originating from the Mediterranean region, lavender is unsurprisingly a plant many associate with Mediterranean garden ideas. Attractive, aromatic and with medicinal properties, lavender is also drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and a wonderful pollinator plant to grow. Some species and cultivars are more compact and suitable for smaller spaces too.

'If I had to choose just one plant to define the Mediterranean garden aesthetic, lavender would be it,' says Tabar. 'It’s also beautifully fragrant and offers structural interest year-round even when not in flower. Bees cannot resist it.

'The silvery-grey foliage is architecturally beautiful even out of bloom, and when those purple spires emerge in early summer, the fragrance is incomparable. For small spaces, compact varieties like ‘Hidcote’ (18 inches tall and wide) or ‘Munstead’ are ideal — tidy, well-behaved, and reliably floriferous.

'In containers, lavender thrives with the excellent drainage a pot naturally provides, and a grouping of three in terracotta pots is one of the simplest and most effective ways to create a Mediterranean patio feeling.'

Give lavender full sun and good drainage. Cut plants back by about a third after flowering to maintain a tidy shape and encourage longevity. 'Lavender actually prefers lean soil, so avoid the temptation to over-enrich,' adds Tabar.

This Hidcote Lavender from Plant Addicts will grow in zones 5-8 to around 2-3' tall and wide. To contain its growth, plant it in this pale granite clay D7" x H8" terracotta pot from Ace Hardware.

2. Catmint (Nepeta)

Another pretty plant with aromatic foliage, Catmint (Nepata) originates in North Africa, Southern and Eastern Europe. As such, these plants love full sun, well-drained soil and often feature in gardens in these regions (as well as those with warm, dry climates), delivering the Mediterranean aesthetic.

'Catmint carries that same sun-warmed, slightly wild quality that makes Mediterranean landscapes so appealing,' says Tabar. 'It forms loose, spilling mounds of silver-grey foliage topped with clouds of lavender-blue flowers that bloom from late spring well into summer.

'It's the perfect soft foil for lavender’s upright structure, and one of the most versatile plants in a Mediterranean-style palette.

'For small spaces and containers, the variety ‘Little Trudy®’ stays compact at just 10–12 inches tall and spreads to about 16 inches wide — it's perfect for edging a path, softening the base of a container grouping, or spilling over the edge of a raised bed.'

Nepeta is extremely drought-tolerant once established, deer-resistant, aromatic, and a favorite of bees and butterflies.

'It’s a plant that works hard and asks for very little in return,' says Tabar. 'Shear back by half after the first bloom for fresh growth and a second flush of flowers.'

For a cold hardy catmint, try this dwarf Nepeta from Nature Hill's, which also grows to one foot tall, and thrives in zones 4-10.

3. Hummingbird Mint (Agastache)

If you would prefer to use low-maintenance native plants to create a Mediterranean vibe, Agastache has a varied color palette, which ranges from similar lilac hues to Lavender and Catmint to other warmer tones, such as pink and yellow. However it originates from the American Southwest and Mexico rather than the Mediterranean basin, so will easily thrive in hot, sunny regions and support pollinators.

'Agastache thrives in identical conditions: blazing sun, lean dry soil, excellent drainage, and heat,' says Tabar. 'It's a plant I reach for again and again when designing for hot, dry conditions.

'In a Mediterranean-style garden, it brings vertical structure and vibrant color that the palette genuinely benefits from. Compact varieties like ‘Acapulco Salmon & Pink’, ‘Kudos Coral’, and ‘Pineapple Sunrise’ stay under two feet and bring warm sunset tones of coral, peach, deep orange, that layer beautifully with the blues and purples of lavender and catmint.

'The aromatic foliage has a wonderful anise-mint fragrance, and the flower spikes are irresistible to hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. It’s also spectacular in containers, where its upright habit and long bloom season (often early summer right through to frost) make it a reliable focal point.'

Ensure your plant has good drainage and cut back in early spring as new growth emerges from the base to keep it flourishing.

This Summerlong Peach Agastache from Plant Addicts is another compact variety that will do well in pots. Plant it in this D10" x H12" terracotta pot from Ace Hardware for Mediterranean style.

4. Salvia

There are so many types of Salvia, you can easily find one to suit your US hardiness zone, a particular color palette or specific style. Although, in colder regions, you may need to grow this plant as an annual, rather than a perennial.

The grey-green foliage is classically Mediterranean and looks beautiful even between bloom cycles.

'No plant genus is more quintessentially Mediterranean than Salvia,' says Tabar. 'Hundreds of species originate from the dry, rocky, sun-drenched hillsides of the Mediterranean basin and surrounding regions, and the genus has been in cultivation for centuries for very good reason.

'For a small-space Mediterranean garden, Salvia Greggii varieties (Autumn Sage) are ideal; compact, floriferous, and reliably drought-tolerant with a long bloom season from late spring through fall. ‘Furman’s Red’, ‘Lipstick’, and ‘Raspberry Wine’ bring rich color in a plant that stays tidy at 18–24 inches.

'For the classic blue-purple spike, Salvia Nemorosa varieties like ‘May Night’ and ‘Caradonna’ pair perfectly with silvery lavender and catmint foliage.'

Aromatic, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and one of the best pollinator plants available, Salvia thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. A light trim after the first bloom flush encourages a second wave of flowers and keeps the plant looking its best through the rest of the season.

This pretty Marcus Meadow Sage from Plant Addicts is a Salvia Nemorosa with a mature height of 8-12" and spread of 10-12" so will stay contained in a small garden.

5. Mediterranean Spurge (Euphorbia)

Euphorbia is another classic Mediterranean plant species, with evergreen foliage, for year round interest. There are numerous varieties and cultivars to suit different climates and each can be grown in the ground or containers to suit small spaces.

With its gray-green, succulent-like foliage, Euphorbia looks particularly beautiful trailing from aged terracotta pots.

'If you want to create a Mediterranean retreat in a small space in a zone with cool, damp winters, I would recommend Euphorbia × myrsinites,' says Matt Manus, Senior Director of Horticulture, AHS.

'It needs a well-drained site, however, it is quite cold hardy and will reseed in northern gravel gardens as a lovely gray-green groundcover, especially in sharply-draining gravel gardens.

This Euphorbia Myrsinites from Lowe's has a mature height of 6-8", is suitable for zones 5-10 and would add interest to rock gardens.

For shadier sites in warmer climates Matt recommends Euphorbia. characias (Zones 6b–8b), or the colorful cultivar Euphorbia. amygdaloides.

'If you aren't blessed with full sun, some of the many drought-tolerant Euphorbia species, can handle shade and are always welcome when one still wants a Mediterranean feel in the garden,' he says.

'Look for cultivars such as 'Ruby Glow', with dark red foliage and lime-green blooms, or 'Miner's Merlot', with even darker wine-tinted foliage set off by acid-green, long-lasting flowers.'

Whichever Euphorbia you choose, grow it in this gorgeous tall, pale gray terracotta pot from Lowe's to create an eye-catching contrast and enliven a small space.

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6. Giant Fennel (Ferula Communis)

Despite the name, Giant Fennel (Ferula communis), is suited to a small garden, as it grows tall rather than wide. Like its edible cousin, this Mediterranean plant bears beautiful umbels with tiny yellow flowers and would make a bold statement in a small space.

'Giant Fennel (Ferula communis) is kind of having a moment right now and not many know about it,' explains Matt. 'Many gardeners are finding success in Zones 5–8 with this giant fennel species, which is essentially a textural gem, with ferny foliage for three to five years before sending up an 8-foot flowering stalk.

'Another giant fennel, Ferula tingitana, is a shorter-lived species that can be a real showstopper and often reseeds freely. This is not a plant you'll find at most garden centers, so it also makes a welcome seed gift for adventurous gardening friends,' adds Matt.

Plants may die after blooming, so save seed to replant in future years.

If you grow your Ferula in a container, it will need a sturdy base like this beautiful Safavieh large planter pot from Lowe's.

7. Olive Tree (Olea europaea)

No Mediterranean garden is complete without an Olive tree, not even a small one. Olive trees grown in pots will remain compact in size, and while they may not produce as much fruit, as those grown in the ground, will provide shade, vertical interest and that all-important Mediterranean aesthetic.

'For those in a hotter, drier climate (Zones 7–10), I would recommend any number of plants for a small garden or sunny courtyard in this style,' says Matt.

'Woody Mediterranean standbys such as olive trees (Olea europaea) are always a great choice, and look good in pots, grouped alongside rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), thyme (Thymus spp.), lavender (Lavandula spp.) and many Salvia species, which can all be grown in containers.'

This Pendolino Olive Tree from Fast-Growing Trees is a slow-growing variety, that's easy to maintain and suitable as a patio plant in zones 3-11. When container-planted and pruned, it will stay small in stature.

Whatever the size of your space, whether a small garden or compact city courtyard, select one or more of the plant choices above and display them with pots of herbs that originate from the region, to bring your Mediterranean retreat to life.

'There’s something deeply satisfying about a Mediterranean garden,' says Tabar. 'The way aromatic plants, silvery foliage, and sun-baked textures combine to create a sense of place that feels both effortless and intentional.

'Mediterranean-climate plants are some of the most garden-worthy plants in the world, and you don’t need a sprawling estate to make them feel right at home.'

If your spring planting plans were flattened by torrential rain, scorched by an early heatwave, or simply forgotten in the chaos of life, June is not too late. In fact, some of the best fast-growing annuals positively relish warm soil and long bright days, racing from seed to flower in a matter of weeks while shrugging off difficult weather with admirable cheerfulness.

The trick with fast-growing annuals to sow in June is choosing varieties that can cope with modern summers: sudden drought, humid storms, baking patios, and the occasional cold snap that arrives purely out of spite. Fortunately, there are plenty of annual flowers that germinate quickly, flower generously, and keep going until frost with very little handholding.

If you are also thinking about vegetables and edible planting this month, there is plenty of inspiration in Homes & Gardens’ guide to what to plant in June, which covers flowers, salads, and productive crops for the season ahead.

1. Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

There is something wonderfully optimistic about cosmos. You scatter a few seeds into warm soil and within weeks they are dancing about like guests who have arrived early to the party and started on the cocktails before anyone else.

Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) are among the very best annuals to sow in June because they germinate rapidly in warm conditions and thrive in USDA zones 3-10. More importantly for modern American summers, they are surprisingly resilient once established.

I grew them through a brutal dry spell last year where the lawn crisped into something resembling old cereal, yet the cosmos continued flowering as if nothing had happened.

The secret is not to pamper them. Rich soil and constant watering simply produce floppy stems and fewer flowers. Sow directly into a sunny border, rake lightly, and water until seedlings emerge. After that, they prefer a slightly neglectful gardener.

For smaller yards or patios, compact varieties like ‘Sonata’ from Burpee work beautifully in containers. Pair them with ornamental grasses for the kind of planting combination that looks suspiciously expensive despite costing less than lunch. If you are rethinking drought-tolerant planting schemes altogether, this combination is a winner.

2. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus)

Every gardener should grow nasturtiums at least once because they teach an important lesson: some plants perform best when left entirely alone.

Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) germinate quickly in June’s warm soil and flower at alarming speed, often within six to eight weeks. They are remarkably tolerant of poor soil, sporadic watering, and wild temperature swings. During a wet summer in England some years ago, mine climbed over a compost heap and flowered with the triumphant vigor of pirates storming a ship.

In hot American climates, especially across zones 8-10, they appreciate a little afternoon shade. Elsewhere, full sun is ideal. Sow seeds directly where they are to grow because they dislike root disturbance with all the melodrama of a Victorian thespian.

The flowers are edible too, peppery and vivid in summer salads. The leaves work beautifully in cottage-style yards where they tumble informally between vegetables and flowers. I often tuck them among tomatoes because they soften the entire scene and attract pollinators in generous numbers. If you are planning a productive kitchen garden, there simply must be a space for nasturtiums.

For reliable seed, you can't go wrong with Nasturtium 'Supernova' from Burpee for an excellent heat-tolerant variety, while an organic flower fertilizer from Amazon helps container-grown plants keep blooming through summer.

3. Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

May weather has a deeply unreliable streak. One day feels like midsummer in Tuscany; the next resembles a damp afternoon in Seattle. Calendula (Calendula officinalis) has the sort of cheerful resilience one normally associates with Labradors. Heatwave? Fine. Sudden downpour? Also fine. Forgotten watering schedule? It barely notices.

This is one of the fastest annual flowers to sow in June, often germinating in under a week when temperatures are warm. It is especially useful for gardeners in temperate regions where spring planting windows were delayed by wet weather.

I am particularly fond of the apricot and pale buff shades that soften planting schemes beautifully. The old bright orange forms have charm too, though they can occasionally look as though someone has dropped traffic cones among the petunias.

Calendula flowers quickly from seed and deadheading prolongs blooming into fall. Pollinators adore it and it works brilliantly in wildlife-friendly gardens. Better still, the petals are edible and traditionally used in herbal preparations.

For supplies, raised bed soil from Ace Hardware creates ideal conditions for rapid germination, and 'Solar Flashback' calendula seeds from True Leaf Market are a particularly elegant pastel selection.

4. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)

There is a moment every summer when sunflowers stop being seedlings and suddenly become architecture. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are classic fast-growing annuals to sow in June because warm soil speeds germination dramatically. Within days, thick green shoots appear, and before long they are towering overhead like overenthusiastic triffids.

Modern varieties are far more versatile than the enormous single-stem giants most people remember from childhood. There are compact patio forms, branching types for cutting gardens, and deep red cultivars that look unexpectedly sophisticated.

Sunflowers cope surprisingly well with difficult weather once established. Their deep roots help them tolerate dry conditions, though newly sown seed does need consistent moisture. In windy areas, sturdier branching varieties are usually more reliable than colossal single stems which can topple dramatically after summer storms.

I grow them partly for wildlife. Goldfinches descend on the seed heads in late summer with the delighted chaos of children at a birthday party.

Attracting birds and pollinators is even possible in the smallest of balcony wildlife gardens with dwarf sunflowers. Burpee’s "Sunny Bunch' sunflower seeds are one of my favorite dwarf varieties, and sturdy bamboo garden supports from Lowes are helpful for taller cultivars in storm-prone regions.

5. Zinnias (Zinnia elegans)

If ever there were a flower designed for contemporary American summers, it is the zinnia.

Zinnias (Zinnia elegans) positively revel in heat and humidity, flowering tirelessly through conditions that send other annuals into theatrical collapse. They are ideal for zones 3-10 and particularly valuable in southern states where summer arrives with the subtlety of a flamethrower.

June sowings catch up astonishingly fast because warm nights accelerate growth. I have often found late-sown zinnias outperforming carefully cosseted spring seedlings simply because conditions suit them better.

Choose mildew-resistant varieties if humidity is high. Good airflow matters too. Crowded zinnias tend to sulk and develop fungal issues faster than commuters trapped on delayed trains.

What I particularly love about zinnias is their unapologetic exuberance. They are not subtle flowers. They arrive in impossible colors and flower with relentless determination until frost finally intervenes.

For cutting gardens, they are unbeatable. The more you cut, the more they bloom, which feels wonderfully generous. If you are planning flowers specifically for bouquets, cut flower garden ideas are full of inspiration for long-lasting summer color.

Zinnia 'Queeny Lemon Peach' from Burpee is a particularly good heat-tolerant mix, while a soaker hose irrigation kit from Amazon helps maintain even moisture during prolonged heatwaves.

There is a curious assumption among gardeners that earlier is always better. It is not. Cold spring soil slows germination, encourages rot, and leaves seedlings vulnerable to every slug and weather tantrum nature can devise.

June is different. The soil is warm, daylight is abundant, and seeds germinate with startling speed. Fast-growing annual flowers to sow in June often establish more reliably than earlier sowings because conditions are finally working with you rather than against you.

And perhaps that is the real joy of June gardening. The season still stretches ahead in glorious possibility. There is time yet for flowers, for pollinators, for armfuls of color, and for sitting in the evening sun wondering why one ever worried in the first place.

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July is a significant month for growing okra. The heat-loving crop, also known as ladies’ fingers, is highly productive in summer, and a few crucial tasks this month will bring you a bumper harvest of pods to pick.

Regular harvesting is the most important job for July if you are growing okra in your vegetable garden. Along with picking, take time to water, feed, support, and keep plants pest-free to ensure the harvests keep coming. If you garden in the hottest climates, though, there is an extra task you can do that will reward you with extra crops.

Okra does need regular attention this month, and keeping on top of these tasks is important for the best yield throughout the summer and onwards. Here’s what to do with okra in July to pick the finest pods and to have healthy plants that will keep on producing new ones to pick in the future.

1. Harvest Pods Every Few Days

July is a peak time for harvesting okra pods, and you want to get them at their prime. Good timing is imperative, as young pods are tender and a delicacy, while older ones are tough and woody.

Regular harvesting is an important part of what to do with okra in July. It is advisable to pick them little and often every few days rather than opting for more infrequent, larger harvests.

The perfect pods are 2-3 inches long. Picking them often encourages the plant to keep producing new ones, whereas leaving mature pods slows down the development.

Use small pruners (like these Fiskars pruning snips at Walmart) or a sharp knife to harvest okra pods. Don’t pull the pods, as okra plants have very shallow roots, and you risk damaging the entire plant.

It is also advisable to wear gloves and long sleeves (you can get gardening sleeves at Amazon to stay protected) when working with okra plants. The stems, leaves, and pods have fine hairs that can irritate the skin.

2. Keep the Soil Moist

Okra is a fairly drought-tolerant vegetable once established in its planting spot, but this doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be kept hydrated during July.

When okra is flowering and fruiting, it is a key time to keep the soil consistently moist to guarantee the best harvests. For the best yield, give okra at least one inch of water per week, though this amount can increase in hotter climates.

Keep a close eye on when to water plants, checking at least once a day during the summer months. Check the moisture levels a few inches under the surface, and water plants deeply to soak the root zone.

Always water the soil around the plants, rather than soaking them from above. Watering the foliage increases the risk of fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew. A soaker hose (such as this 25 ft flat soaker hose, available at Amazon) or drip irrigation is an efficient way to direct water into the soil and to the roots of the plants.

3. Feed Okra Plants in Pots

Okra plants benefit from balanced fertilizer at the time of planting. Those growing in the ground don’t tend to need extra feeding during the season, unless they show signs of struggling, such as slow growth or yellowing foliage. In this case, use a balanced liquid fertilizer, like this all-purpose plant food from Amazon.

If you are growing okra in pots in a vegetable container garden, these plants will need regular feeding throughout July and the rest of summer. The best fertilizers for these plants are higher in potassium, such as this Farmer’s Secret fruit and bloom booster fertilizer, also at Amazon. Apply this fertilizer every two or three weeks once the okra starts flowering.

The big fertilizing mistake to avoid is giving okra plants too much nitrogen this month. Using high-nitrogen feeds will result in a mass of foliage and leafy growth, but few flowers or pods.

4. Support Plants if Needed

Okra can reach four to six feet tall, depending on the variety, so they ideally need to be staked, especially in windy gardens. The plants are often self-supporting, thanks to their woody stems, but taller varieties do need staking to keep them secure during the season, especially when they are top-heavy.

The easiest type of plant support for okra is a sturdy bamboo cane (like these eight-foot bamboo plant stakes at Home Depot) or landscape stake.

A single support is required per plant, as they are not the types of plants that will climb a vegetable garden trellis. Alternatively, you can construct a tall tomato cage around plants to contain and stop them from falling over when laden with pods.

Use thin plant ties when attaching the okra stem to the support, such as twine, cloth, or Velcro straps, and don’t tie it too tightly.

5. Check for Pests

July is a time when okra can be under attack from many different summer garden pests, whether the crop is growing indoors or outdoors. Aphids, spider mites, flea beetles, stink bugs, and caterpillars are all known to trouble okra and can feed on leaves, stems, and pods.

Look out for signs of pest issues and take prompt action to stop populations from increasing quickly. It is recommended to pay particular close attention to the underside of foliage.

Smaller pests can be knocked off the plant with a strong blast of water from a garden hose, and insecticidal soap can combat populations (you can get ready-to-use insecticidal soap at Walmart, but use it with care as it can also kill beneficial insects). Larger pests can be manually picked off by hand and placed into a container filled with soapy water.

To reduce pest populations, try companion planting okra with aromatic herbs like chives, dill, and chamomile to repel insects or beneficial flowers such as marigolds or nasturtiums, which both deter pests from okra and attract natural predators.

6. Cut Okra Plants Back

In the hottest US hardiness zones, okra plants tend to slow down and stop producing flowers and pods. This can happen in late July or early August in the warmest southern climates, and growers often prune plants as a result.

It may sound brutal, but cutting okra plants back to around one or two feet from the ground in midsummer encourages the plants to produce a smaller, second crop of pods. If you do this technique, fertilize the plants with a balanced feed after pruning, and keep on top of watering to encourage healthy new growth.

A granular, balanced feed, such as this organic, all-purpose plant food from Burpee, is the best product. It offers plants all the essential nutrients they need to regrow and provide a second round of pods from late summer into fall.

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If you enjoy collecting seeds to regrow your own vegetables next year, you can do this with okra. However, wait until later in the season to start. To harvest okra seeds, leave some pods to develop later in the fall. If you leave them in the summer, the plant will stop producing new ones to harvest.

So wait until the picking is winding down for the season; only then leave some pods to grow large, brown, and brittle. You can snip these from the plants and collect the seeds to sow again.

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Plucking homegrown fruit from your backyard is one of the summer joys many of us gardeners look forward to. By the time July comes around, our peach trees are producing delicious, juicy fruits, so they require a bit of attention.

If you're growing a peach tree in your garden, then you'll need to do some light pruning, keep on top of watering during hot spells, and check the fruit to see if it's ready to harvest this month, as well as remove any diseased fruit.

Neglecting these tasks now could hinder your harvest and the overall health of your tree. So, grab your harvest basket (I love the look of this wooden garden hod from Burpee) and head out to the yard. Here's what to do with a peach tree in July.

1. Prune Lightly

Knowing when to prune a peach tree is very important. Do it at the wrong time and you could remove flower buds, meaning no fruit.

Likewise, heavy pruning in summer can stress your tree and lead to its decline. That's why arborist Levi Williams advises only doing some light maintenance in July.

'As a rule of thumb, diseased or dead branches can be removed at any time and that includes July. Do not heavily prune trees during the summer months,' he says.

You should focus on removing the damaged branches and also thinning out any overcrowded, crossing branches. This will improve airflow and reduce the likelihood of disease, including peach leaf curl which distorts the leaves from excess moisture and causes them to drop off.

These Fiskars bypass loppers from Amazon can help you reach higher up your peach tree, and they'll make clean cuts.

2. Water Deeply

Watering is key when it comes to growing any fruit tree, but it's even more important to keep on top of during the hot summer months.

Letting a peach tree dry out in July can result in heat stress, stunting growth, dropping fruit and flowers, and even death in prolonged drought.

'Make sure to water trees heavily 1-2 inches of water per week,' Levi advises.

At the same time, you want to avoid excessive moisture when your peach tree is fruiting. This can cause the fruit to split and rot before you get the chance to harvest.

If in doubt, you can use this soil moisture meter from Amazon to check how wet your peach tree's soil is.

And if you're growing a peach tree in a pot (like this 'Contender' peach tree from Plant Addicts), remember it will dry out much more quickly than those planted in the ground.

3. Check the Fruit

July to September is the typical harvest time for peaches, which means it's time to check your fruit for ripeness.

Peaches are ready to pick when there is no trace of green on the fruit and it has a creamy yellow or white hue, starting to blush. You can leave peaches attached until they fully blush for the sweetest taste, but because they're climacteric, they will carry on ripening off the branch.

They should also give a little when gently squeezed. Hard fruit is not yet ready to pick. Likewise, the peaches should come away from the stems with a gentle twist, and have a sweet aroma.

'Don't forget to also remove any fallen or rotten fruit to avoid pests,' Levi advises.

'And if a branch is full of fruit and causing them to bend, it is recommended to provide support for branches with props,' he adds.

You can use these fruit tree crutches from Amazon or create your own natural plant support by repurposing tree branches.

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FAQs

Do You Fertilize Peach Trees While They're Fruiting?

No, there isn't a need to fertilize peach trees while they're fruiting, unless it is nutrient deficient (which can be spotted by pale leaves and poor shoot growth). Instead, you should fertilize your peach tree in early spring to give it a boost of nutrients ahead of fruit production.

If you're struggling to get your peach tree to fruit, there are a few things you can do. This includes providing full sun exposure by pruning branches.

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July is not the end of the vegetable-growing season; in many regions it is the beginning of a second act. While tomatoes are swelling, beans are climbing, and zucchini are plotting world domination, there is still time to sow a surprising range of crops that will keep producing through fall and, in some climates, well into winter. The best vegetables to plant in July include quick-growing roots, leafy greens, brassicas, and cool-season favorites that often taste even better after a touch of frost.

Timing is everything. Warm soil temperatures help seeds germinate rapidly, while the gradually shortening days of late summer create ideal conditions for many crops that struggle in spring heat. For gardeners in temperate zones across the US, July offers a valuable opportunity to extend the harvest season and make the most of every square foot of growing space.

And while you are planning productive beds, it is also worth thinking about sowing perennials and biennials in July that will return year after year, helping to keep borders colorful while your vegetable patch continues earning its keep.

1. Turnips (Brassica rapa)

Poor turnips suffer from an image problem. Mention them at a dinner party and people react as though you have suggested boiled wallpaper. Yet grow your own young turnips, and the story changes completely.

July-sown turnips mature quickly in warm soil and develop sweet, crisp roots as temperatures cool. Small roots harvested young are worlds apart from the oversized specimens that haunt childhood memories.

Many varieties mature in as little as 40 to 60 days, making them perfect for gardeners racing against the first frost. The greens are equally valuable. In southern states, especially, turnip greens remain a cherished cool-season crop.

When planning late-season vegetables, it is worth considering how to prepare veg beds properly between crops, particularly after harvesting hungry summer vegetables that may have depleted nutrients.

For a reliable harvest, the top-rated Purple Top Turnip Seeds for Planting from Amazon are an excellent choice, offering strong germination rates and sweet, flavorful roots.

2. Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica)

Personally, I think kale is a heroic vegetable. While lesser vegetables collapse dramatically at the first hint of frost, kale merely straightens its collar and carries on.

July is an ideal time to sow kale for fall and winter harvests. Plants establish in warm conditions before maturing as cooler weather arrives. Frost actually improves flavor by converting starches into sugars.

I often find that the finest kale harvests come from summer sowings rather than spring ones. The leaves are cleaner, sweeter, and less prone to bolting. In Zones 6 and above, many varieties continue producing through winter. In colder regions, simple row covers can extend the season significantly.

Gardeners interested in year-round productivity may also enjoy exploring cold-frame growing methods, which pair beautifully with kale and other hardy greens.

The Lacinato kale seeds from Amazon are a favorite of mine, producing elegant, dark, textured leaves with excellent cold tolerance. I love tossing freshly picked kale into salads alongside homegrown microgreens, which is exactly why I've been using this Organic Self-Watering Microgreens Growing Kit to keep a steady supply growing on my kitchen counter.

3. Bush Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Many gardeners assume bean season ends in spring, but bush beans are wonderfully accommodating. Quick-maturing varieties sown in early July often produce generous harvests before frost arrives. Because the soil is warm, seeds germinate rapidly and plants grow with astonishing speed.

I regularly sow a second crop after harvesting garlic. It feels slightly mischievous to harvest beans from space that sat empty just a few weeks earlier.

Bush beans also help improve soil by fixing nitrogen, making them useful participants in crop rotations. If summer heat is intense in your region, consistent watering is crucial during flowering and pod formation.

For succession sowing, Provider bush bean seeds from Burpee remain one of the most dependable varieties available.

4. Carrots (Daucus carota)

Carrots are among the finest vegetables to plant in July. In fact, I often prefer sowing them now rather than in spring. The soil is warm, germination is faster, and there are fewer interruptions from cold snaps and prolonged wet weather.

For gardeners in USDA Zones 4-8, many varieties can be sown throughout July for harvesting in the fall. In milder regions, late sowings may even overwinter beneath mulch for exceptionally sweet roots.

Choose shorter or mid-season varieties if your first frost arrives early. Keep seedbeds consistently moist during germination, as carrot seeds can be frustratingly slow if allowed to dry out.

If carrot fly is a problem where you garden, consider growing under insect mesh or in raised beds. You might also find inspiration from companion planting approaches often used in vegetable gardens, particularly when planning succession crops in smaller spaces.

My favorite Sweet Treat Carrot Plant from Plant Addicts is a fantastic option for an easy start. If you’d prefer to grow from seed, The Old Farmer's Almanac Heirloom Carrot Seeds from Amazon are a reliable choice, while Scarlet Nantes carrot seeds from True Leaf Market remain a classic favorite, prized for their sweet flavor, crisp texture, and dependable harvests.

5. Beets (Beta vulgaris)

Beets seem to possess a cheerful confidence. They never complain about warm weather, they germinate enthusiastically, and they offer two harvests in one: roots below and edible leaves above.

July sowings generally mature during fall, producing tender roots ideal for roasting, pickling, or slicing into salads. The cooling temperatures of autumn improve flavor considerably.

I particularly enjoy growing beets after harvesting early potatoes. The soil has already been cultivated and enriched, making it an ideal spot for a quick second crop. Detroit Dark Red beet seeds from Burpee are an excellent choice for dependable fall harvests.

Keep seedlings well watered while establishing. Once growing strongly, they are remarkably resilient. You may have to net them until they establish, as I found out the hard way this year.

If you are looking to maximize yields in smaller yards, techniques often used in raised bed vegetable gardening work beautifully with beets, allowing close spacing and efficient succession planting.

6. Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla)

Swiss chard is one of the most underrated vegetables to plant in July. It tolerates summer heat far better than lettuce while continuing to produce deep into fall.

The colorful stems add ornamental value, blurring the line between vegetable patch and flower border. I often tuck chard into mixed beds where it looks every bit as handsome as many decorative plants.

The Bright Lights Swiss Chard from Plant Addicts is my go-to choice if you don't want to sow from seeds, but if you do, I also love the Bright Lights Swiss Chard seeds from Amazon, which provide a rainbow of stem colors and excellent garden performance.

Harvest outer leaves regularly, and plants will continue producing for months. In mild climates, they may survive winter entirely. For gardeners who appreciate edimentals, Swiss chard offers beauty and practicality in equal measure.

7. Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis)

One of the frustrations of spring sowing is that Chinese cabbage often bolts before producing worthwhile heads. July changes everything. As days gradually shorten, plants focus on forming dense, crisp heads rather than rushing into flower. The result is often superior to spring-grown crops.

Good moisture is essential. Any interruption in watering can affect quality and encourage bitterness.

These handsome cabbages are ideal for slaws, stir-fries, and fermentation projects. If you have ever wanted to make your own kimchi, this is an excellent crop to grow.

Gardeners planning a productive hardy vegetable garden often include Chinese cabbage among their most valuable late-summer sowings.

Look for Matsushima No. 2 Chinese cabbage seeds from True Leaf Market for reliable results.

8. Radishes (Raphanus sativus)

If gardening were judged solely on speed, radishes would win every competition.

Many varieties mature in less than a month, making them perfect vegetables to plant in July. They can fill temporary gaps between slower-growing crops and provide almost instant gratification.

I often sow a short row whenever space appears. By the time I have forgotten about them, they are ready to harvest.

Fall-grown radishes are usually superior to spring crops. Cooler conditions encourage crisp roots with milder flavor.

Burpee Cherry Belle Radish seeds from Amazon remain a classic choice for quick and reliable harvests. For continuous harvests, sow little and often through July and August.

9. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

Yes, lettuce can still be sown in July. The secret lies in choosing heat-tolerant varieties and providing a little afternoon shade where summers are particularly hot.

The rewards arrive as temperatures begin cooling in late summer. Tender leaves develop rapidly and often outperform spring crops.

I sow lettuce every few weeks from spring through summer because there is something deeply satisfying about walking into the yard and gathering salad ingredients moments before dinner.

For dependable results, Black Seeded Simpson lettuce seeds from Burpee are a longstanding favorite. Keep seedbeds moist during germination and consider using shade cloth in warmer regions.

Gardeners seeking extended harvests often combine lettuce with other cut-and-come-again vegetables, creating a steady supply of fresh leaves right through fall.

What to Shop

Spring gets all the attention, but July rewards thoughtful gardeners. While others are admiring their tomatoes and assuming the work is done, you can quietly set in motion a second season of harvests.

The beauty of sowing vegetables in July lies in optimism. Every seed represents a promise that gardening does not end with summer. Carrots sweeten beneath autumn skies, kale glistens after frost, and rows of fresh lettuce appear just when many assume the growing season is winding down.

That, surely, is one of gardening’s greatest pleasures: the realization that there is always another crop waiting just around the corner.

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As the temperatures soar in the summer, cool-season crops are always likely to bolt. It is a frustrating yet natural process, and one that gardeners consistently battle with year after year.

Vegetables, including lettuce, spinach, arugula, radishes, and Asian greens, bolt and start to flower when temperatures pass 70°F. However, there are ways to prevent bolting vegetables, such as proper watering, mulching, providing shade to your crops, and planting them at the right time.

I have seen many crops bolt over my years growing vegetables. While I have lost many potential harvests, I have also picked up a few tips to reduce the chances of bolting vegetables blotting your kitchen garden. Whatever the size of your vegetable garden, these five factors can make a difference each season.

1. Be Consistent With Watering

Regular, consistent watering can reduce stress on your crops and lessen the chances of you looking at rows and rows of bolting vegetables you need to remove from the garden.

True, temperatures will affect when a vegetable bolts. But the likelihood of it happening increases when a crop is under stress from a lack of moisture. Vegetables suffering from drought stress will also start to bolt at lower temperatures.

To avoid this happening, check your plants often (a moisture meter can make it obvious when it is time to water – you can get a soil moisture meter at Amazon) and keep them well hydrated. Infrequent deep watering is more beneficial than little-and-often watering, and offers the best way to keep soil moist in the summer.

So your watering makes the most impact; water the vegetable garden in the morning on hot days. This helps prevent the soil from drying out and gives crops time to take up moisture before the temperatures rise.

2. Mulch to Regulate Temperature and Moisture

Heat and moisture are two factors that cause bolting of vegetables. An efficient way to combat both is by mulching the vegetable garden.

Mulching around crops regulates soil temperature. The thick barrier keeps the rays at bay, so the soil around the roots stays cool rather than getting baking hot. The layer also locks moisture in the ground, meaning less water is lost to evaporation, and your plants can take advantage.

Use organic products for this. The best organic mulch for a vegetable garden includes compost, straw, bark (you can get bags of pine bark mulch at Lowe’s), or shredded leaves. Spread it in a nice, thick 2-3 inch layer around your vegetables.

3. Give Crops Some Shade

High temperatures usually kick-start cool-season vegetables into survival mode, where they bolt in an attempt to flower and produce seed before their time is nigh. Giving crops some shade from the sun reduces the temperature by several degrees and can be the difference between bolting and non-bolting vegetables.

Gardeners can use shade cloth to cover plants. It is ideal to opt for a shade cloth that keeps out 50% of the light, such as this breathable shade cloth at Amazon.

You need to install the cloth over some hoops (like these fiberglass hoops at Walmart) to keep it raised off the crops. As the cloth heats up, if it is touching the vegetables, it can burn them.

An alternative way of providing more natural shade is through companion planting. You can plant cool-season, heat-sensitive crops under the partial shade of taller vegetables, including pole beans, tomatoes, or corn.

4. Pick Bolt-Resistant Varieties

One efficient way to avoid the issue of bolting vegetables is to be savvy when shopping for seeds. There are bolt-resistant varieties of many vegetables to plant, including spinach, lettuces, and Asian greens.

In truth, bolt-resistant varieties aren’t a guarantee. They have been bred using modern techniques to be more resilient to temperatures or inconsistent watering, but they can still bolt under extreme conditions.

Adding some bolt-resistant or heat-tolerant varieties of cool-season crops to your seed sowing schedule can help alleviate potential worries about vegetables bolting.

For example, you can get bolt-resistant Seaside spinach seeds at Burpee and bolt-resistant Jericho lettuce seeds at True Leaf Market to try out if you regularly suffer from these crops bolting each season.

5. Time Your Planting Right

Often, gardeners see their crops bolt because they have been planted a bit outside of the ideal.

We have all sown cool-season crops a bit too late in spring, which leads them to bolt once the summer temperatures arrive. Even fast-growing vegetables can lack the time to go from sowing to cropping if sown in late spring or early summer.

Ensure you give them enough time to mature. Work out the days to maturity – which you can often find on seed packets or online – and sow them at the appropriate time. If you miss the spring sowing, you can often sow again in late summer for harvests in the fall.

To avoid complete losses, radishes, lettuce, spinach, and arugula can be planted successively.

Starting early in spring (once the ground is warm enough, or even sowing seeds indoors) and sowing these every few weeks will give you different ages of crop in the kitchen garden. If they do bolt in the summer, you should have already had some harvests, and you don’t lose an entire crop.

Sometimes, bolting happens, and you have to deal with it. However, it doesn’t always mean you need to throw the crop away.

With some crops, like lettuce and spinach, the larger leaves can turn bitter, yet the smaller ones remain flavorful – it is not a total loss.

When it comes to bolting onions, though, you can lift the bulb and use it straight away in the kitchen. The bulbs may be smaller than ideal, but you can still harvest the onions and eat them.

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I always love hosting spontaneous gatherings with friends and family when unexpected good weather comes around, but it does mean frantically running round to pull everything together. That's why I rely on my patio plants to do some heavy lifting and ensure my outdoor seating is always ready for action.

By choosing table container plants to elevate garden furniture, you can be assured that the seating is already taken care of. I'm talking about fragrant, low-effort, showy plants that impress all summer long while needing minimal attention.

From aromatic herbs (Walmart offer a herb variety pack to create a herb planter), to vibrant flowers that bring elegance to the table, there are some particular table container plants that bring outdoor living spaces together with little fuss. Here, with insights from a garden designer, I talk through five easy options for effortless summer hosting.

1. Chocolate Mint

Aromatic herbs are always a good idea to have on a dining table or even a coffee table. One of the more unusual mint varieties is chocolate mint which has a distinct chocolatey scent and peppermint flavor.

Not only is having it in easy reach make it an excellent and surprising sweet treat for your guests, but its sweet scent will be released when hands brush past it.

Like growing other types of mint, it's actually best to keep chocolate mint in a pot. It's a vigorous grower, so keeping it contained stops aggressive spreading.

Just take care to grow it in a pot with a drainage hole and saucer, as overly wet conditions can oversaturate and rot roots. This distressed terracotta planter with a saucer from Wayfair has rustic charm.

Take advantage of chocolate mint's unusual flavor by regularly harvesting the mint leaves. This will encourage new, bushy growth and keep it tidy in its pot.

Find a chocolate mint plant on Amazon.

2. Calamondin Orange

I love giving my patio a Mediterranean-feel, so it feels like a bit of a vacation every summer evening. One of the best plants to style for this is a citrus trees.

More specifically, the calamondin orange tree (which you can find at Fast Growing Trees) is a super easy addition. Simply placing it on your outdoor dining table can make the perfect summer tabletop garden, especially when laden with mini oranges from late summer.

It's surprisingly low-maintenance to grow citrus trees in pots, with the main task being fertilizing through spring and summer (this citrus feed from Amazon is a good option).

Oranges are also self-pollinating, so you can get a good crop with just one plant.

Pairing it with brightly colored pots can bring the joyful look together, like this blue stripe scalloped pots from Wayfair.

3. Euphorbia 'Diamond Snow'

If you love tiny flowers, then there's no better choice for a tabletop container than 'Diamond Snow' euphorbia.

'When designing an elegant, low-maintenance garden, I naturally gravitate toward a palette of blue, purple, and white, and 'Diamond Snow' is hard to beat,' says garden designer Kate Schneider.

'This heat and drought-tolerant annual forms a tidy 12–18-inch mound and performs best in full sun, though it can tolerate partial shade. Its delicate white flowers bloom continuously throughout the season without the need for deadheading, making it a carefree addition,' she explains.

It has a fairy garden-feel with its small bracts and fine-textured foliage.

You can find 'Diamond Snow' euphorbia on Amazon.

4. Echeveria

One of my favorite things about summer is that you can move houseplants outdoors, and for those of us living in milder climes this means you can style heat-loving succulents outdoors.

To bring some texture to your outdoor furniture, you can create a succulent bowl with lots of different rosette echeverias.

By mixing and matching different varieties (see this pack of 12 echeverias from Walmart), you can create a chocolate box of succulents that is not only fun to look at but also run your hands over and feel.

Even better, succulents are incredibly low-maintenance. You can let them dry out entirely before watering again, and they won't need fertilizing as they thrive in poorer soil conditions.

I love the look of this raised succulent planter on a stand, perfect for a table centerpiece, or even styling at a lower level next to a chair leg.

5. Texas Lantana

Another bright bloom to make your outdoor living area more vibrant is Texas lantana.

'It produces cheerful blooms in shades of yellow, orange, pink, and red. My kids insist it smells like tropical fruit punch, and I have to agree,' Kate says.

'Native to Texas as its name implies, this plant thrives in intense summer heat and blooms continuously throughout the season,' she notes.

To grow lantana in pots successfully, make sure to provide well-draining soil and you place it somewhere with lots of direct sun.

Deadheading your lantana will also extend its display all the way to fall. Just take care to use sharp and clean gardening snips, like these Fiskars ones from Amazon.

This 'Havana Sunset' lantana on Amazon has a dreamy mix of pink, orange, and yellow colors.

What to Shop

Our guide to summer table centerpiece ideas has more inspiration for bringing your outdoor living area to life. And if you want to use cut flowers to decorate for gatherings, check out our Petals & Roots allium floral design tutorial for an elegant arrangement.

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Climbing plants add so much value to the garden, maximizing vertical space and adding dimension to patio planting. But, having a simple trellis to support your climbing blooms can look a little flat, which is why I've started exploring more unusual ways to grow climbers.

From training evergreen climbers into a roof for your pergola, to repurposing this Wayfair rustic ladder as a plant support, there are so many clever design tricks to turn climbers into living botanical spectacles for the yard. Really, you can use nearly anything as a structure to train climbers, so long as their built for the weight of plants and you have the right growing environment in place to support healthy growth.

So if you're bored of standard vertical garden ideas, keep reading. Here, I talk through five of our favorite unusual ways to grow climbers to instantly make your garden more interesting.

1. Train Climbers Up a Tree

If you're looking for a unique take on a natural support for climbing plants, why not train your vines up a tree?

This is the perfect addition to romantic cottage garden planting, especially if you choose a rambling rose (like the beautiful pink 'Super Dorothy' rose from Amazon) to climb a large tree.

It naturally integrates your planting, especially as the plants mature and increasingly coexist with each other.

To make this a success, you need to choose the right climber. Avoid any particularly vigorous plants that could overwhelm the host tree and outcompete it for nutrients.

You should also plant the climber at a sufficient distance to the tree, ideally around 3ft away. This ensures the tree's root system is protected and the climber is accessing its own nutrients and water.

You'll also want to select climbing plants for shade, as they'll be growing beneath a tree canopy. 'Rebecca' clematis (available at Plant Addicts) is also a good choice for this.

When tying in the climber, use soft jute twine (like this from Amazon). This looks subtle in color and won't cut into the tree or the plant.

2. Cover a Wall

While we often think of living walls being constructed of hanging wall pocket planters (like this from Amazon), you can also get the look with climbers alone.

More specifically, you can use self-clinging climbers to grow a little unruly and cover a wall.

The best approach is by using multiple plants for more coverage, planting 3-10ft apart, depending on how much big the space is.

You can use wire or put up a wall trellises (like this wall trellis panel from Wayfair) to help train them and support their weight. It's also wise to avoid vigorous climbers on weaker walls.

Just like training and tying in wisteria shoots, you should carefully train new shoots horizontally, rather than letting them grow upwards.

You can use the likes of star jasmine (available at Plant Addicts) and wisteria (like 'Blue Moon' wisteria from Plant Addicts) for a floral display, or use something like English ivy for evergreen coverage.

Take care to prune these wall climbers annually prevent them invading windows and gutters.

3. Create a Living Roof

Just like a living wall, you can create an impactful living roof above your outdoor seating. It provides some privacy and garden shade, while creating an immersive feel as you sit beneath.

For this, you'll need a pergola to form a support structure. Using wire rope (available on Amazon), you can train climbers up each post and across the top, like in the image above.

If your pergola is in a sunny spot, one of the best plants to use is a grape vine (see the collection at Nature Hills), adding an edible element to this spectacle.

Wisteria is also a popular choice for something like this, with the iconic racemes cascading downwards and even making your patio smell nice with its heady fragrance.

4. Bring a Sculpture to Life

One of the best ways to turn climbers into botanical art is by literally combining them with yard art.

You can use garden sculptures as frames for your climbers, allowing the vines to dress them and turn a stationary art piece into a dynamic display that changes with the seasons.

Self-clinging climbers, like ivy, are best for this look as they'll naturally climb and support themselves.

In many ways, this exudes formal-style garden or regency-style garden. It can also make garden features feel a bit more lived-in, as though the vines have found their way up the sculptures over may years.

Just remember to consider the material of your sculptures very carefully. You don't want to put any at risk of damage. Stone and metal tend to be reliable foundations, able to take the weight of vines, but you should always do research around your specific sculpture.

You can explore the wide range of fascinating garden sculptures at Wayfair to find the right fir for your garden.

This spectacle will also need regular pruning to maintain the desired look, otherwise you risk the climbers completely taking over the sculpture to the point that you can't see it. Use these lightweight Fiskars loppers from Amazon for quick maintenance.

5. Let Them Cascade

Many of the best climbers can also be grown as trailers, and can be used to create a cascading display, rather than an growing upright.

Without supports to climb, some climbers naturally produce long, arching stems that spill over walls and containers. This includes climbing roses, creeping fig (which you can purchase in a pack of six from Amazon), and potato vine.

A small support at the base can help young plants establish, but once the stems reach the edge of the container or wall, simply let gravity turn them into a waterfall of foliage and blooms.

Keep on top of pruning to maintain the desired length of your trailers (these Felco F2 pruning shears from Amazon are good to have to hand). Light trimming also encourages branching, helping to create a fuller, denser display.

What to Shop

There really is a climber for every garden, whether you're looking for easy climbing plants that thrive of neglect or easy climbing plants for pots to grow on a small patio. There are also plenty of invasive climbers to never grow that are good to be aware of.

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Depending on where you live, July is often considered the height of summer. With almost everything already planted out for this year’s season, you may be wondering if there is any point in sowing any flowers in July?

Among the deadheading, fertilizing, weeding, and watering, if you can find time for some sowing, you could be looking forward to some stunning blooms next season.

Having grown ornamentals and cut flowers both commercially on a flower farm and at home in my gardens over the years, here are seven of the easiest flowers to sow in July for your beds and borders, or to cut and enjoy in a vase.

Foxgloves

A stalwart of wild and cottage gardens, foxgloves (Digitalis) are adored for their tall flowering spires. Generally flowering from late spring to early summer, foxglove varieties are available as biennials, perennials, and shrubs.

An easy-to-grow biennial, Digitalis purpurea is a prolific self-seeder and can often leave you with more plants for the following year than you need. However, if you would like to grow them for the first time, July is the perfect time to sow them so you can enjoy them the following year.

To sow, simply scatter thinly onto moist seed compost, but do not cover as they require light to germinate. You can purchase mixed-color foxglove seeds from Amazon. However, being toxic, gloves must be worn when handling all foxglove parts, including the seeds.

Coneflowers

Also known as Echinacea, coneflowers are a stunning addition to your container or borders.

A native plant, coneflowers adore full sun and are a magnet for bees and butterflies. They are available in an array of colors and sizes, and there is a wealth of coneflower varieties to choose from.

Ideal for sowing at this time of year, you can sow coneflower seeds either in a seed tray or in a small pot. Keeping the soil moist, pot on the young plants as they mature and plant out in the fall or the following spring.

With its striking pale petals, you can purchase Echinacea ‘Wild Swan’ from True Leaf Market.

Columbine

Another easy-to-grow cottage garden favorite is columbine, or Aquilegia as it is botanically known. An elegant and stunning perennial with dainty-looking flowers, it is available in calming pastels to vibrant hues.

Considered cold-hardy in zone 3 and above, Columbine is tough and a plant I have consistently grown over the years. Nevertheless, it is also a poisonous plant for which care must be taken.

A natural self-seeder, you can sow Aquilegia seeds at various times throughout the year, including July. To sow outdoors, prepare an area by weeding and raking to a fine tilth, then scatter the seed thinly and water in. Keep the soil moist and the seeds should germinate within 3 weeks.

Producing purple and white delicate flowers Aquilegia vulgaris 'Winky Purple & White' is available to purchase from Nature Hills.

Honesty

Prized for its vivid-purple or classical white flowers and stunning seed pods that stand over the winter, honesty (Lunaria) is an ideal border biennial plant. Growing to around 2-3 feet tall, it is perfect for the middle of a bed and self-seeds when given the chance.

Thriving in both full sun and partial shade, it prefers a fertile and moist, yet free-draining soil.

To sow honesty in July, prepare a seedbed and sow the seeds, covering with a light dusting of soil. Keeping the soil moist, the seeds should germinate within 1-2 weeks and form young plants that will bloom the following year.

Cold hardy in USDA zones 7 and above, you can purchase honesty seeds from True Leaf Market.

Sweet Rocket

Perfectly suited to a backyard or a cut-flower patch, Sweet Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) is a scented biennial, or short-lived perennial, that produces sweet-smelling flowers in its second year.

Available with purple or white flowers that are irresistible to pollinators, it grows to around 2-3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide. To grow from seed, sow indoors in modules or direct outdoors from late spring through to July. If started undercover, plant out early in the fall to establish before winter sets in.

Suitable for growing in zones 3-9, you can purchase Dame’s Rocket Seeds from Amazon.

Delphinium

Grown for their tall flowering spikes that add height and impact to a border, delphiniums are ideal for cottage gardens. Flowering in early summer, delphinium varieties are commonly available in blue and purple, or in paler pastel hues such as pink and white.

Commonly sown undercover in the spring, you can also sow delphinium seed outdoors this month. To sow in July, sow the seeds where they are to grow and cover them thinly with a layer of soil. Keep the soil moist until germination, which generally takes 2-3 weeks.

Preferring full sun to partial shade, delphiniums grow best in a fertile, well-drained soil. However, to protect their delicate blooms from any harsh winds, a sheltered site is recommended.

As it is a highly toxic plant, gloves must be worn when handling any part of the plant, and care must be taken if children or pets are present.

Available in an array of colors, you can purchase Delphinium ‘Magic Fountain Series’ seeds from True Leaf Market.

Wallflowers

Generally, a biennial plant, wallflowers (Erysimum) can also be perennial, though short-lived.

Considered hardy in USDA zones 4-9, wallflowers come in a range of vivid shades from red and orange to yellow and purple and are perfect for a garden border and equally at home in a container.

Sown from spring until the summer, you can sow wallflowers in July either in a greenhouse or where they are to grow outside. However, germination is most successful at temperatures below 70°F, so a cooler spot is preferable.

If sowing outside, sow sparingly in rows spaced 12-18 inches apart and water in gently to avoid dispersing the seed. With the soil kept moist but not overly wet, seedlings should appear in 10-14 days. As it is a poisonous plant, gloves should be worn when handling any plant material, and caution should be exercised if children or pets are present.

For mixed colors, English Aegean Wallflower Seeds are available to purchase from Walmart.

What to Shop

Along with flowers, there are also vegetables you can sow now to ensure a bounty of produce to pick later this summer or in the fall. From French beans to Florence fennel, discover which vegetables our expert recommends planting in July.

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In the US fire zone landscaping shows a growing emphasis on distance-based planting zones as the way to go. This means following the 0–5–30 planting rule, which is fast becoming design shorthand to help you get ahead of a wildfire before it gets to you. And while it might seem counter-intuitive you may be surprised to find out that removing as much vegetation as possible is not necessarily the best course of action.

The successful creation of a fire-resilient property largely depends on how you manage the space around your home. But how do you stay safe yet still achieve a certain landscaping aesthetic that looks elevated and considered? The trick is to create a cohesive outdoor space where planting, materials, and layout work harmoniously together with the goal of firescaping your property first and foremost, yet with the resulting design still feeling balanced, natural and connected to the landscape.

It is possible to have beautiful landscaping around your home that includes a managed planting zone that fulfils all the criteria for creating a defensive space. First we spoke to leading wildfire mitigation experts to get the latest take on fire zone landscaping and how to make it work for you, then we explain the planting rule everyone's talking about.

The 0-5-30 Planting Rule: Fire-Smart Landscaping

Fire-smart landscaping goes beyond looks. It’s about function. In wildfire-prone areas, the right plants and thoughtful design can slow fire spread, reduce radiant heat, and block embers from reaching your home.

Defensible space can be organized into three main zones where the density of vegetation is closely controlled. The planting formula is pretty straightforward. In the zones closer to your property, plant density should be low; in the zones further away the acceptable plant density increases.

Here's a little more information on how exactly the 0-5-30 planting rule works (thanks to Jim Sprouse for the guidelines below).

Zone 0
0-5 feet around your home or to property line
Choose non-wood, low-growing herbaceous vegetation such as succulents or other fire-resistant plants. Prune any touching or over-hanging branches to a distance of at least 10 feet from the roof. Rake and remove flammable vegetation, such as leaves and needles or wood mulch, from underneath your deck and away from your home.

Zone 1
5-30 feet around your home or to property line
Create vegetation groups or islands to break up continuous fuels around your home. Remove ladder fuels to create a separation between low-level vegetation and tree canopies to keep fire from climbing into trees. Remove leaf and needle debris from the yard. Keep lawns, native grasses, and wildflowers less than four inches in height.

Zone 2
30-100 feet around your home or to property line
Create and maintain a minimum of 10 feet between the tops of trees. Safely remove ladder fuels up to a height of 10 feet, while retaining at least 75 percent of the foliage, to create separation between the ground and tree branches. This keeps fire from climbing into the tree canopies. Create space between shrubs and trees to eliminate a continuous fuel bed at the ground level. Remove dead trees, shrubs, and all other dead or dry vegetation.

The Landscaper's POV: Take Your Cue From Regional Character

'In fire-prone areas, thoughtful design incorporates fuel breaks, such as pathways, gravel, and hardscape interruptions, so that beauty and fire safety work together rather than against each other,' says landscape architect and design director Kevin Lenhart.

Resilient native planting is always a good option. Ideally your landscape will include a diverse mix of native trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers that bloom over a long time period to attract pollinators.

Choose heat and fire spark resistant plants wherever possible, such as white sage available from Walmart, and snow-in-summer, also available from Walmart.

'The best plant palettes take their cues from local wild lands, including meadows, chaparral, woodland edges, and the high desert of each region, then do something new with those "ingredients",' says Kevin. "In the arid Southwest, for example, this tends to result in an open and textural look. Regional character is the starting point, not a constraint.'

Choosing a high-quality stone color drawn from the regional palette can root a design in its local landscape more effectively than almost any other material decision, says Kevin. It gives your space a sense of belonging to its place, its ecology, and its climate.

The Fire Mitigation Expert's POV: Establish A Defensible Space

'Getting ready for wildfire starts with creating a defensible space and installing a wildfire defense system (WDS),' says wildfire mitigation specialist Jim Sprouse. 'Defensible space means creating and maintaining a buffer between buildings and the plants, brush, trees and other combustible items in the vicinity.

This buffer helps to keep wildfire away from your home by reducing the fire’s intensity and slowing or halting the spread.'

Creating an area of defensible space is critical for increasing the resistance of your property to wildfire in addition to safeguarding the lives of firefighters as they protect your home.

Implementing fire zone landscaping practices where plants and hardscape are selected and maintained so that they do not transmit fire is key. Not adhering to the guidance on the zones within this defensible space is one of the firescaping mistakes to avoid at all costs.

There is a need for more intense reduction of wildfire fuels within the 100-foot perimeter of a home, advises Jim. 'Start at the house and work your way out 100 feet or to your property line, whichever is closer. Many local government agencies have ordinances for defensible space. These will often be more stringent than the state of California’s minimum requirement.'

Check with your local fire department or fire protection district for additional information.

The Plant Ecologist's POV: Plant Placement Is Everything

'How you manage the space around your home can have a tremendous influence on the behavior of embers, as well as potential sources of radiant heat or direct flame exposure,' according to plant ecologists Adrienne Edwards and Rachel Schleiger, authors of Firescaping Your Home: A Manual for Readiness in Wildfire Country, available on Amazon.

'A major misconception about defensible space is that all vegetation (dead or alive) surrounding your home increases fire risk, so you must remove as much vegetation as possible. Unfortunately, fire risk is not that simple.'

Structures can burn because of too much surrounding vegetation, too little surrounding vegetation, or completely independently of vegetation, according to the plant ecologists. 'Embers cause the majority of exterior-ignited structure fires and require no contribution from adjacent vegetation at all. Radiant heat and direct flame contact are of greater concern when too much vegetation is immediately adjacent to structures.'

Keep Goldilocks in mind when planning defensible space for your property: aim for a “just right” number and placement of plants, not too many or too few. 'Live, healthy green vegetation can capture, block, and/or slow windborne embers from reaching structures. Considered placement of plants can decrease and change wind speeds around structures, and potentially shield structures from embers for some time.'

What to Shop For a More Fire-Safe Yard

These fire zone landscaping suggestions will go a long way towards helping you protect your home. It's also a good idea to find out how to design a drought-tolerant yard as well as familiarizing yourself with drought-tolerant landscaping ideas and landscaping with gravel ideas to enable you to take a 360 approach.

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For glorious, show-stopping displays of summer flowers, savvy gardeners always change up their fertilizing game once plants start forming buds or displaying those first blooms. To follow suit and get the best show, a perfect summer flower fertilizer will be rich in phosphorus and potassium.

Those two essential plant nutrients encourage strong flowering or fruiting, making them perfect for early summer for any perennial or annual flowers, or fruiting crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. On the contrary, it would be a mistake to feed these plants too much nitrogen.

Gardeners need to pick their summer flower fertilizer wisely. A product such as a bloom booster or tomato feed will be perfect, while a nitrogen-rich product will give more foliage and fewer flowers. That is not what you want in your summer flower beds, so don’t make this fertilizing mistake.

To help you find the right summer flower fertilizer for a dazzling display of flowers or a bountiful harvest of fruit, I drew on what I used while working as a professional horticulturist in public and private gardens and spoke with plant experts.

The Ideal Summer Flower Fertilizer for Flowers and Fruits

A key part of picking the right summer flower fertilizer is understanding what the different nutrients in a typical fertilizer do for plants.

After plants have worked hard to establish strong foliage earlier in the season, the focus needs to shift to developing strong roots (to cope with summer heat) and producing flowers or fruit. These two ambitions become more important in early summer than producing lots of leaves for plants grown predominantly for flowers and fruits, and targeted nutrients help fulfill these.

Tyler Potts from Tractor Supply Company claims that annual flowers, flowering perennials, flowering shrubs (including roses and hydrangeas), and fruiting crops (like tomatoes and peppers) are all plants whose nutrient needs change. He adds: ‘They need less nitrogen in summer and more phosphorus and potassium once flowering or fruiting begins’.

What is it about these two nutrients that makes them so vital in the summer to such a large number of plants? Lotte Berendsen, an expert from the plant care app PlantIn, explains why feeds with phosphorus and potassium are recommended at this time.

‘Both nutrients are crucial parts in the production of flowers,’ says Lotte. ‘Phosphorus aids in the transfer of energy throughout the plant, while potassium regulates water transport.

‘When shopping for fertilizers, look for the NPK ratio, which stands for the amount of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus in the feed. For flowering and fruiting plants, a fertilizer with an NPK ratio where the first letter (N) is the lowest is ideal.’

The best types of summer flower fertilizer, with the nutrient levels and plant fertilizer numbers outlined above, are ‘bloom booster’ products or feeds tailored for growing tomatoes. Products formulated for blooming and tomato feeds have higher amounts of P and K to stimulate flowering and fruiting.

Shop For Summer Flower Fertilizer

When To Switch To Summer Feeds

There are telltale signs that the time is right to change to summer flower fertilizers in your summer gardening checklist. Primarily, look for when the plants are starting to flower or set fruit – this is a key indicator that their nutrient needs have changed and the perfect time to switch feeds.

However, there are some less desirable signs you may see in summer that suggest your plants need a pick-me-up. As James Swartzentruber, CFO for HyR BRIX Fertilizer, suggests: ‘If you have large, healthy-looking plants but few flowers or fruit, it may be lacking in the nutrients required to develop them.’

A plant that looks leafy and green, but is not flowering or fruiting well, may be getting too much nitrogen and not enough phosphorus or potassium to develop lots of healthy buds and blooms. A dose of summer flower fertilizer can help provide these essential nutrients that it may be lacking.

To ensure your soil doesn’t lack any particular nutrients, it is often recommended to do a soil test every few years to check the levels. You can get a simple soil test kit to discover the soil’s nutrient levels and identify any amendments that may be needed before planting.

‘When you notice signs of deficiencies, such as pale green or purple discoloration, it’s time to apply fertilizers to your flowering and fruiting plants,’ says Lotte. ‘If you find any foliar symptoms on your plants, consider performing a soil test to see if your plant is lacking any vital nutrients.’

This soil test kit at Amazon offers a mail-in laboratory analysis and shows 13 different nutrient levels in your soil.

The Mistake To Avoid

It is important not to feed flowering or fruiting plants with too much nitrogen during the summer.

If you are growing ornamental grasses, foliage plants (like coleus or hostas), or leafy greens (such as lettuce or chard), they do require lots of nitrogen, but the types of plants listed earlier won’t thrive with it.

Tyler Potts advises: ‘Too much nitrogen promotes leaves and stems instead of flowers and fruit. It can also cause weaker growth, delayed blooming, and increased pest and disease issues.’

Be careful when browsing the shelves or websites for products, as you can all too easily fall foul of giving flowering plants too much nitrogen. As Lotte warns, even balanced, all-purpose fertilizer often has more nitrogen than potassium or phosphorus.

‘This can lead to a reduction of flowers on your plants, as excess nitrogen encourages vegetative growth and inhibits the production of blooms,’ she says.

To stay safe, read any packaging carefully to see the nutrient make-up, and only ever use the products at the recommended rates.

Perennial and annual flowers will always perform at their best when gardeners regularly fertilize flower beds. An ideal routine involves feeding when plants start actively growing in the spring with a balanced feed, and then giving plants regular liquid feeds as above until early fall. Mulching around plants with organic matter also helps to boost the soil nutrients and retain moisture in the ground.

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Wicker outdoor furniture is having a revival this summer, and if your set is authentically vintage, you are even more on trend. Like with so many things, the best styles are steeped in history and patina. But there's a difference between weatherworn and gracefully aged when it comes to embracing the wicker outdoor furniture trend, and the secret lies in one easily overlooked thing – how you clean it.

'Vintage wicker is often made from natural rattan, rush, or willow rather than the synthetic resin wicker used in modern outdoor furniture nowadays, so cleaning methods should be different as natural wicker is vulnerable to excess moisture,' advises Samantha-Jane Agbontaen, Interior Designer and Founder of House Designer. 'It can warp, crack, loosen joints, and grow mould if it gets too wet.'

Whether you're thrifting rattan furniture or you've been holding on to an old set that needs some love, cleaning vintage patio wicker is all about care and careful consideration.

1. Remove Dirt and Dust

'Both natural and painted wicker can be cleaned in a similar manner. You start by removing any dirt or dust with either a vacuum fitted with a brush attachment (like these Soft Bristle Round Brushes from Amazon) or a dry microfiber cloth,' explains KC Collins of Chair King Backyard Store.

2. Gently Wipe Down with Warm Water

It's all about taking things slowly when caring for your patio wicker, so once the dust has gone, it's time to bring in the soapy water. Dab your cloth (use a finely woven cloth to ensure you don't scratch the surface of your wicker) and wipe.

'Once all the dust has been removed, add a small amount of dish soap to warm water and apply to the furniture with a damp microfiber rag,' continues KC. 'It’s important not to use too much water. The rag should be damp, not soaked.'

3. Steer Clear of the Hose

While it might be tempting to use a hose, it's best to clean your wicker by hand to prevent any cracking, warping, or snapping. 'Using anything with pressure, such as a hose or pressure washer, could be damaging,' says Samantha-Jane. 'It's perhaps the worst thing you could do as it could damage the weave.'

4. Clean Away Soap With a Soft Rag

'If you want to gently clean your wicker furniture, you'll have to do it by hand,' agrees Rafi Friedman, President of Coastal Luxury Outdoors. 'Water with a bit of dish soap is strong enough to get most dirt off, but gentle enough not to damage the rattan or strip the paint. For especially tough dirt, try putting some of this solution in a spray bottle (these Amazon Leakproof Spray Bottles are a great example) and spraying down the furniture. Let it sit for several minutes, then wipe it with a soft rag. For especially tough spots, a toothbrush or soft-bristled brush can work well.'

5. Allow to Airdry

Once you've washed away your soap residue with water, pat your furniture with a cloth to soak up excess moisture and proceed to let your furniture air-dry in the fresh air. 'Natural wicker becomes flexible when wet, so be sure to let it completely dry before sitting,' says KC. The beauty of this vintage furniture trend is its age and story, so to ensure your set stands the test of time, it's best to approach cleaning with caution rather than haste.

Shop Chic Patio Wicker

The key to keeping your vintage patio wicker in good condition lies in how you care for it. Ensuring you clean your pieces by hand and with care will prevent damage and keep your outdoor set looking good for years to come.

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In summer 2026, if it’s not chrome, I don’t want it – a tricky proposition when we’re all living outdoors. I’d accepted that my chrome obsession would remain confined to the living room, kitchen, and dining table – seashell caviar servers and whatnot – until IKEA quietly dropped a weatherproof silver portable lamp that’s letting me take what is, in my opinion, the coolest look of the season onto my balcony.

And this new IKEA launch costs just $30. Officially, IKEA calls the finish polished nickel, but outdoors, this is about as close as we’re getting to that mirror-like chrome effect without worrying about the elements. Frankly, I didn’t think it was possible.

One reviewer calls it their (very chic) insurance policy against the near-inevitability of a summer power outage. ‘I already have similar lights that cost so much more, so when I saw this one for the price, I purchased two,’ they write. ‘They are nice and heavy and give great light.’

Another reason I’m paying attention? The designer: Carl Öjerstam, one of IKEA’s most celebrated talents, whose 1990s KARLSKRONA rattan lounge chair regularly resells for thousands on the secondhand market. If history repeats itself, this little lamp might prove to be more than just a good summer buy.

Chrome has largely stopped at the patio door, for obvious reasons. But if IKEA has figured out how to make a mirror-like finish that isn’t afraid of a summer storm, I have a feeling this is only the beginning.

More Outdoor Chrome Portable Lamps

Everything’s cooler in chrome. Here are a few more portable lamps helping the metallic trend mosey outdoors.

It may be sweltering, but at least my outdoor lighting looks cool. If you’d like the temperature to follow suit, I also asked designers to share their favorite heat-beating small balcony tricks.

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Growing your own fruit has to be one of the most rewarding things to do as a gardener. One way to get more out of your crops is by propagating them, i.e. multiplying them and growing double as much fruit.

If you grow blueberries, you can propagate them through cuttings. It might seem daunting compared to propagating ornamentals, but the truth is blueberry plants are straightforward to multiply, especially through softwood summer cuttings. It is also possible to propagate via hardwood cuttings in fall, though this takes much longer.

There are only a handful of steps to successfully propagate blueberries from cuttings, and you don't need loads of tools either (though, picking up this rooting hormone powder from Amazon will boost your chances of success). Here, with insights from a professional gardener, I talk through each step so you can harvest even more juicy berries from your backyard.

1. Take Healthy Cuttings

'Blueberries can be propagated from hardwood (old growth) or softwood (new growth),' says market gardener, Cody Deluisio.

'Softwood cuttings can be taken from early spring into mid-summer. Hardwood cuttings are taken after the leaves have fallen off in the fall,' he explains.

Softwood cuttings tend to provide faster results, as they take root much more easily. But, hardwood cuttings are thought to be more low-maintenance to manage, so there are benefits to both.

Whichever you choose, the first step is to identify and take healthy cuttings.

'Start by cleaning sharp gardening snips with rubbing alcohol. You want them to be very clean,' Cody says.

This will prevent the spread of pests and diseases, and ensure plant health is maintained. These Fiskars bypass pruning shears from Amazon will easily cut through both old and new growth.

For softwood, look for new growth that is flexible and green, and has several sets of leaves. 'Cut 4-6 inches of healthy stem right where it goes to hardwood at a 45° angle,' Cody describes. Take care to cut just below a leaf node, as this is where roots will emerge.

To take hardwood cuttings later in the year, rather focus on last year's growth. This will be the woodier stems, around a pencil's thickness, and 6-10 inches in length. You should cut half-an-inch above a bud, also at a 45° angle.

2. Prepare the Stems

The next step to propagate blueberries from cuttings is cleaning the stems, i.e. removing unnecessary foliage.

'Strip all leaves of but the top two,' Cody advises.

Leaving lower leaves can risk rotting when the cutting is in soil, and also drain's the plant's energy. You can use your fingers to pinch them off or these gardening micro snips from Lowe's to cut them off cleanly, redirecting the cutting's energy into rooting.

For hardwood cuttings, there won't be foliage to remove as the plant is dormant.

For both types of cutting, it's recommended to dip the end in rooting hormone. This is a powder (it also comes in gel form, like this rooting hormone gel from Amazon) that contains plant auxins responsible for rooting.

'Rooting hormone is optional but greatly improves success,' Cody notes.

3. Plant the Stems

With your cuttings prepped, the next step is to plant them in a well-draining, acidic soil to help them root.

'Put the cutting into an acidic mix, either a store-bought acidic potting mix (like this from Walmart) or 50/50 peat moss and perlite (which you can purchase from Amazon),' says Cody. 'Place the end of the cutting approximately two inches deep and firm the soil around it,' he describes.

Blueberries are acidic-loving plants, so if needed you can make your soil more acidic for both your existing shrubs and new plants.

'Soak the soil and let it drain for 15-30 minutes,' Cody says.

4. Find a Home For Your Cuttings

Where you keep your blueberry cuttings depends on whether they're hardwood or softwood.

'For softwood cuttings, place the container in a greenhouse or a bag to keep humidity up. Make sure it gets indirect sunlight,' Cody describes.

You should maintain consistent moisture and a temperature between 68-77°F. These humidity domes from Amazon can be useful to use if you aren't able to provide a greenhouse. Take care to place the cuttings somewhere with bright light.

Hardwood cuttings don't need so much humidity because they are dormant and leafless. Instead, keep them somewhere bright and cool, and maintain consistent moisture without becoming soggy in winter conditions.

A cold frame (you can find affordable portable cold frames at Walmart), unheated greenhouse, or a sheltered wall are the best options for hardwood cuttings.

5. Regularly Check Your Cuttings

One of the biggest propagation mistakes for any plant is neglecting your cuttings and expecting them to still take root. Instead, you should be regularly checking on cuttings.

Softwood blueberry cuttings usually root within six to 10 weeks, while hardwood cuttings take several months.

You should maintain high humidity and moisture for softwood cuttings, while watching out for overly wet soil and temperature fluctuations for hardwood cuttings.

This soil moisture meter from Amazon can help you get watering right by identifying the moisture level in soil for you.

Give your cutting a gentle pull to check whether it has rooted before planting up.

'Take care not to tug for at least six weeks, the roots will be very weak and can be easily broken,' Cody warns.

What to Shop

If you're struggling to get a harvest out of your blueberries, read up on our guide to getting a blueberry bush to fruit. One of the most important aspects to get blueberry bush pruning right, to keep your plant healthy and strong.

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There's a huge shift in the way we see and design our outdoor spaces. Instead of being separate from our homes, they are becoming an extension of indoor living spaces, and one of the coveted features is the outdoor kitchen. And as renovation costs continue to increase, modular designs are rising as the ultimate solution.

It's a new way to create a luxurious cooking space for hosting and socialising. While people are entertaining al fresco far more than ever before, outdoor kitchens are being used more frequently as a backyard living space for everyday activities and enjoyment.

And it's clear that built-in designs are no longer the most coveted look. 2026 is the year modular outdoor kitchens get the recognition they deserve, offering flexible luxury that evolves with you at a more affordable price point. And it turns out, designers are totally on board with this emerging approach.

The Appeal of Modular Outdoor Kitchens

Installing an outdoor kitchen is no small endeavour, especially if you choose a custom, built-in design. The costs are high, with the price of an outdoor kitchen ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, while the cost of installation can vary from $15,000 to $25,000, not to mention the disruption of groundworks and the ever-growing contractor timelines.

The truth is, few people want to commit to such an expense, nor do they want to wait that long for an outdoor kitchen. We crave instant gratification, and a modular outdoor kitchen is the closest design we can get to that. Plus, modular designs have become just as luxurious and high-end.

'The market has matured enormously,' says Adam Arya, co-founder of Arya Douge. 'A few years ago, the choice was fairly limited, whereas today there are incredibly sophisticated modular systems that can be tailored to the way you actually live and entertain.'

The rise in this outdoor kitchen idea also comes with the changing attitudes to our outdoor spaces and how we use them. Once reserved for the summer months, backyards are now becoming destinations year-round, so kitchen designs need to be flexible to serve a purpose through the seasons.

Perhaps the biggest draw, choosing a modular design gives homeowners the option to change their minds later, giving a luxurious addition to their home greater flexibility. You might want to extend the kitchen later down the line, or rethink the layout. By choosing a modular outdoor kitchen, it's easier to make those changes or upgrades without having to reinvest in a whole new outdoor kitchen.

'The beauty of a modular kitchen is that you don’t have to do everything at once – you can begin with what you need and build your dream outdoor kitchen one piece at a time. A little planning can go a long way. Considering how you want to use your outdoor kitchen, whether for cooking, entertaining, or both, can help guide you to the perfect solution,' adds Karen Haas, IKEA US Home Furnishings Business Leader, Workspaces & Outdoor.

How Ensure a Modular Outdoor Kitchen Looks Elevated

Because so much time is spent here, modular outdoor kitchen designs have had to evolve from basic, function-first aesthetics to feel more in-keeping with the styles and materials we would embrace inside our homes. They feel more reminiscent of a freestanding kitchen, a style proving enduringly popular indoors. But it's also the materials and finishes that make a difference to how luxurious it feels.

Think powder-coated cabinetry that looks sleek but remains durable, paneled wood doors that add a rustic, natural feel, and even beautiful stone outdoor kitchen countertops, sometimes finished in a waterfall design. There's also more creativity when it comes to cooking appliances, with many designers opting for pizza ovens over a traditional grill.

'As with any interior, the materials make all the difference. Natural stone and beautifully detailed joinery help elevate a modular kitchen beyond something purely functional. The most successful schemes feel as though they belong to the architecture and landscape, rather than appearing as a standalone piece of garden equipment,' says Claire Sá, Co-Founder of De Rosee Sa.

Think of it as creating a hospitality-inspired backyard, the sort of landscape and luxury you find at your favorite hotels. The kitchen should feel as beautiful and considered as the plants in your borders, or the outdoor living room you've created beside it. A modular outdoor kitchen gives you added flexibility to create something that perfectly fits your space, but can be altered as your landscaping changes.

Don't stop at the practical details. Introduce beautiful hardware or a faucet with a more elegant silhouette. Think about the ambiance – charming lamps on the countertops, or even integrated lighting that adds a soft glow as the evening grows darker. It's the small details that take a modular outdoor kitchen to the next level.

How to Maximize Function With a Modular Outdoor Kitchen

Function still has to be a key consideration – something designers say won't negatively affect the elevated style of your modular kitchen. 'True functionality is achieved with practical, well-planned elements,' says Mark Latchford, Director of Landscaping at HollandGreen.

'These include durable, weather-resistant work surfaces, integrated refrigeration and storage, and a sink for convenience, all arranged in a logical workflow to make cooking outdoors effortless and enjoyable,' he explains, adding that you need to make key layout considerations, including whether you wish to face guests as you cook, have the sink hidden from view, and if you want to include bar seating as well as a more formal dining set up.

Outdoor kitchens are the hub of cooking, so really think about the materials you are choosing, both aesthetically and in terms of durability. 'For outdoor cooking, materials need to be durable and easy to clean,' says Karen.

'Stainless steel is a great choice for countertops and cooking areas as it’s hygienic and resistant to rust. Powder-coated or galvanized steel also helps create sturdy, weather-ready frames, while pre-treated acacia wood adds warmth and a natural look while protecting against weather, stains, and wear.'

If you desire the flexibility of an outdoor kitchen island that can be moved when you require more floor space, a portable design fits in beautifully with a modular scheme – it also allows you to move the island between outdoor living spaces if you need it to double as an outdoor bar or poolside snack station. It's these subtle versatilities that make modular designs so appealing.

Make sure you consider storage, too. A modular outdoor kitchen feels most successful with a mix of styles, including closed cabinetry to keep ingredients protected, as well as some open shelving for easy access to cooking essentials.

'The best modular outdoor kitchens combine practical materials with small yet smart details, including hooks for utensils, adjustable shelves, closed storage, and enough workspace to prepare, cook, and serve without having to run back inside,' Karen adds.

Don't forget to think about the bigger picture, though, like how your modular outdoor kitchen fits within the wider landscape of your backyard. Location is really important, both in terms of its location and the kitchen's architecture. Just because you are going modular with the design doesn't mean you shouldn't factor in a shade cover.

'One of the biggest mistakes people make is placing a kitchen in full afternoon sun. Whether it's a pergola, canopy, or carefully positioned planting, creating a shaded preparation area while allowing the dining space to enjoy the evening light transforms how comfortable-and how frequently-the space is used,' suggests Adam.

Shop Modular Outdoor Kitchens and Accessories

A modular outdoor kitchen is all about flexibility of design and instant gratification. Every backyard is different, so the kitchen you install should reflect that, allowing you to make changes as you need them.

'The appeal isn't simply that the kitchen is modular; it's that it allows outdoor living to be designed with the same level of thought as the interior of the home,' says Adam. 'The kitchen becomes one element within a much larger outdoor room.'

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As Coco Chanel famously coined, simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance. I believe this sentiment stretches much further than fashion, and certainly into the world of floral design.

Designing with only one variety of flower is not only simpler for you, it creates an effortlessly stylish effect that can elevate a room or patio dining table in seconds. It was a trick I used a lot when I was a wedding florist (provided the client agreed), as it was especially useful for simplifying large, statement floral arrangements.

The key to this is in your flower selection and the vase you choose. In the most recent episode of Petals & Roots, I show you how to create a high-impact summer design using alliums in one of my favorite vintage vases.

What You Need For This Allium Floral Design

• For this design I used 17 allium stems
• Floristry snips, such as these ones from Amazon are vital. Spending a bit more on a really good pair of sharp snips or shears pays off as they will last and make light work when cutting through any stem
• A tall, vintage vase. You can scroll down to see my vase edit for inspiration. I also love this blue and white vintage-style vase from Amazon, which would look beautiful on an outdoor table.

How To Create This Design Yourself

As I mentioned, this design relies on the right choice of vase, and a statement variety of flower.

Let's talk about the flowers first. I chose seasonal alliums because they are naturally a sculptural flower, with long, straight stems and also minute layers of interest within their flower heads.

Other flowers you could consider for this kind of design (depending on the season) are hydrangeas, Icelandic poppies, peonies, snapdragons and orchids.

Large alliums come in shades of purple and white, and I chose to keep mine to purple only, selecting three different varieties in the design: gladiator, pinball wizard and schubertii. The latter being the most distinctive and adding a different dimension to the textures and forms in the vase.

If your flowers are more or less the same in shape, you could vary the color options and keep them to a tonal palette or three simple, complementary shades.

Your vase selection will be a personal choice, and possibly governed by what you own already. I wanted something that reflected the curves in the alliums, and a vessel that offered a different color into the floral arrangement.

Choose something that is fairly tall and has a narrow neck, to make it easier to hold your stems in place.

If you can, look at the colors on your vase and see if you can pick any out or complement them with the flowers you choose.

To create a design like this, start by adding three to five of your tallest stems into the vase, which will give you a structure to build from.

Next, introduce another color or variety of flower and bring these lower down into the design, starting to fill out the space.

I added the largest alliums in last as they had shorter stems, and I slotted these into the grid I'd created with the taller ones, to place them higher up in the design.

Then it's simply a case of adding flowers to make the design bigger and create interest from all sides. (I told you it was easy, didn't I?) Make sure you have some shorter flowers lower down, vary the sizes, and if you have a particularly curvy stem, keep it long and let it dance above the rest of the design.

Top Tip: To reduce the onion smell that naturally comes from alliums, change the water in the vase regularly. This will also help to keep your flowers as fresh as possible.

Shop My Vase Edit

Petals & Roots is a weekly video series fronted by me, Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens. Every weekend on social, I share my seasonal gardening and flower arranging expertise and advice.

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Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) is one of my favorite evergreen climbers. It looks beautiful all year thanks to its glossy green foliage, but by early summer it really comes into its own, producing masses of delicate, pinwheel-shaped white flowers with an unmistakably sweet fragrance. If you're looking to grow and care for star jasmine for year-round interest, June is when you'll really start to reap the rewards.

It's also one of the most important months for keeping the plant healthy. A few simple jobs now will encourage stronger growth, extend the flowering season, and help it cope if temperatures climb later in the summer. Whether you're training it over a pergola, up a sunny wall, or growing it in a large container to make your patio smell nice, these are the June tasks I'd never skip.

1. Water Deeply During Dry Spells

Keeping star jasmine consistently watered is one of the best ways to encourage healthy growth and a long flowering season, especially during hot, dry spells.

I like using the Flexi Hose Expandable Garden Hose from Amazon because it's lightweight, doesn't kink, and stretches as you water before shrinking back down for easy storage. It makes deep watering around climbers, borders, and containers much less of a chore, particularly if you're watering regularly throughout summer.

2. Feed to Support Flowering

If you want to fertilize jasmine for the best possible display, June is the time to do it. Feeding every couple of weeks during peak flowering gives star jasmine the extra energy it needs to keep producing buds and blooming for longer. Once flowers begin to appear, I like to use a fertilizer that's slightly higher in potash, as this encourages more blooms rather than excess leafy growth.

For an easy boost, Miracle-Gro 1-Pound Water Soluble Bloom Booster Flower Food is a great option to maximize blooms. At the same time, Perfect Plants Liquid Jasmine Fertilizer from Amazon is specially formulated to support healthy foliage, vigorous growth, and abundant blooms throughout the growing season. Just avoid overfeeding with nitrogen-rich fertilizers, which can encourage lush leaves at the expense of flowers.

3. Tie In New Shoots

Star jasmine grows surprisingly quickly once temperatures rise, so June is the moment to stay on top of new growth. Any fresh stems should be gently guided and secured to their support while they’re still soft and flexible – left unchecked, they can easily tangle or drift away from the structure you’re trying to cover.

For this, I like using VELCRO Brand Adjustable Plant Ties because they’re soft, reusable, and won’t damage delicate stems as they thicken. For trickier sections or longer runs, Green Garden Wire from Amazon is also a handy option, offering more flexibility when shaping and training growth. Keeping stems evenly spaced not only prevents congestion, but also encourages fuller coverage over walls, fences, and pergolas for a more balanced, established look over time.

4. Remove Finished Flowers

As the earliest blooms begin to fade, it’s worth lightly pruning star jasmine to keep things looking neat and encourage continued flowering. Deadheading isn’t essential for star jasmine, but removing spent blooms where you can helps tidy the plant and can support a longer, more consistent display of fresh flowers through the season.

For quick, precise snips, Fiskars 6" Pruning Scissors for Flower Stems are ideal, especially for reaching into dense growth without damaging nearby stems. A little regular attention goes a long way in keeping the plant looking its best.

5. Watch for Pests

Although star jasmine is generally low-maintenance, it’s worth keeping an eye out for summer pests as temperatures rise. Aphids and scale insects can occasionally appear during warm weather, especially on soft new growth.

Check young shoots and the undersides of leaves every week or so, particularly on plants growing against warm, sheltered walls where infestations tend to build up more quickly. Catching problems early makes them much easier to manage and helps prevent them from spreading further into the plant.

For a simple, effective treatment option, Natria Neem Oil Spray from Amazon can be used to help control common pests while supporting healthier, more resilient growth.

Star jasmine has a reputation for being wonderfully easy to grow, and that’s certainly been my experience. It’s one of my favorite plants to grow, partly for how little it asks for, but mostly for how much it gives back in return. It also grows beautifully in containers, so if you want to grow star jasmine in pots, it’s just as happy in a large planter as it is in the ground.

There’s something deeply nostalgic about it for me – the first time I grew it, I remember stepping outside in the evening and being completely taken by its scent. Now, every time it blooms, it instantly brings that feeling back. It also does something no other plant quite manages in the same way: it makes my patio smell incredible, especially on warm nights when the fragrance really carries.

Keep it well watered, especially during dry spells, and feed it regularly to support steady growth and flowering. Take a little time to guide those fast-growing stems where you want them to go, and you’ll quickly see a fuller, better-structured plant taking shape.

Handled this way, star jasmine rewards you with glossy evergreen foliage and weeks of beautifully scented flowers that turn even a simple patio into a space you want to linger in a little longer.

Gardening buckets are not usually known for their aesthetic value. Nor for their usefulness beyond carrying weeds, soil or water. But essential they are. And I have just found one that goes beyond the functional. This is a bucket you will actually want to have on show.

None other than interior designer Shea McGee tipped me off about the Japanese Hachiman bucket, which you can purchase from Amazon, when I interviewed her for Homes & Gardens' Garden Diaries series. She raved about it so much, that I had to discover this product for myself. And she was not wrong. It is a lot more than just a bucket.

What's So Great About a Hachiman Bucket?

Err, basically everything. This is not just a bucket. It doubles as a seat, tool storage, a drinks caddy, compost bin, small side table with storage, or even a planter, and can be used indoors or outdoors.

Made of durable metal, the uncomplicated design is timeless and considered, and epitomises Japanese style.

As Shea McGee told me: 'My absolute favorite thing is this Japanese bucket called a Hachiman. It's designed so you can sit on it, it has the perfect height, and it has a lid. So you can use it as a stool when you're tired, or you can use it to transport compost and garden debris. It's beautifully designed, and I use it constantly.'

Thanks to the minimalistic, ribbed design, a Hachiman bucket looks stylish stacked with others of different sizes, so you won't want to hide this from view in your shed.

It's yet another example of Japanese design taking a humble, everyday object and making not only aesthetic but also hard wearing.

'Japanese gardening tools are just amazing,' says Shea. 'They're beautifully designed and they last forever.'

Shea also told me she likes to carry a caddy around with her when she is gardening to hold her tools, as it's too hot to wear a tool belt.

Hachiman also have a waterproof gardening tote bag for tools, available from Amazon. It has a removable pouch, built-in partitions, and is washable. I want to buy one immediately.

What Shoppers Say

Don't just take my word for it. Shoppers give the Hachiman a 4.3 star rating out of 5 on Amazon, with the main drawback being the price.

It is, definitively, a lot to pay for a bucket, but as we have come to realise, it really isn't just a bucket.

'Beautiful, precisely fitting lid. Looks gorgeous next to my black cedar panels in the yard and insects can’t get in,' says one review.

Another adds: 'I love these practical buckets for storing pet food and other supplies. They're a bit expensive but much better looking the other options.'

'The buckets both stack and nest inside each other which opens up a world of storage possibilities,' says one shopper. 'They are definitely pricier than hardware store utility buckets, but the cheap buckets can’t serve as an attractive compost bucket to sit out in the kitchen, or a patio drinks table that’s secretly hiding your potting soil and tools.'

What to Shop

Japanese tools are known to be durable and timeless, and often they become the most hard-working pieces of kit in a garden. This is my essentials edit, mixed with a few extras I would never be without.

Sometimes it really is worth investing a bit more in a product, even if it feels a little basic in function. It's so often the things we use the most that we wish could look more stylish, and I still can't believe how considered and chic these Hachiman buckets look.

Of course, Japanese design is incredibly hard-working in the home too; take this shoe storage solution for narrow entryways, for example. It's next on my shopping list.

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Thinning fruit trees is an important summer task that helps you get the best harvests. It may sound counterintuitive, but removing small fruitlets means higher-quality fruits come picking time.

If you are growing apples, pears, plums, peaches, or apricots, thinning fruit trees between mid-June and mid-July rewards you with larger harvests and reduces the risk of branches snapping due to the stress of excess fruit. Up to 50%-75% of small fruitlets can be removed by hand or with small pruning tools.

Thinning fruit trees may sound daunting, but it needn’t be. To remove any potential confusion, I spoke with fruit tree experts about why, when, and how to thin. This guide also reveals the ideal spacing for the most popular types of fruit trees.

An Expert Guide to Thinning Fruit Trees

Many fruit trees, including apples, pears, plums, and peaches, do a ‘June drop’, whereby they naturally shed small fruits in early summer. They do this to focus on a select number of fruits, and gardeners shouldn’t panic if it happens to their trees.

However, even after a ‘June drop,’ you may still need to go out thinning fruit trees to guarantee you get the best yield.

A good pair of pruning shears, like these Felco F2 pruners at Amazon, can make a sound investment and be used for thinning and pruning fruit trees for many years.

Benefits of Thinning Fruit Trees

Even though it may sound counterintuitive, intentionally thinning the number of young fruits developing offers several benefits for any fruit tree. Whether you have an orchard or a few fruit trees in pots on a patio, thinning fruit trees helps them produce the best crop possible year after year.

Primarily, the main reason for thinning fruit trees is to maximise the harvest. It is required because, as Susan Poizner, fruit tree expert and founder of Orchard People, notes, the trees have a habit of producing ‘more fruitlets than they can realistically support’.

‘If you leave them all on the tree, you’ll usually end up with lots of fruit, but the quality won’t be great. The fruit tends to be smaller, and the branches can become overloaded,’ explains Susan.

‘Thinning helps the tree focus its energy on fewer fruits, which means larger, better-quality, and sweeter harvests.’

Thinning fruit trees not only boosts this year’s crop, but can help next year’s, too. It is especially the case with apple or pear trees, which can start to crop biennially – this is when a heavy crop one year is followed by a small or no crop the next. Thinning fruit trees helps prevent the trees from falling into this cropping habit.

Also, thinning fruit trees reduces the risk of branches snapping under the weight of lots of developing fruits. If lots of fruit are left, the branches (which naturally bend but can only take so much strain) can break under the stress. Not only does this mean you lose a productive arm, but the resulting wound is susceptible to pests and diseases.

You can help protect fruit-laden branches with supports, such as these tree crutches at Amazon.

What Fruit Trees Need Thinning

Most fruit trees benefit from thinning, but not all. The likes of apples, peaches, pears, plums, nectarines, apricots, and persimmons all respond well to thinning. If you have any of these, add thinning fruit trees to your early summer gardening checklist.

Some fruit trees don’t need thinning, though. For example, Susan advises: ‘Cherries generally don’t need it because they don’t tend to overproduce in the same way.’

When to Thin Fruit Trees

Young trees can suffer from being cropped too heavily in their tender years. Susan recommends gardeners to remove all baby fruit from apple, peach, apricot, pear, and plum trees for the first two years after planting the fruit tree in your yard.

‘It can feel heart-breaking, but it allows the tree to put its energy into establishing strong roots and healthy branches rather than producing fruit too soon,’ she adds.

Going forward, timing is key when thinning fruit trees. The ideal moment for thinning fruit trees comes after they have done their natural ‘June drop’. Allowing the trees to first naturally shed fruits and then thinning as required prevents you from ending up with little to no fruit.

It is best to go soon after you spot evidence of the ‘June drop’ around your trees. Susan advises: ‘A good rule of thumb is to thin when the fruit is about the size of a nickel.’

If you wait too long, and the fruit gets larger, the benefits of thinning aren’t felt as much. As Loren Taylor, a seasoned landscaper and gardener, says: ‘Doing it early means the tree has not wasted energy on fruit you are going to remove anyway.’

The take-home advice is to wait until after the ‘June drop’ and aim to finish thinning fruit trees in early July.

How to Thin Fruit Trees

The goal with thinning fruit trees is to leave as much fruit as the tree can ripen and the branch can support. It will depend on each particular tree, but don’t be afraid of thinning fruit trees – you have got to be cruel to be kind.

‘It sounds a lot, but aim to remove between 50% and 75% of the fruit so those that are left are better quality,’ Chris Bonnett, plant expert and founder of Gardening Express.

While this may seem a lot, if the fruits are crowded when young, it’ll only get worse as they develop, and they will never reach full size.

Look to keep the largest fruit and first remove any that are small, damaged, or misshapen. This can be done with your hands, by pinching or twisting the fruit off the stem. But do so carefully, as pulling too hard on small fruits can damage the branches.

Or, you can use small pruning tools, such as shears or pruning snips – this is advisable with apples and pears, which both have woodier stems than other young fruits. A perfect tool for the task would be these Fiskars pruning snips, available at Amazon.

The Ideal Spacings When Thinning Fruit Trees by Type:

• Apples: When growing apple trees, the fruits should be thinned to one fruit per cluster. Good apple fruit thinning should leave one fruit every six to eight inches along the branch. It is advisable to remove the ‘king’ fruit at the center of the cluster, as this habitually ends up deformed.
• Pears: Pear trees are best thinned to leave one or two fruits per cluster, with around six inches between developing fruits.
• Peaches: For peaches and nectarines, thin the fruits to one every four to six inches apart. This level of peach tree thinning gives the remaining fruits adequate space to reach a good size.
• Apricots: Thin apricot trees so there are two to four inches between each developing fruit
• Plums: Thinning plum trees should be done so there is one fruit every three or four inches along the branch

What to Shop

To keep them healthy, understanding when to prune fruit trees ensures you trim them at the right time of year. There are differences between trees, and it is not always a winter task. While the likes of apples, pears, and figs want pruning in late winter or early spring, stone fruits, such as cherries, peaches, nectarines, and plums, are best pruned in late spring or summer to prevent silver leaf disease.

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If you had a busy spring and didn't get around to as much planting as you were hoping to, don't fret. It's not too late to plant several seeds and starter plants in June to get a colorful display by August.

The trick is choosing fast-growing plants for your flower bed, as well as starter plants that have already started growing at a nursery (like these live marigold plants from Amazon). Getting them in the ground now means there's still time for seeds to sprout and roots to settle for flowering in August. In fact, now that early summer is here, you can direct sow many seeds and don't have to worry about transplanting.

Of course, it is important to choose the right plants to be successful, as you don't want to waste time on any that take a long time to grow and won't have time to bloom before the end of summer. Here, I talk trough six reliable options to choose.

Cosmos

While it's most typical to grow cosmos by starting them indoors early and planting out in spring, you can still plant cosmos this month for summer flowers.

You can direct sow seeds outdoors where they will sprout quickly in the warm soil. Make sure to just scatter the seeds on the surface and gently press them in, as they need light to germinate.

Alternatively, you can plant out seedlings and plug plants from a nursery. Choose a direct sun position and ensure soil is well-draining and nutrient rich, without being too nitrogen-heavy which will encourage leafy growth over blooms.

Zinnias

Another fast-growing annual you can sow in June for blooms in just eight weeks is zinnia.

Zinnias are some of the most joyful blooms, coming in a wide range of colors from red and orange, to pink and yellow. They're incredibly easy and rewarding to grow.

You can also purchase zinnia starter plants which will already have stems, ready to bloom shortly. Just don't forget to pinch out zinnias to encourage branching, which will give you even more stems to cut for vases.

Sunflowers

You can grow sunflowers from seed exceptionally quickly, especially once the soil is warm in early summer.

Sunflowers have deep taproots and don't like being transplanted, so it is best to direct sow them this month. You can also opt for dwarf varieties to grow sunflowers in a pot.

Just take care to keep sunflowers consistently watered, especially during hot spells in summer, otherwise they will droop and wilt.

Celosia

If you want to add a pop of color to your garden this summer, then celosia is a striking choice.

These plants have plume-like blooms in bright colors, from red and pink, to yellow and purple. Their striking appearance makes them great focal points in containers.

You can purchase garden-ready celosia plants now to plant up in the yard (just take care to choose a full sun position), or direct sow celosia seeds in June. These heat-loving plants will germinate fairly quickly, and you can expect to have a display by late August.

Ammi Majus

Every cottage garden needs ammi majus, or false Queen Anne's Lace due to its similar appearance.

It's an upright annual with delicate clusters of white blooms resembling lace. By June, the soil temperature is perfect for direct sowing ammi seeds, and you can expect blooms to emerge from late August into fall.

Ammi needs well-draining soil and consistent moisture. You may find the tallest stems (which can reach 3-5ft tall) need staking as they can become top-heavy.

Marigolds

There are so many reasons why you should grow marigolds in your yard. Not only do they provide fiery color, marigolds are also one of the best pest-repellent plants.

Their scent and chemical compounds are known to deter a wide range of destructive insects, so it's popular to grow marigolds in a vegetable patch.

You can scatter marigold seeds and gently press them into the surface of the soil, as they need light to germination. Alternatively, you can purchase marigold plants now for more immediate blooms.

Don't forget to harvest marigold seeds once the flowers fade and store them for planting next spring.

Our guide to planning a cut flower garden and the best cutting garden flowers has so many more ideas for quick and easy blooms to grow during spring and summer for homegrown floral arrangements.

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Before Shea McGee moved into her home, she had a very specific dream: hydrangeas. Planted en masse and lining the front of the house in abundance. For someone whose entire creative life is built on translating vision into reality, this was never going to be just a passing thought.

Nearly seven years ago, when the interior designer and her family moved into their home, there was no established garden. Just potential. Shea, who describes herself as 'not a gardener' when she started, began creating the space from scratch. She approached it the way she approaches everything: with intention, restraint, and an eye for how the garden could become an extension of her interior design aesthetic.

Today, those hydrangeas (hydrangea paniculata 'limelight', to be precise) – that took six years to establish their current magnificent scale – line the front of her home just as she'd imagined. But they're only part of a much larger story about how a tastemaker's garden can become a laboratory for creativity, and a daily practice in understanding that a garden, like design itself, is always evolving.

Hydrangeas And What They Taught Me

When we moved into our home, I literally dreamed about having hydrangeas in front of it. They bloom in late summer, so I wait all year, and when they finally pop, they just kind of overtake our house.

Every single year when those flowers finally come, that gratification doesn't get old. And I think it's because I held that vision for so long before I actually had it. I knew exactly what I wanted, and now that it's here, it feels so fulfilling every single year that they bloom.

It took six years for them to reach the scale they're at now. Six years of patience, which is interesting because I'm naturally impatient, especially as a designer. I want things to look beautiful right away.

Now I have hydrangeas lining the front of our home, and I also have them in a small area in the back against our mudroom. They get so big they actually start to cover our windows, and I don't even care. I love it so much. Then I go out and just clip mounds of them.

This past year I dried some of the hydrangea stems and put them in our Christmas tree. I love that antique pink color they turn at the end of the season.

Creating A Garden From Scratch

When we built this home, I wasn't a gardener, but I had a lot of aspirations to become one. I loved the process of learning.

When we first moved in, I created the garden from scratch. I like a restrained palette: greens and whites, and lavenders. That really informed my planting decisions, as well as wanting the hydrangeas, roses and lavender that I clip from regularly.

As an interior designer, I'm always thinking about how the garden works with my home. I want to be inside and look out and feel like it's an extension of my style on the interiors. But also, I love hosting, and I want fresh flowers around my home. So those planting decisions were largely informed around what would be a natural fit in the interior design.

That first year of gardening, I was very nervous. Something about gardening feels intimidating when you don't know what you're doing. But once I just started, I realized I'm going to make mistakes and I'm also going to have beautiful discoveries every single year.

I think a lot of people hesitate to start a garden because they're afraid of failure. And that fear held me back when I was first getting into interior design as well. But then the exact same thing happened in both cases: I just started, I learned, and I became comfortable with the idea that it's okay for something not to work out.

The Designer's Approach

Because I'm impatient and I want something to look beautiful right away, I have a strategy.

When I'm planting my garden beds, I line all of them with little flowers; insect-repelling plants that look beautiful, such as petunias, things that are good right out of the gate.

That gives me that immediate visual impact I'm craving while I'm waiting for everything else to establish. It was wonderful to have a beautiful flower border trailing and spilling over from the very beginning.

Even the colors I choose carry my design aesthetic into the garden. If I'm going to do a marigold, I'm not choosing the vibrant orange. I'm choosing a soft yellow because that's my natural palette, and what I'm drawn to.

I do this on purpose now, but even when I wasn't thinking about it consciously, I was selecting colors and plants that felt aligned with my interior design sensibility.

However, when it comes to the actual vegetables in my kitchen garden, I'm not selecting based on color or design. I'm selecting based on what I actually want to eat and what I can use in my cooking.

The Kitchen Garden Inspiration

I knew I wanted to try my hand at growing food, so I built some raised garden beds, and that was the start. That first year I just went for it.

Now there's a clear path from my kitchen out to that garden. I really enjoy cooking, and I garnish everything with herbs. So herbs and vegetables live in that space, and they're constantly being used.

My new cookbook, Around The Table, available from Amazon, is deeply connected to what I grow. When I was approaching the book, I had a lot of discoveries about myself and how I like to cook. I realized that a lot of it is an extension of how I approach design.

There's something so special about being able to go out and snip fresh herbs and add them into salads. One of my favorite recipes in the book is a garden couscous salad just filled with dill and all sorts of fresh herbs from the garden.

But I also got creative with what I could grow and make. I have a bay leaf cheesecake recipe in the book, where I blend up the bay leaves into a really fine powder and sprinkle it throughout. It's herbaceous but sweet; a totally different way of thinking about a dessert.

Family Time In The Garden

We all have different jobs in the garden, different things we're paying attention to, but what I love most is that we're just occupying a space together outside.

My four-year-old spends the most time with me. She toddles around, loves to find the bugs and the earthworms and the snails and slugs. She's curious about all of it. She spends a lot of time just at my heels.

My older children approach it differently. They'll say, 'This is my cucumber', or 'this is my tomato'. They claim plants. They want to check on that one specific plant, and they take great care of it. They love to harvest, even if it means picking carrots way before they're ready. We end up with these tiny baby carrots, but they taste delicious.

What I love about our time in the garden as a family is that everyone's hands are busy, so there are no screens, no phones. You're just together. And something about being in nature; everyone's nervous system just relaxes and calms down.

With our busy lives, I think we all crave that feeling of being next to the earth, even if we don't realize it at the time. When we come back inside, there's been a little reset.

What The Garden Teaches The Designer

The garden mirrors a lot about what I've learned in interior design. It's taught me that you're constantly evolving. I can stay true to my favorite things in my design aesthetic at my core, but that continues to evolve.

Every year I'm trying a new plant, and I learn things and file them away for later. And I do that with every single project that I undertake as a designer. The garden is that for me, too.

I had hesitation about starting a garden because I was nervous I would fail. And that was something that held me back when I was first starting to get into interior design as well. But I just started and learned. You get comfortable with the idea that it's okay for something not to work out. And there's pride that comes from what does work, and you get to enjoy it.

I'd say to anyone wanting to get their garden started: it doesn't have to be perfect. You don't need to research every single thing. Just go and you'll find out really quickly what your garden needs. It's such a work in progress.

When you plant something, it's going to look way different in a year's time. A garden evolves, just like a home evolves as people grow within it.

Shop Our Shea McGee-Inspired Garden Edit

Garden Diaries is our series where we share inspiring stories of designing and cultivating a stunning garden space. We explore how creatives, designers and tastemakers have grown a deeply personal space, inviting creativity, learning and happiness in their gardens, and how they live in these spaces.

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My tomato plants have been off to a slow start this year, so I've been looking for organic solutions to encourage faster growth. That's when I stumbled across a hack: making nettle tea fertilizer for tomatoes.

It's an old-school gardening trick to fertilize tomatoes with nettle-infused water, which is packed with nutrients, including nitrogen for vegetative growth. Giving your tomatoes nettle tea fertilizer from spring to early summer encourages strong leaves and stems, setting the plant up for healthy flowering and fruit production later on.

It's really best used before flowers appear, at which point you can switch to a specific tomato fertilizer to support fruiting (like this tomato fertilizer on Amazon). The best part is it's really easy to make your own tomato fertilizer with nettle tea, though it does need to be used correctly to be effective. Here's how it works.

Why Use Nettle Tea for Tomatoes?

It's surprisingly effective to make plant fertilizer using weeds, as they're packed with essential plant nutrients. Nettles in particular are a popular choice for giving plants like tomatoes a boost of nitrogen.

What nitrogen does for plants is aid vegetative, leafy growth. For tomatoes, this means encouraging strong stems and foliage ahead of flowering.

'When tomatoes start to flower, you want the focus to be on fruit production rather than vegetative growth,' explains Drew Swainston, Gardens Content Editor at Homes & Gardens. 'At this point, the best tomato fertilizer is high in potassium, like this tomato feed on Amazon.

'So, you should only use nettle tea fertilizer for tomatoes during early growth, up until flowers appear; otherwise, it could encourage excessive foliage and reduce your yield,' he adds.

Of course, the benefits of nettle tea fertilizer also extend to the fact it's free to make and eco-friendly, with no chemicals required.

But you do have to make it carefully and use it correctly to get the desired results – here's what you need to know.

How to Make Nettle Tea Fertilizer

There are just a handful of steps to make nettle tea fertilizer for tomatoes:

1. Put on thorn-proof gardening gloves (like these floral ones from Walmart) to protect your skin. You can then collect fresh nettles from your garden, picking tender tops. You can use pruning shears as an extra precaution to prevent stinging (like these Fiskars bypass pruning shears from Amazon). You should collect enough to fill a bucket halfway (this can be any size bucket, but a 5-gallon bucket is a good choice – like this one from Lowe's).
2. Rinse the nettles to clean off dirt and insects, and then begin chopping them. You can use a kitchen knife or pruning shears to cut them up into smaller pieces. This helps release the nutrients for the fertilizer.
3. Then, fill your bucket. The leaves should come up halfway and you can fill the rest of it with water, making sure the leaves are submerged.
4. You should then leave it to steep for 2-3 weeks, stirring occasionally. It's best to put a breathable cover on the bucket to stop debris and insects getting in, and to contain the strong smell from fermentation. This mesh garden cover from Amazon works well.
5. The tea is ready to use when it is dark and doesn't bubble after being stirred. You should dilute it one cup nettle tea to 10 parts water before applying to your tomato plants every couple of weeks until they flower. Any stronger or more frequent risks root burn from an overload of nutrients.

What to Shop

This is just one way to increase your tomato yields. You can also use tomato tapping to ensure every flower is pollinated and turns into fruit, and prune tomato plants to remove side shoots draining energy.

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No patio is complete without an outdoor rug. It's the grounding feature that ties the scene together – the decor element that makes the space feel just as design-driven as interior set-ups. So when it comes to choosing the right outdoor rug, you only want the best of the best.

Amazon may not be the first place you would head to buy an outdoor rug, but as a Style Editor, with impeccable taste and a sharp eye for a bargain, I am never one to shun a brand until I have done all the research. And Amazon actually has an amazing selection of chic, well-known brands and affordable options. From neutral picks with subtle patterns to bold floral styles that bloom with energy, these rugs tap into some of the chicest summer trends and can make your patio look like a true outdoor living room.

Plus, you'll even find some of our favorite designer outdoor rug collaborations on Amazon, including Loloi's line with Amber Lewis (I'm obsessed with the subtle texture of the Malibu Rug), Safavieh's outdoor rug range with Martha Stewart (this floral terracotta rug is such a playful pick), and even Nicole Miller's collection of outdoor rugs (this geometric rug is my favorite).

Though I'm certain that Amazon has an outdoor rug for every patio, there are simply so many to choose from – and that can make it hard to find the one that's right for your home. That's why I've perused Amazon's offerings to find what I consider the best outdoor rugs that the retailer has to offer – that is, the most timeless, well-made, and highly-rated picks.

So below, shop nine outdoor rugs from Amazon that'll make your patio feel complete this summer.

Shop The Chicest Outdoor Rugs From Amazon

Once you've chosen your outdoor rug, it's time to turn your attention to Amazon's outdoor furniture range which boasts some surprisingly stylish and well-made picks – including this vintage-inspired bistro set and this cozy loveseat. Between the rugs and the outdoor furniture, you won't need to shop anywhere other than Amazon to prep your patio for summertime.

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I will never forget having dinner last summer on the terrace of a beautiful restaurant in Italy in the sweltering sun. Just when I was going to suggest retreating inside, a fine mist descended from above, cooling me instantly and offering a much-needed, continuous respite from the heat.

I used to think this kind of product could only be found in restaurants or hotels, so I was very excited to find a portable, standing patio mister available from Amazon, which also happens to be 20% off in the Amazon Prime Day sale right now.

It is portable, fully adjustable, and has eight bendable misting arms, so you can customise it to exactly how you need it to operate, whether you are hosting a summer party or trying to keep young children and pets cool all day. I cannot believe this product is less than $35, and if you want to do more than just use plants to cool a patio, it offers the solution to staying fresh and cool in the garden on heady summer days.

What Shoppers Say

Shoppers who have tried this standing mister say its versatility and portability for your summer patio ideas are the key selling points.

'The best part for me is that it’s portable and doesn’t need to be permanently mounted to the house, fence, or deck. You just unfold the tripod, hook it up to the hose, adjust the height, and you’re ready to go,' says one reviewer.

Another shopper adds: 'One of my favorite features is the adjustable nozzles. You can easily aim them exactly where you want the mist to go. Whether that's a direct cooling spray for one person or an upward mist that gently falls over another area.'

One reviewer said although the instructions were minimal, they found it was not complicated to set up. They noted that the level of mist didn't reduce easily, and was either off or a strong coverage, but on a hot day this wasn't too much of an issue.

This standing mister works off pressure alone, connecting to an outside faucet, so no electricity or battery charging is required.

Position it cleverly and you can even use it to water your plants.

Shop Patio Cooling Essentials

There are many ways to make your patio, garden, terrace and home more comfortable in the summer heat, and all of these options happen to look great, too.

If you are ready to upgrade your summer setup, this is one deal not to be missed. All left for you to do is fire up the grill, welcome guests and enjoy your new luxury oasis.

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Watering can be the hardest thing to get right in the garden. Water too little and your plants wilt away, water too much and their roots rot. It can be even harder to judge when the weather is being unpredictable, so I'm excited to share my latest find that takes away the guesswork: a rain gauge.

It's one of those garden essentials I didn't know I needed until I found it, but now I'll never water my plants incorrectly again. The Amazon hummingbird rain gauge is essentially a tube that collects rainwater. It has measurements up the side, so you can see just how many inches of rain there have been. You can then water your garden accordingly.

Having a visual cue as to how much rain my garden has received is going to stop me second-guessing whether my plants are thirsty. It also doubles as a beautiful garden feature with its solar light and hummingbird motif. Plus, it's reduced in the Amazon Prime Day sale to $19.19, so now is the time to get your hands on one.

Why Shoppers Love It

This rain gauge operates pretty simply, by collecting rainwater in the measuring tube so you can read how many inches of rain there has been.

'It was super easy to assemble and the gauge is large so it is easy to read,' one reviewer writes.

It comes with a 36-inch stake, so it sits tall and doesn't require bending down to read. Plus, the blue strip makes it quick to glance over and take a reading.

As for appearance, shoppers say, 'It looks like a high quality piece.'

'The hummingbird and flower designed with the water gauge are delicate but sturdy enough to last,' another person writes.

'The lights are so bright and pretty,' another reviewer notes, in regards to the solar-powered LED lights that come on at night.

The one downside to note is that although the tube is frost-proof and weather-resistant, one shopper experienced a severe storm blowing it over and breaking the glass.

'The gauge is glass which along with the decorative metal makes it top heavy,' they explain.

However, this is easily fixed by securing the stake in your lawn. You could even reinforce it with decorative rocks and bolders, or put it in a planter to weigh it down (this aged terracotta planter is also in the Amazon Prime Day Sale).

For me, this rain gauge is an obvious must, especially when the weather fluctuates so much. It provides a quick and easy way to tell if the garden has had sufficient rain, so I won't make watering mistakes ever again.

More Beautiful Rain Gauges

If the Amazon hummingbird rain gauge isn't quite your style, don't fret − there are so many different ones on the market. Here are a few of my top picks:

As well as taking care not to overwater your garden, it's important to know how to water your plants in a heatwave to make sure you don't accidentally scorch them. Our guide to watering mistakes has plenty more common errors to be aware of.

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The air in enclosed courtyards and urban walled gardens can feel humid and stagnant in summer. High walls, fences and dense planting can restrict air movement and create the perfect conditions for fungal disease, pest infestations and struggling plants.

Knowing how to increase airflow in a courtyard can make a significant difference to plant health, even if you just use these Fiskars bypass pruning shears on Amazon to thin out overcrowded stems. According to landscape designer Caroline Ervin, there are several visible signs that indicate that plants are not getting enough air circulation. 'The appearance of powdery mildew or mold is a very obvious sign that the air is stagnant. Additionally, the leaves of plants will curl or turn yellow if they are not getting enough air and oxygen around them,' she explains.

The good news is you don't need to completely redesign your garden to improve the airflow in an urban courtyard. A few simple changes to how you plant, water and arrange your space can create a healthier growing environment. These easy, expert-approved solutions will help protect your plants from summer heat issues and can be incorporated into your favorite summer courtyard garden ideas.

1. Prune Plants To Create A More Open Structure

When leaves and stems become tightly packed together, moisture lingers for longer after rain or watering, which creates ideal conditions for fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew, to take hold.

'Proper pruning and thinning of plants can reduce the risk of moisture buildup and increase airflow around the plants,' says Caroline Ervin. 'This does not mean shearing the plants to a smaller size or shape, but rather hand pruning to allow for air circulation into the interior portions of the plants.'

Landscape designer Brooke Addison recommends taking a similar approach. 'Strategic pruning will help open plant structure and keep air from becoming trapped,' she says. 'Open space encourages better airflow. I would also clear lower branches and leaves to provide separation from the soil. This will help with airflow and decrease soil-spread diseases.'

The same thinking applies when introducing new plants to a courtyard. Plants that appear neatly spaced when first planted can quickly grow together and restrict airflow as they mature.

'Be sure to space plants based upon their mature size, not the size that they are when planted,' adds Caroline. 'If a shrub is 4 feet wide at maturity, there should be at least 4 feet of space between the center of that plant and the center of the plant next to it.'

Allowing enough room for plants to reach their full spread will help maintain healthy airflow and reduce the need for corrective pruning at a later stage.

Where to buy: These Felco Secateurs from Amazon have an ergonomic hand fitting design and are suitable for every type of pruning.

2. Rethink Where You Place Furniture And Containers

It's easy to focus solely on plants when you're trying to increase airflow in a courtyard, but simple design tweaks, such as where you place furniture and containers, can have an impact too.

'Do not crowd furniture, especially dense furniture with cushions, next to plants that prevents or impedes airflow around the plants,' says Caroline. In small courtyards, bulky seating, outdoor sofas and large patio umbrellas can unintentionally block natural air from moving and trap humidity around nearby foliage.

If your courtyard has windows or decorative openings in the walls, Brooke recommends keeping those areas clear. 'Keep these areas clear of potted trees or umbrellas to maximize airflow into the garden,' she says. These areas act as natural ventilation points, helping fresh air move through the space.

When arranging a courtyard, think about how air will move through the space in the same way you'd think about sunlight. Leaving clear routes between furniture, containers and planting can make a noticeable difference to plant health during the summer months.

Where to buy: Shop outdoor planters, such as this Bloem Terracotta design from The Home Depot, which is available in various sizes.

3. Water Plants Earlier In The Day

One simple but effective way to look after your plants in a stagnant courtyard is to make sure you are watering plants at the best time of day.

As Brooke explains, watering technique can unintentionally make fungal disease situations worse. 'The best method is to water plants early in the morning. This allows your plant to absorb the moisture it needs before the sun evaporates the water and dries the soil.'

Brooke also points out that mid-day watering increases the chance of the sun burning wet leaves and decreases water efficiency. Watering in the evening isn't always harmful, but repeatedly leaving leaves damp overnight can create conditions that diseases and pests thrive in. This is particularly important if you're growing plants that need more water in a heatwave, where high temperatures can put them under more pressure.

How you water plants matters too. 'Overhead watering where we splash soil up onto the leaves spreads fungal spores,' adds Brooke. Directing water at the base of plants rather than spraying foliage can also help reduce moisture build-up.

Where to buy: A long-spouting watering can make it easier to direct water at the base of the roots. This 1 gallon metal watering can is available from Amazon, and comes in a variety of colours.

4. Keep Shrubs Away From Walls

Where you position shrubs can have a noticeable impact on airflow in a courtyard garden. While it might be tempting to use them to soften walls and boundaries, planting them too close to buildings can create areas of stagnant, humid air where fungal diseases can then spread.

'Avoid placing shrubs directly against an exterior wall,' advises Brooke. 'It can be difficult to prune if your house is blocking access to half the plant. The lack of light to the whole shrub will also cause dieback in those areas that aren’t getting sunlight - and the lack of airflow means an increased risk for plant diseases.'

For those with a planting area outside the courtyard wall, Brooke suggests layering plants at increasing heights outside the boundary; a technique she calls a wind ladder. 'If we can plant in a succession of plant heights, groundcover, perennial, shrub, tree, this disrupts the flow of the wind and produces more turbulent wind patterns that encourage mixing swirls over the edge of the courtyard wall,' she explains. Rather than being deflected around the sides, air tumbles down into the garden instead.

Giving shrubs enough space also makes routine maintenance easier, allowing you to prune and thin growth as needed to keep air moving through the plant.

Where to buy: For heavier pruning of established shrubs, a good pair of loppers gives you the reach and leverage secateurs can't. These Fiskars Bypass Loppers from Amazon are lightweight, sharp and suited to thinning out dense courtyard shrubs.

5. Improve Drainage And Switch To Drip Irrigation

Excess moisture is one of the biggest contributors to humidity build-up in enclosed courtyard gardens, so it's important to ensure water can drain away freely.

'Make sure that any plants in containers have plenty of room for the roots to grow and allow for extra water to escape through proper drainage holes,' says Caroline. 'Preventing waterlogged soil is important as it can inhibit plant growth and promote fungal diseases.'

If you regularly find puddles forming after heavy rain, consider whether compacted soil, blocked drainage channels or overcrowded containers could be slowing water movement through the space.

Drip irrigation systems are worth considering for courtyard gardens with multiple containers. 'Drip irrigation or soaker hoses prevent the splashing of spores onto our plants.' says Brooke. By delivering water to the root zone rather than over foliage, they reduce the amount of moisture released into the surrounding air, making it easier to water consistently.

Where to buy: You can buy this Raindrip Drip Watering System from Amazon. It includes a timer and is specifically designed for hanging baskets and containers.

6. Remove Diseased Debris And Add Mulch

Good airflow can prevent fungal problems from developing, but if disease is already present, it's important to remove the source as quickly as possible.

'If you're dealing with plant diseases, you need to remove any fallen leaves or pruned materials from your property, or you'll be dealing with the issue year after year,' says Brooke.

Once the area is clear, a layer of mulch can prevent any remaining spores in the soil from splashing back onto the foliage during watering or rainfall.

Brooke suggests applying mulch around three inches deep around the base of plants, while keeping it pulled back from stems and trunks to avoid trapping moisture against the bark. 'Wet mulch holding moisture against your plant bark will just continue the fungi-loved growing conditions we're trying to avoid,' she says.

Bark mulch is a practical option for courtyard gardens, helping to suppress weeds, regulate soil moisture and reduce soil splash. Just make sure you leave a small gap around the base of the plant.

Where to buy: This Natural Pine Bark Mulch from Amazon can be used as a soil additive for drainage or as mulch to lock in soil moisture.

What To Shop

Paying a little extra attention to the airflow in your courtyard can go a long way to keeping plants healthy and the space looking its best, particularly through the hottest months of the year.

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Cosmos are one of the hardest-working annual flowers in the summer garden. Easy to grow, drought tolerant once established, and loved by pollinators, they can flower continuously from early summer right through to the first fall frost. Whether you're growing classic Cosmos bipinnatus, sulphur cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus), or one of the many newer compact varieties, a little attention in June can make a huge difference to just how spectacular that display becomes.

If you're learning how to grow cosmos successfully, June is an important month. Across much of the US, plants are now growing quickly, with many beginning to produce their first flowers. This is the ideal time to move beyond simply establishing your plants and start encouraging stronger growth, more blooms, and a longer flowering season.

With so many beautiful types of cosmos available, from tall cottage-garden favorites to container-friendly cultivars, a few simple maintenance tasks now will help ensure a show-stopping display throughout summer and into fall.

1. Deadhead Regularly to Encourage More Flowers

One of the most important jobs for cosmos in June is deadheading. If you're wondering how to deadhead cosmos, simply snip faded blooms off just above a healthy set of leaves or a side shoot. I like using the Felco F322 Pruning Snips from Amazon for this task – their slim, precise blades make it easy to remove spent flowers without disturbing nearby buds or foliage.

The more consistently you deadhead cosmos, the more flowers you're likely to get. It's a simple but highly effective task that can significantly extend the flowering season, keeping plants blooming freely and looking fresh well into late summer and even early fall.

2. Stake Tall Varieties Before Summer Storms Arrive

Many cosmos varieties can easily reach 4 to 6 feet tall by midsummer, especially in fertile soil. While their airy, cottage-garden habit is part of their charm, those tall stems can be vulnerable to heavy rain, strong winds, and summer thunderstorms.

Adding supports now – before plants become top-heavy – is much easier than trying to rescue fallen stems later. Bamboo stakes, grow-through supports, or discreet plant rings all work well while preserving the plant's natural, meadow-like appearance. I often use simple Bamboo Plant Stakes from Amazon, which blend seamlessly into borders and provide just enough support to keep stems upright without detracting from the plant's soft, billowing look.

3. Pinch Back Leggy Growth

If some of your cosmos are looking tall and sparse, June is still a good time to pinch out cosmos. Simply remove a few inches from the growing tips of young stems to encourage branching, creating a bushier plant with more flowering stems.

It can feel counterproductive to cut back a plant that's growing well, but the result is often a fuller, stronger plant with significantly more blooms later in the season. If you're wondering when to pinch out cosmos, early summer is ideal, giving plants plenty of time to produce fresh growth before they hit their peak flowering period.

4. Avoid Overfeeding

One of the most common mistakes gardeners make when they fertilize cosmos is treating them like heavy-feeding annuals. In reality, cosmos often perform best in relatively modest soil conditions.

Too much fertilizer – particularly high-nitrogen products – can encourage lush green foliage at the expense of flowers. If your soil is poor, a light application of a balanced fertilizer is usually plenty. I like using Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food or Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed Rose & Bloom Plant Food, both available on Amazon, as they provide a gentle, steady supply of nutrients without overwhelming plants. Otherwise, many cosmos will happily bloom all summer with little additional feeding. When it comes to fertilizing cosmos, a lighter touch almost always delivers the best results.

5. Keep Plants Well Watered During Heatwaves

Although cosmos are relatively drought-tolerant once established, newly planted specimens and younger plants can struggle during prolonged periods of extreme heat. If you're wondering how often to water cosmos, deep, occasional watering is generally better than frequent shallow watering, as it encourages stronger root growth.

As temperatures climb across many parts of the US in June and July, knowing how to water plants in a heatwave becomes increasingly important. Deep watering during dry spells can help maintain healthy growth and support continuous flowering.

For larger beds, I like using the Husky Oscillating Sprinkler from The Home Depot, which provides even coverage and makes it easier to give plants a thorough soak during hot weather. Water at the base of the plant rather than overhead where possible, particularly during humid conditions, to reduce the risk of disease and ensure moisture reaches the roots where it's needed most.

6. Thin Crowded Plants for Better Airflow

By now, your cosmos can begin filling out rapidly. If plants are growing too close together, consider thinning them slightly to improve airflow. Good spacing helps reduce the risk of powdery mildew and allows each plant to develop stronger stems and a more attractive shape. It also makes deadheading and harvesting cut flowers much easier throughout the season.

Shop Cosmos Essentials for June

With just a few minutes of attention in June, cosmos will reward you with months of colorful blooms, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators while bringing a relaxed, cottage-garden feel to borders, cutting gardens, and containers alike. Their pollinator-friendly qualities are one reason why Kate Moss planted cosmos in her garden to attract bees, proving that these easy-going annuals are as beneficial to wildlife as they are beautiful.

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Forget the complicated outdoor pendants, the messy string lights, and the portable lamps that lose battery too quickly. There's a better and much more efficient way to bring light to your backyard after the summer sun sets, and all it takes is Amazon's Solar Powered Disk Light.

It's unassuming at first glance – built to look like a hockey puck or even a small Frisbee. But in reality, this stylish solar-powered outdoor light is one of the best outdoor lighting ideas I've ever seen. Leave it in the sun to charge, and at night, its intricate, star-like glow will illuminate walkways, front porches, outdoor tables, and even the darkest corners of your yard with far more beauty and way less effort than any other light source out there.

Think of it as the outdoor light you didn't know you needed, and eventually, the light you won't be able to go outside without. And at just $20, I'm convinced it's the sole lighting idea that every patio – big or small – absolutely needs this summer.

One of the things I like most about this disk light is that it doesn't require any effort on your part – no need to stake it into the ground or find a structure to hang it from. Just place it on a table, on a patio retaining wall, or even in the grass, and let its intricate light output shine.

Though very similar to traditional portable lamps in terms of functionality, this disk light is much more unconventional in form. But in my opinion, that makes it all the more desirable. It doesn't need to be the center of attention, and you don't even need to make room for it in your garden scheme. This disk light can fade into the background and save space in outdoor setups, all while casting its effortlessly unique glow – lighting up your outdoor space with little to no effort needed.

For summer hosting, this disk light is a must have. I can just imagine it gracefully sitting in the center of a summer tablescape; its decorative glow becoming the centerpiece of the scene. Even if your patio doesn't have room for a large outdoor dining table, this disk light can become the space-saving light feature for your coffee table or side table. And since it's small in size, it's easy to take with you on the go – like to the park for an evening picnic with friends.

As a Style Editor, I can confidently say that this is one of the most clever and good-looking outdoor lights I've ever seen. But don't just take my word for it – plenty of shoppers have showered this disk light with reviews as glowing as its own light output. One reviewer puts it perfectly: 'It looks like something you'd find in the clearance bin at a hardware store, but it behaves like it wants a museum plaque. I don't know how long it'll last, and I don't care. I love it,' they write. 'It’s more beautiful than it has any right to be.'

Clearly, this unassuming solar light does outdoor lighting the right way – it's uncomplicated, space-saving, durable, and thoughtfully-made. Trust me, your patio could certainly benefit from its presence this summer.

And while you're in the market for solar lights, I've found a few more options from Amazon that are just as practical and design-driven as the Solar Powered Disk Light. Find your favorite below.

Shop More Solar Lighting From Amazon

Though lighting is an essential element to any patio scheme, furniture comes first. Lucky for us, Amazon is packed with tons of chic outdoor furniture picks that are on sale this Prime Day. Consider Amazon your one-stop shop for the best outdoor picks of the summer.

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When the sun is doing its absolute best (read: relentless) and your garden suddenly feels more like a suntrap than a sanctuary, shade becomes less of a luxury and more of a necessity.

That’s where ALDI’s Belavi Sun Shade Sail comes in. Priced at just $14.99, it offers a surprisingly design-led solution to one of summer’s most common outdoor living room problems: how to stay cool without resorting to bulky umbrellas or permanent structures. It’s already proving popular too, with the shade sail a best-seller and reportedly selling out fast as temperatures climb.

Available in dark slate and warm grey, it’s an understated upgrade that blends rather than dominates. Instead of interrupting the garden, it adds a soft architectural line overhead that instantly makes a patio feel more intentional, shaded, and usable in peak heat.

I’ve always found shade sails to be one of those small but transformative garden shade upgrades. In my own small patio garden, I use the LOVE STORY Triangle Sun Shade Sail Canopy from Amazon, and it’s genuinely been a bit of a saviour on hot days – turning what would otherwise be a heat-trapped, unusable space into somewhere I can actually sit, work, and unwind comfortably.

A Space-Saving Alternative to Umbrellas

What makes shade sails increasingly popular is their ability to solve a very modern problem: outdoor space is often limited, but we still want maximum comfort. Unlike traditional outdoor umbrellas that take up valuable floor space and need repositioning throughout the day, a shade sail is fixed overhead, freeing up room for seating, dining, or lounging underneath.

Design experts have long noted that overhead shading can actually feel more natural in small gardens, especially where pergolas or permanent structures aren’t an option. The Belavi design follows this same principle – lightweight, minimal, and easy to install between anchor points like walls, fences, or posts.

The result is a shaded 'outdoor room' effect, without the cost or commitment of built construction.

Designed for Real Summer Living

Beyond aesthetics, the real draw is practicality. Shade sails like this are designed to reduce direct sun exposure in key areas of the garden, helping to keep surfaces cooler and more comfortable to sit on during peak hours. That means less overheated furniture, more usable outdoor time, and a noticeable difference on hot afternoons.

It’s worth noting that, like most shade sails, performance depends on correct installation. A slight angle is key to allowing rainwater to run off and preventing pooling – something that’s especially important if you want it to last beyond a single season.

In smaller gardens, courtyards, or patio setups, this kind of simple overhead cover can completely change how the space is used. Instead of retreating indoors when temperatures spike, you can actually stay outside comfortably for longer stretches of the day.

Shop Shade Sails

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I love living next to a woodland, but it does mean a lot of cheeky squirrels come into my yard. They've been known to help themselves to my home-grown veggies before I get a chance to harvest them. I've tried the usual methods, including netting, but these clever critters always seem to find a way to get through.

That's when I discovered these Amazon ultrasonic squirrel repellers. It's an effective way to get rid of squirrels because it detects motion and emits a strobe light and sound to scare them off. In fact, this is also a useful tool to help deter deer, raccoons, skunks, and more.

I'm reassured by the fact it has a full 5-star rating, with shoppers expressing how well it has kept a wide range of pests away. One of the best parts is it's solar powered and doesn't need manual operation. Plus, it's currently reduced in the Amazon Prime Day sale, so now is the time to get your hands on it.

How Does it Work?

If, like me, you want to use natural pest control methods that don't cause harm to squirrels, then an ultrasonic repeller is worth considering.

It has a motion sensor to detect movement, whether from squirrels, deer, or other destructive wildlife in the yard, and emits light and sound to scare them away.

The fact its solar powered means you don't have to do anything to get it to work, other than position it in a spot where it will get sun exposure. It then automatically turns on when activity is detected.

These repellers tend to be subtle in appearance and aren't disruptive, as most adults can't hear the ultrasonic frequencies. It's also much less of an eyesore than protective garden netting (like this from Walmart).

For best results, position the repeller facing the area you want to protect, such as towards your kitchen garden.

What Shoppers Say

With a five-star rating, the Amazon ultrasonic squirrel repellers have positive reviews about how well they works.

'Ever since I put them out, the party in my yard has pretty much shut down. It's like the little critters decided they had better places to be,' one reviewer writes.

You get two repellers in this pack, so you can position them to protect multiple spots in your yard or place them either side of your veg patch as an extra precaution.

'They’re super easy to set up. Just stick them in the ground or mount them on something, and they start doing their thing. They charge up during the day, so I don't have to mess with batteries or anything,' one shopper explains.

These repellers are solar powered, so should work automatically as long as they're positioned in a spot with sun exposure to charge up. They're also waterproof, so you can keep them out in adverse weather conditions for year-round use.

'There is no need to manually turn the gadget on and off since it is designed to turn itself on automatically at night,' another reviewer writes.

I'm impressed by the fact these repellers have 27ft and a 110° angle detection, so squirrels and other animals will be scared off well in advance of reaching my crops.

As for installation, this kit comes with stakes to insert in the ground or you can mount them higher up to scare away squirrels coming along fences, for example.

It's hard to find a disadvantage to these Amazon ultrasonic squirrel repellers, especially considering you get two for $31.99 in the current Prime Day deal.

Perhaps the only warning to note is that it isn't fool-proof for long-term protection. Some animals, including squirrels, can learn to adapt to disturbances like ultrasonic sound and may eventually ignore them.

For this reason, it's always worth combining multiple methods to fully protect your crops and ornamentals from squirrels. This includes using cayenne pepper to deter squirrels.

However, for solving an immediate issue with squirrels in your yard, these ultrasonic repellers are an effective choice and will keep your veg patch safe this summer.

What to Shop

If you are getting a lot of squirrels in your garden, it might be that you have one or more mistakes attracting squirrels to your yard. Luckily, there are lots of ways to keep them away. This includes growing the best squirrel-repellent plants and using garlic to repel squirrels.

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As is the case with every small space, there are tried and tested ways to highlight its potential, and easy-to-make mistakes that do the complete opposite.

Choosing the right colors, layouts, materials, and what you actually put in the space all give you the opportunity to 'expand' or 'shrink' your outdoor areas – and knowing what could be making your small patio feel smaller can be just as important as tips on making it look bigger.

From bulky outdoor furniture to overcrowding the space with too many small pieces, here's what designers warn could be making your tiny patio look even smaller, and what you should be doing instead.

1. Large Heavy Furniture – Choose More Compact Styles Instead

Before buying outdoor furniture, consider the size of your space and what suits it. A bulky dining set, for example, might sound like a good idea to seat all of your guests, but if they can't actually move around the space, it's not going to function properly.

'Stop using heavy, dark wood furniture with bulky arms when you have a small patio,' explains interior design Kira Young, founder of High Tide Design. 'Wide arms outdoor furniture is great for comfort and makes the space feel grand, substantial, and cozy. Dark furniture also visually appears bigger and heavier, and will make your patio look crowded and small.'

Whether you're creating an outdoor living room or a dining area for alfresco eating, embrace lighter, summery materials instead of heavier woods and more mobile shapes. 'My go-to is natural rattan or woven rope-design furniture that has an open back or spacing detail between them,' explains Kira. 'They make the space feel airy and appear larger. Add patterns or print outdoor pillows for a pop of color.'

2. Too Many Pieces – Keep Things Simple

'The most common faux pas I see people make when styling their small patio falls into one of two categories, and both are related to proper spatial planning,' explains Sophia deDomenico, founder of Et Sal Interiors. 'Either choosing furniture pieces that are way too large for the patio or trying to scale down and cluttering the patio with a myriad of smaller items that make the patio feel cramped.'

Whether it's a front patio or a private, small garden, filling your patio with too much furniture or decor will only make it feel more cramped. 'In both scenarios, that patio doesn't allow for any breathing room, which makes a small patio feel like a claustrophobic nightmare,' adds Sophia. 'A perfect balance of use, visuals, and feel is struck when items are present but not overwhelming, balanced to the size of the space, and set with enough intention that allows a room to feel open, airy, curated, and calm.'

'One of the biggest mistakes I see on small patios is simply trying to fit too much into the space,' agrees Burcu Ercetin of Design & Curations. 'Oversized sofas, multiple furniture pieces, and too many accessories can quickly make a patio feel crowded. In smaller outdoor spaces, I would encourage focusing on fewer, better pieces. Instead of a large sofa, a pair of bistro chairs with a small table can feel much more inviting while allowing for better circulation and flexibility.'

3. Tiny Furniture – Get the Scale Right

While bulky furniture can overwhelm a small outdoor dining room or lounge area, tiny chairs, tables, or sofas can also highlight how small your patio is.

'Tiny furniture can actually often highlight the confines of a small space,' explains interior designer Caroline Kopp. 'Don't make your small patio feel more tiny than it is by only using small pieces of furniture. Figure out the largest outdoor sofa or chair you can fit, and put that in, together with appropriately sized tables. Using larger pieces of furniture creates the impression of a larger space.'

There's a fine line between being overly generous and underdoing it when it comes to investing in the right furniture for your small patio. Before shopping for an outdoor dining table or a new set of deck chairs, consider how they'll look in the space and how much room they'll take up. For example, an outdoor sofa might not work in a small corner of your patio, whereas a narrow bench and low outdoor coffee table may feel more natural.

4. Lacking Cohesion – Connect Your Indoor and Outdoor Spaces

While your garden and interior might be literally divided, that's not to say they need to feel entirely different. 'Nothing makes a small space seem smaller than visual clutter from furnishings, tones, and textures that are inconsistent with the adjacent interior,' says Gina Elkins of Studio Casa Vita. 'While we certainly don't recommend matchy-matchy design, a total lack of cohesion between indoor and outdoor aesthetics creates a busy atmosphere that undermines the space and kills the patio vibe.'

Whether you're creating a coastal garden and layering nautical decorations to match your beachy home or are investing in permanent details like an angular outdoor coffee table to go with your midcentury modern interior, pulling inspiration from your home will ensure your garden feels connected to the overall design.

'And don't feel pressured to fit all of your seating and accessories under a covered area. It's okay to let pieces spread out and push past the shaded boundary to add dimension and visual interest,' adds Gina. 'We like to use design elements like stools, plants, and lanterns beyond the perimeter of the space to help it breathe. If you're set on shaded seating, try a free-standing umbrella or define height with potted plants and citrus trees.'

Shop Chic Small Patio Picks

Overcrowding your small patio with bulky furniture, too many accessories, or dramatic greenery will only draw attention to its size. Consider scale before investing in pieces, and look to create a sense of harmony with your indoor and outdoor settings.

'Using lighter colors, incorporating vertical greenery, and selecting furniture with exposed legs can help create a more open feeling,' explains Burcu. 'You can consider a player over the rails instead of a floor planter. I also love adding climbing plants, or a pergola element, to draw the eye upward and make the space feel larger than it is.'

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One of the most effective ways to make a patio and garden feel cooler is to surround it with the right plants. It's not a substitute for an air con unit, but leafy trees, vigorous climbers and moisture-loving foliage plants can help create a cooler microclimate by providing shade, reducing reflected heat and releasing moisture into the air.

For this reason, some of the best plants for cooling a patio combine height, dense foliage and large leaves. They create dappled shade, absorb heat and some even have beautifully scented flowers.

Together, the five plants suggestions below can transform a sun-baked patio into a greener, fresher and more comfortable outdoor retreat. Plus, you could grow them in a large self-watering planter, such as this set from Amazon. They are a gamechanger in hot weather and take the effort out of constant watering.

Bay Tree

I have a bay tree (Laurus nobilis) growing in the ground next to my backyard patio, and it is one of the easiest and most rewarding plants to look after.

Granted, it isn't big enough to take the place of a shade sail, but it has dense, evergreen foliage, that creates natural shade and helps create cooler microclimates on the patio.

It is easy to clip into the shape I want, and it grows vigorously every year after it's annual prune.

This bay laurel at Plant Addicts is where I would start if I didn't already have one, and you can use the leaves in cooking, too.

Bays are also ideal trees for pots, so you could even start small and move it around to help create shade at different parts of the day.

Star Jasmine

The thick vines of star jasmine (trachelospermum jasminoides) provides evergreen cover for hot walls, absorbing heat in the process. It can be trained over pergolas, fences and walls, helping to shade surfaces that would otherwise absorb and radiate heat throughout the day.

This incredible star jasmine vine from Plant Addicts comes in a wide variety of pot sizes, so it's fantastic option if you want to get a more established plant right from the get-go.

This headily fragrant climber thrives in hot conditions, and is often found growing in abundant swathes, adorning pergolas, walls, patio trellises and gazebos in Mediterranean climates.

Once established, star jasmine is also relatively drought tolerant, making it a practical choice for sunny patios in warmer regions.

Crape Mrytle

Crape myrtle (lagerstroemia indica) is an wonderful shrub to cool a patio as it has naturally airy canopy, creating dappled shade without making a space feel dark or blocking out the light.

In summer, it produces masses of flowers that can last for weeks, and the long leaves of crape myrtle help to soften hard landscaping.

Like all leafy plants, crape myrtle releases water vapour through its leaves. This transpiration can slightly cool the surrounding air, particularly when the tree is in full leaf during the summer.

This stunning crape myrtle from Nature Hills has vibrant hot pink flowers and dark burgundy foliage, and would also help to create privacy screen on a patio.

Hardy Banana

Nothing quite shouts tropical like a banana tree. With its huge leaves, whether grown in the ground or a pot, it creates instant shade, and a cooling visual effect.

You can find cold hardy banana trees at Plant Addicts, which will grow down to USDA hardiness zone 5.

In warmer weather, cold hardy bananas can grow fast, so if planting in the ground make sure you give it enough room to expand. A specific banana tree fertilizer, such as this one from Amazon, will also give it a boost and encourage fruits.

If you want an option that is perfect for a pot, this dwarf 'Cavendish' banana tree from Fast Growing Trees might be the perfect option for you.

Ostrich Fern

Thinking not just about height and shade, but also plants lower to the ground that can help to cool a patio, ostrich ferns are well worth a mention.

Ferns help to cool the areas around seating by increasing humidity from their large, feathery fronds. Their lush foliage can also lightly cover hard landscaping, reducing the amount of reflected heat from a patio and making seating areas feel fresher.

I have a lot of these ferns in my yard, and they are very easy to establish around a patio, preferring shade to a full sun position. They are also simple to grow in containers. My ostrich ferns can produce fronds that are between two and three feet in height, and with their beautiful texture the leaves are always a welcome addition when they begin to appear in spring.

You can find ostrich fern plants at Amazon.

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Creating a cooler patio doesn't have to rely on pricey outdoor upgrades. By choosing plants wisely, you can transform even the most sun-exposed space into a greener, more comfortable retreat for summer. And once you have your plants sorted, it's time to add those outdoor string lights, no?

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Summer has officially arrived and high temperatures are scorching our gardens. But it isn't just our plants that need some extra care during such extreme weather, hummingbirds also need some support to stay cool and hydrated.

If you want to attract hummingbirds to your yard during the summer, it's important to set up some precautions to keep them cool. This includes a shady retreat out of the sun, a fresh water source, and clean feeders full of nectar.

It's actually super easy to incorporate all of these things in your yard (picking up a red glass hummingbird feeder from Walmart is a good place to start). Here are three simple ways you can help these charming little birds during the hottest months of the year.

1. Provide a Cooling Mist

A big part of feeding birds in your garden is providing a water source, most commonly with a bird bath. But, hummingbirds actually prefer mist to a pool of water.

During the heat especially, morning dew and water vaopr from natural water sources is crucial to keeping them cool and clean. In your garden, you can offer mist by placing a solar fountain in your bird bath (this one from Amazon is highly rated).

This hanging solar fountain bird bath from Amazon is also a good option, as you can hang it in the shade to keep the water cool.

This will provide movement in your bird bath and a soft spray for the hummingbirds to fly through.

It's important to clean your bird bath regularly to ensure the water is topped up and hygienic for all the garden birds using it.

2. Refresh Feeders Regularly

Hummingbirds primarily get their hydration from the nectar they consume. That's why a hummingbird feeder (like this red one from Amazon) is an essential to have when trying to support these birds in your yard.

It's important to keep your hummingbird feeder topped up with nectar (you can purchase hummingbird nectar from Walmart) and to clean your hummingbird feeder more often in hot weather. The nectar will spoil more quickly, so refresh it everyday or at least every other day.

It can also be wise to place your hummingbird feeder in a shaded spot to stop it spoiling so quickly and to stop the nectar overheating.

This glass hummingbird feeder wind chime from Amazon is a perfect option for hanging from a tree branch in shade. It has multiple feeders which create a calming sound as the breeze hits. It's also currently just $28.79 in the Amazon Prime Day sale, so now is the time scoop it up.

This hummingbird feeder cleaning brush from Amazon is useful to pick up, too, so you can make sure the feeding ports are safe for birds to use.

3. Create a Shady Resting Spot

Another way to help hummingbirds beat the heat is by providing resting spots in shade.

Hummingbirds often look for perches in shaded areas to escape the sun, conserve energy, hide from predators, and preen their feathers.

You can add these hummingbird swings from Walmart to a low tree branch under shade. Likewise, take care not to prune tree branches back so much that all shade is eradicated.

By planting nectar-rich hummingbird plants for shade under these canopies, you can create the ultimate cool spot for them to rest and feed in.

Denser shrubs are also used by these birds, including these viburnums from Plant Addicts. It can be effective to position feeders near these shrubs.

Garden shade from structures can also help, so consider placing hummingbird resources under pergolas or in the shade cast by buildings.

What to Shop

Whether you already have a hummingbird feeder or you're planning to add one to your yard this summer, it's important to read up on hummingbird feeder mistakes to avoid. This includes leaving feeders out during cold nights where the nectar can freeze.

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A small desert garden is surprisingly easy to create. By combining drought-tolerant plants, gravel mulch, architectural shapes, and a restrained planting palette, even the tiniest patio or city courtyard can capture the beauty of the American Southwest. The secret is choosing plants that deliver drama without demanding much space.

Unlike cottage gardens, which rely on abundance and layers of flowers, desert gardens are all about form, texture, and light. Every plant earns its place. A single sculptural agave can have the presence of a small tree, while silver foliage and spiky silhouettes create year-round interest.

Many of the principles overlap with desert modernism, where gravel, stone, and bold planting work together to create gardens that are both beautiful and resilient in hot climates.

What Defines A Small Desert Garden?

Before diving into the plants, it is worth understanding what makes this style work.

A successful desert garden is not simply a collection of succulents crammed into pots. The best examples use negative space as deliberately as planting.

Gravel, decomposed granite, weathered stone, and terracotta containers allow the plants to shine. In many ways, restraint is the hardest lesson for gardeners to learn.

I have visited several small desert-inspired courtyard ideas over the years, and what always strikes me most is how calm they feel. There are fewer plants than in a traditional garden, yet every one seems important.

The eye moves from shape to shape, lingering on shadows cast by agaves and the delicate tracery of grasses dancing in the heat.

If your space is tiny, think of it as a gallery rather than a jungle.

1. Agave

If I could choose just one plant for a small desert garden, this would be it. The rosettes are beautifully symmetrical, with blue-green leaves, sometimes edged in gold and red.

Unlike some giant agaves that can swallow a courtyard whole, agave ‘Blue Glow’ from Amazon remains manageable, typically reaching around 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It has all the drama of a classic desert plant without becoming a neighborhood hazard.

Plant one in a large terracotta pot or position it where afternoon sunlight can illuminate the leaf margins. The effect is extraordinary.

For containers, an aged terracotta planter from Amazon would complement the plant perfectly and enhance the Southwestern feel.

2. Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)

Despite its common name, red yucca is not actually a yucca at all. It is, however, one of the finest plants for hot, dry conditions.

Narrow, arching leaves form elegant fountains of foliage, while tall stems carry coral-red flowers for months during summer. Hummingbirds adore them.

I often recommend red yucca from Nature Hills because it softens the harder lines of agaves and cacti. Every desert garden needs a little movement, and this plant provides it beautifully.

In USDA zones 5 to 11, it is remarkably tolerant of heat, drought, and neglect. If you are also working with a compact urban space, some of the ideas found in small backyard design can help maximize the impact of these architectural plants.

3. Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusonii)

I can't write about desert plants without mentioning a cactus, and no plant says “desert garden” quite like a golden barrel cactus.

Perfectly spherical and covered in golden spines, it resembles a giant pincushion dropped into the landscape by a mischievous giant. Fortunately, dwarf specimens remain compact for many years, making them ideal for patios and courtyards.

A trio of golden barrel cacti from Amazon planted in gravel, also from Amazon creates an instant focal point.

One of the joys of golden barrel cactus is that it asks almost nothing of the gardener. Full sun, sharp drainage, and occasional watering are generally sufficient. If you garden in cooler regions, grow them in containers to protect your plants from winter damage.

4. Desert Spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri)

For sheer elegance, few plants can rival desert spoon. Long, silver-blue leaves radiate outward in a perfectly rounded sphere, creating a fountain-like effect that catches sunlight beautifully. Mature plants develop a trunk, giving them the appearance of miniature desert trees.

This is one of those plants that designers love because it delivers year-round structure without demanding constant maintenance.

I first encountered mature specimens at Edinburgh Botanic Gardens in Scotland, where they stood like living sculptures among gravel and boulders. Even a young plant can transform a small yard.

Pair it with crushed stone and a simple steel planter from Lowe’s for a contemporary desert-modern look.

5. Parry’s Agave (Agave parryi)

If Agave Blue Glow is refined, Parry’s agave is bold and rugged. Its broad gray-blue leaves form tight geometric rosettes that look almost carved from stone. It is one of the hardiest agaves available and can tolerate surprisingly cold winters in many temperate regions.

The color alone makes it invaluable. Against pale gravel or sandy stone, the silver foliage of Parry's agave available from Amazon glows with an almost moonlit quality. Even on a gray day, it brings brightness to the landscape.

For gardeners interested in resilient planting design, the principles behind desert modernism have made plants like this increasingly popular.

What to Shop

6. Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima)

Every desert garden needs contrast. Too many spiky plants can make a space feel aggressive, rather like hosting a party attended entirely by porcupines. Mexican feather grass provides the antidote.

Its fine, silky foliage moves constantly in the breeze, softening harder architectural forms and adding a sense of life to the composition. In small gardens, movement is especially important because it creates the illusion of greater space.

I often use grasses as visual punctuation marks. A clump of feather grass beside a bold agave creates a conversation between softness and structure that keeps the eye engaged.

Trays of young Mexican feather grass from Amazon is an economical way to establish several plants at once.

7. Dwarf Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) Or Fairy Castle Cactus (Acanthocereus tetragonus)

Every desert garden deserves a vertical accent. In truly arid regions, a young saguaro cactus creates an unmistakable Southwestern character. However, for most gardeners, the fairy castle cactus is a more practical choice, especially in containers.

Its branching stems resemble the turrets of a miniature fortress and lend instant personality to a planting scheme.

I have always loved the whimsical quality of fairy castle cactus. While many desert plants are stern and architectural, this one seems to possess a sense of humor.

Placed in a terracotta pot among gravel and stone, it becomes an instant conversation piece. For container growing, a cactus potting mix from Ace Hardware will help ensure the sharp drainage these plants require.

The biggest mistake people make is planting too much. A desert garden should feel spacious, even when it occupies only a few square feet. Start with one statement plant, perhaps an agave or desert spoon, then add supporting plants around it. Limit yourself to three or four main species and repeat them throughout the space. This creates rhythm and cohesion.

Gravel mulch is essential. Not only does it suppress weeds and conserve moisture, but it also reflects light onto the plants and reinforces the desert aesthetic. Research into desert landscaping ideas consistently highlights gravel and stone as fundamental design elements in arid-style gardens.

Finally, do not forget containers. Large terracotta pots, weathered stone troughs, and steel planters allow even renters to create a convincing desert retreat on a patio or balcony.

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I’ve been into rain chains for years now, and we’ve written about them on Homes & Gardens quite a bit because they sit in that nice middle ground between something practical and something that also genuinely improves how a garden feels when it rains.

They’ve been having a bit of a moment in outdoor design lately, but they’re actually far from new. Rain chains originate from ancient Japan, where they were used to guide and harvest rainwater, and you still see them used in traditional Japanese homes and gardens today.

I’ve got the Lotus Rain Chain from Amazon in my own garden, and one of the things I appreciate most about it is how useful it is beyond just looking good. Instead of rainwater disappearing straight into a drain, it can be directed into a water butt or container and reused around the garden, which feels especially worthwhile during dry spells.

If you're looking for a more budget-friendly way to achieve the same effect, the 6 Feet Small Metal Chain with Hooks offers a similar rainwater-collecting benefit for a fraction of the price.

That feels especially relevant right now, with the hotter, drier spells we’ve been seeing across both the US and Europe, followed by sudden, heavy downpours. When the weather swings like that, being able to capture and reuse rainwater properly starts to feel less like a nice extra and more like a simple habit worth keeping.

Why Rain Chains Work So Well

Costco’s Copper Rain Chain works in the same way, replacing a standard downpipe with something that slows the water down and makes collection more practical. Instead of rain disappearing instantly, it’s guided cup by cup, which makes it easier to channel into watering systems or barrels. And because it’s copper, it also develops that softer, weathered finish over time that blends into the planting rather than sitting as something new and shiny against the house.

There’s also a quieter benefit you only really notice after a while. The sound of rain changes – it’s softer, more broken up, almost rhythmic, rather than the harsh rush you get from guttering. On heavier days, the sound is rather calming and mesmerizing, especially if you’re by a window or outside under cover.

‘Rain chains work because they help you make better use of something that’s often wasted,' says Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens. 'They guide water in a way that makes it easier to collect and reuse for watering plants, which is a simple but meaningful step towards a more sustainable garden. And just as importantly, they change the sound of rain in the garden. Instead of a harsh rush, you get a softer, more layered noise that adds a sense of calm, especially during heavier weather.’

When it comes to placement, the best places for a rain chain are the ones where you can actually make the most of the water. Ideally, that means somewhere it can feed straight into a barrel or another collection point, so the rain isn’t just disappearing into drainage. They also work really well where runoff naturally moves into planting beds, especially gravel areas or established garden borders that can help soak it up rather than lose it.

What I like most is that you almost forget they're there. Then it starts raining, and suddenly they're quietly doing their thing – guiding water you can reuse in the garden and creating this lovely, gentle trickling sound in the background. It’s such a small detail, but it makes rainy days feel a bit more special.

Shop Alternative Rain Chains

Costco’s copper rain chain is one of those seasonal garden buys that tends to sell out quickly when it’s in stock, especially at this time of year when people are looking for easy outdoor upgrades. If you’re not already a member, a digital Costco membership gives you access to its rotating range of in-demand garden finds.

That said, you don’t need a membership to get the same look or effect. Amazon has plenty of rain chains that do the same job, helping you guide rainwater more gently while adding a more considered feel to heavy downpours.

I’ve rounded up a few good alternatives below that work well in simple, low-maintenance outdoor spaces.

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If you are watering your lawn at night to protect it from the summer heat, lawn care experts have a clear message for you: stop. While setting your smart sprinklers or hose timers to run after dark feels like a convenient, water-saving hack, drenching your grass overnight is actually a lawn care mistake that invites fungal diseases and pests.

The temptation makes sense. Watering away from the sun’s harsh glare and soaring daytime temperatures prevents evaporation. However, what is easy for your schedule is damaging to your grass, leaving moisture to sit on the blades for hours without sun to dry it.

To help with your summer lawn care, we asked leading turf specialists to break down the exact risks of nighttime watering. Plus, if a busy schedule means you must water after dark (and this tripod sprinkler in the Amazon Prime sale is ideal for the job), our experts share the essential damage-control tips to keep your grass healthy, lush, and disease-free.

Why You Shouldn't Water Grass At Night

Knowing when to water grass is often key to it growing well in periods of intense heat and when there's a lack of rainfall.

When it comes to caring for your lawn in June, whilst a timer on a hose or sprinkler system, such as this highly recommended Orbit model from Amazon, is a great idea for busy homeowners, running it overnight is not what the experts advise.

‘While watering your lawn at night might seem convenient, it's typically not the most recommended practice due to one major drawback: the potential for fungal diseases,’ says Ryan Farley, CEO of Lawn Starter.

‘Watering your lawn at night means the water doesn't have a chance to evaporate quickly due to lower temperatures and the absence of sunlight.

'This can leave your lawn damp for long periods, creating a perfect environment for fungi and other lawn diseases to thrive.’

The pores on the leaves of grass open during daylight to expel moisture. If the lawn is watered at night, this process will not happen and can lead to fungal and bacterial growth, plant rot, and even pest problems.

Besides the threat of encouraging diseases and fungi there are other important health and practical issues to consider too.

Gene Caballero, co founder of GreenPal says: ‘Watering at night can create a breeding ground for mosquitos and other pests.’

How to Prevent Lawn Damage When Watering

Sometimes, with our hectic lifestyles, we simply have no choice as and when to do essential chores and watering the lawn certainly falls into this category.

If you do find yourself in this situation, try to give at least a couple hours of sunlight after watering so the blades of grass can dry before nightfall.

Gene Caballero also warns against getting into the habit of watering late in the day. ‘Watering the lawn at night can be harmful if it is done too often or if the lawn is not properly maintained. If you do choose to water your lawn at night, it is important to follow these precautions.

• Water deeply and less often: This will help to encourage the roots of the grass to grow deeper, which will make the lawn more drought-tolerant.
• Water early in the evening: This ensures that the grass has time to dry before nightfall.
• Avoid watering if the temperature is below 50˚F: Low temperatures and cold water can shock the grass.
• Keep an eye out for signs of pests and disease: Treat the problems promptly if they occur.

Gene also advises, ‘If you are using a sprinkler, make sure to adjust the sprinkler head so that the water is not hitting the leaves of the grass.’

This great value sprinkler from Walmart allows you to customise the flow of water and control coverage, so you can use it in large or small yards.

Keeping the grass in your lawn slightly longer can also help to retain moisture so there is less need to water it as regularly. Longer grass traps dew and provides useful moisture for the roots.

Shop Lawn Watering Essentials

The Best Time to Water

‘For most lawns, watering between 6am and 10am is best,’ says Teri Valenzuela, Senior Content Strategist at lawn care specialists Sunday.

‘Watering at this time allows for the watering to be absorbed properly, and it’s particularly beneficial to deter disease and prevent heat stress during high temperatures.’

This four-hour window works like magic for two reasons: The morning air is still cool, and winds are usually calm. This means the water actually sinks deep into the soil and reaches the roots rather than evaporating instantly into thin air.

In addition, any water left clinging to the grass blades will dry off naturally as the sun rises. This keeps the lawn dry during the humid evening hours when fungi thrive, but well-hydrated before the afternoon scorching begins.

If you try to water during the blazing heat of midday, you can lose up to 30% of your water to evaporation before it ever hits the soil. Worse yet, water droplets sitting on the grass in intense midday sun can act like tiny magnifying glasses, scorching the blades.

Ultimately, if you are unsure whether or not it is a good idea to water your lawn at night, it is always best to consult with a professional to avoid making any serious lawn care mistakes.

Shop Lawn Care Kit

Of course, even if you want to make your lawn green and thick, there’s no need to water it if the grass simply doesn’t need it, especially in these times of limited water resources.

Michael Deaton, turf agronomist at Pennington Seed Inc adds, ‘Whatever watering regimen you choose, look to your lawn for the final word. Well-hydrated grass springs back up when stepped on. If grass stays depressed, it may need water. Curled grass blades or dull, blue-gray color are signs grasses are water stressed.’

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As heatwaves become more frequent across much of the US, it's easy to assume every plant in the yard needs extra water. In reality, many established perennials, native plants, and drought-tolerant shrubs are surprisingly resilient. Others, however, can quickly become stressed during periods of extreme heat, showing signs of wilting, scorched leaves, and reduced flowering, making it important to know exactly when and where to water plants.

The key is knowing which plants are most vulnerable and stepping in before they begin to struggle. From thirsty hydrangeas in the South to sun-baked containers on patios and decks, these are the plants worth checking first during a heatwave, and how to keep them looking their best. If you're wondering which plants to water in June as temperatures climb, these are the varieties to prioritize.

Before reaching for the hose, timing matters, too. The best time to water a garden during a heatwave is early in the morning, when cooler temperatures allow moisture to soak into the soil rather than evaporating quickly. In fact, the best time to water a garden is almost always before the day heats up, giving roots time to absorb moisture and helping plants cope better with soaring temperatures. Evening watering is the next best option during prolonged periods of extreme heat, but avoid watering in the middle of the day when much of that moisture is lost before roots can absorb it.

1. Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are often the first plants to show signs of heat stress, and it’s not unusual to see hydrangeas wilting during the hottest part of summer. Their large, soft leaves lose moisture quickly, and blooms can start to droop dramatically in peak afternoon heat, making it especially important to water hydrangeas properly during a heatwave.

I like to water deeply at the base rather than relying on quick surface sprays, as a thorough soak every few days does far more for long-term plant health than frequent, shallow watering.

In my own backyard, I also use the Eden Weighted Essential Oscillating Sprinkler from Amazon, which delivers even, consistent coverage when I need to water larger areas without constantly moving the hose.

A layer of mulch around the base is another simple step that really helps lock in moisture and keep roots cooler, especially when temperatures stay high for several days in a row.

My favorite hydrangeas are the Limelight Hydrangea and Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea from Plant Addicts. Both have a romantic, billowy quality that makes a garden feel like a cottage fairytale. Limelight's blooms soften from lime green to blush tones, while Vanilla Strawberry's oversized flower heads gradually deepen from white to raspberry pink.

2. Container Plants

Patio pots and planters can dry out remarkably quickly in high temperatures, particularly when positioned on decks, balconies, driveways, or in south- or west-facing areas. If you have a container garden, it's worth paying particularly close attention during a heatwave, as pots tend to lose moisture far faster than plants growing in the ground.

Watering container plants may mean reaching for the hose once or even twice a day during periods of extreme heat. Check the soil regularly by inserting your finger a couple of inches into the potting mix. If it feels dry, it's time to water. Moving containers into afternoon shade can also make a noticeable difference, helping pots stay cooler and retain moisture for longer.

I've also become a big fan of self-watering solutions for summer containers. The Back to the Roots Self-Watering Terracotta Olla Pots from Amazon slowly release moisture directly to the roots, which can be a game-changer during prolonged hot spells.

I also love the look of the Square Self-Watering Planter Pot from Target, which combines a clean, modern design with a built-in reservoir that helps keep plants consistently hydrated with much less day-to-day fuss.

3. Newly Planted Trees and Shrubs

Even plant-and-forget shrubs that thrive on neglect and will eventually become drought-tolerant need extra care during their first year. Newly planted trees and shrubs haven't yet developed extensive root systems and can quickly become stressed during prolonged periods of heat.

Rather than watering little and often, give them a slow, deep soak once or twice a week. This encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil in search of moisture, helping plants establish more quickly and become far more resilient to hot, dry weather in the long term.

4. Vegetable Crops

A vegetable garden can quickly begin to struggle during extreme heat. Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, and leafy greens all need consistent moisture to keep producing well, and allowing them to dry out can lead to poor harvests, stressed plants, and even blossom drop.

The best way to water a vegetable garden during a heatwave is early in the morning before temperatures climb. This gives roots time to absorb moisture before the heat of the day and minimizes water loss through evaporation. Mulching around crops will also help keep soil temperatures lower and moisture levels more consistent, allowing plants to cope much better with prolonged periods of hot weather.

If you're heading away for a summer trip, Plant Watering Stakes from Amazon are also worth considering. They slowly release water into the soil and can help keep thirsty crops hydrated while you're on vacation, giving you one less thing to worry about while you're away.

5. Hanging Baskets

Hanging baskets are among the thirstiest parts of any summer garden. Exposed to sun and moving air on all sides, they can dry out in a matter of hours during a heatwave.

To properly water hanging baskets, check them both morning and evening, watering thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes. One of the most common hanging basket mistakes is giving plants a quick splash of water and assuming it's enough. Instead, a deep soak is essential, particularly during periods of prolonged heat.

If you're worried about keeping up with watering, the Self-Watering Hanging Planters from Amazon are a best-seller for good reason. Their built-in reservoir helps regulate moisture levels and reduces how quickly baskets dry out, making them particularly useful during heatwaves or if you're spending time away from home.

6. Roses in Full Bloom

Established roses are fairly resilient, but plants covered in flowers use significant amounts of water. During prolonged hot spells, blooms may fade more quickly and plants can begin to struggle if the soil remains dry.

To water roses correctly, give them a deep soak around the base of the plant and avoid wetting the foliage where possible. One or two thorough waterings each week is usually enough to support healthy flowering during periods of extreme heat. Deep, infrequent watering encourages roots to grow further into the soil, helping roses become more resilient during long, hot summers.

I love the Pink Double Knock Out® Roses from Plant Addicts for how reliable and floriferous they are. However, even these resilient roses appreciate a deep drink during prolonged hot spells to keep those vibrant pink blooms coming all summer long.

7. Hostas

Hostas naturally thrive in cool, moisture-retentive conditions and can quickly suffer when temperatures rise. Their broad leaves are prone to scorching and can become limp if the soil dries out, which is why hosta care becomes especially important during a heatwave.

Water deeply whenever the top few inches of soil begin to feel dry and consider providing temporary shade during the hottest afternoons. A generous layer of mulch will also help retain moisture and keep roots cooler.

One of the most popular types in the US is the Liberty Hosta from Plant Addicts, known for its bold variegated foliage and reliable performance in shaded garden spaces. It’s a great example of a variety that looks its best when given the right moisture and protection from harsh sun.

It's also worth remembering that some of the places to never plant hostas include hot, exposed spots that receive intense afternoon sun or areas with fast-draining soil. In these locations, hostas are far more likely to scorch, wilt, and struggle during prolonged periods of extreme heat.

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