Garden Center at Miami (calle Ocho) #277

As summer stretches on, your landscaping and garden will weather more heat and sun than earlier in the year. That means you'll need to consider how to keep things cool with shade and irrigation. Just like we can get sunburned, annuals and grass can dry out, and trees can lose their leaves prematurely. We've got guidance to help your garden, your lawn, and your family make it through the hotter months.

Keep Your Garden Tidy
As the weeks tick by, the sod or grass you planted will grow taller than what's ideal. You'll need to maintain it so it'll look manicured and fresh again. Keep the lawn in check with a self-propelled lawn mower and a string trimmer to knock down any tall grass around sidewalks, fences, or buildings.

Trees and bushes climb toward the sun and lose their shape over time. In the summer, they'll be growing fast, filled with buds and blooms before you know it. Prune them back to better show off their verdant beauty with the best hedge trimmers for your shrubs. It's best to leave major tree maintenance and tree topping to the pros, but you may want to use a pole saw for minor trims and a chainsaw to shape bushes and small trees.

Care for Your Trees and Shrubs
When you're making sure your garden is watered, don't forget about the shrubs and trees. They may need less watering than vegetable plants, but they can still get parched and dry in the summer heat. It's not hard to learn how to water trees — just be sure to aim the water at the roots. It'll help prolong the greenery and flowers and keep it from turning brown.

Also, check for damaged areas on the trees and shrubs. Pests can wreak havoc on your greenery if you don't catch them in time. Look for strange raised scars on the bark, leaves full of holes, or spots on bark or leaves. When your leaves look like lace, insects or caterpillars are eating them. Spots may indicate a number of issues ranging from bugs to fungus. Those scar-like lines on tree bark could mean your tree is infected with borers, an insect that lays eggs inside the bark and then burrows out after it hatches. Any of these issues should be researched and cared for as soon as possible, as they may end the life of your bushes or trees.

Grow Your Own Herbs
For savory flavors to accent your homegrown produce, try herb gardening. It's easy to learn how to grow herbs indoors, but you can raise herbs outdoors, too. If you grow herbs outdoors, stick to heat-loving herbs that'll endure the summer temperatures, and consider a hanging herb garden.

Planting herbs in the ground can be tricky, as many of them — especially mint — are invasive and will take over your yard. So just keep them in small decorative pots on a sunny porch, window sill, or even in wall planters. Herbs also work well in a hydroponic garden, which means they don't grow in regular black dirt. Instead, they grow in a mixture of rock chips, sand, or perlite.

Vines as Decorative Shade
Plant vines near a trellis or arbor so they'll climb the structure and give you both shade and beauty. Viney plants that are native to your area are a good choice for success and attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Grape vines are a classic choice, but they take time to mature, so you'll only be enjoying shade and not fruit for a few years. Remember to match your vine plants to how much sunlight you receive, as some like full sun and others don't. As a bonus, many vines put out sweet-smelling flowers, so you can enjoy a delightful fragrance as you cool off in the shade.

Find Your Summertime Supplies Today
No matter if your perfect summer includes gardening, grilling, relaxing, or completing outdoor DIY projects, we've got you covered. Make the most of these lengthy evenings and early mornings to enjoy all the season has to offer. Shop online at your leisure, on our app anywhere you like, or in the aisles of your Miami (Calle Ocho) store.