Every year there comes a point in time when we find ourselves juggling an endless list of garden chores. With this year’s extended spring season, our busy time seems to have come early this year. As the growing season kicks in, there is always the need to deadhead spent flowers, fertilize perennials and roses, and fill gaps in planting borders with annual bedding plants. From the beginning, I put aside a bit of time each day to take care of basic maintenance in the garden.
I can be spontaneous, taking on the first job I see that needs to be done in the morning, but it’s important to make time for planning what needs to be done in the garden, as well. I find it helps to have a few basic chores that are done on a regular basis, once a week and sometimes every day in a specific season. One logical, very straightforward daily garden chore in the height of spring and summer is deadheading perennials. Deadheading keeps the garden looking fresh, keeps the visual focus on plants in bloom, and often encourages perennials to send out a new flush of bloom.
This is a great job to do early in the morning or at the end of the work day, especially if you get home early enough to take a garden stroll before dinner. It’s also the perfect chance to collect flowers for indoor vases and pots. Set aside a deep, water holding container with a handle and a pair of sharp hand pruners where you can grab them on your way out the door. If you have chrysanthemums in your flower beds, pinch back flower buds through the month of June. This will encourage the plant to grow bushier and stave off flowering until summer turns to autumn. You’ll be happy at the end of summer for the late flush of seasonal color.
Our gardens are also filled with spontaneous chores. There are the individual weeds that come up one at a time, weeks after we have done major scheduled weedings in perennial and shrub borders. Sometimes a wayward bramble sneaks its way into a planting of ground cover. Obviously, these can be taken care of without scheduling; get them out as soon as you see them. I find that I get some of my best work done by setting aside a bit of time each week when I put on my work gloves and head out into the garden just looking for trouble.
