Summer in Canada is short-lived, so make the most of the warm, sunny days by getting outdoors and into the garden. Growing your own fruit, vegetables and flowers is highly rewarding for reasons besides filling your dinner table.
Why Gardening?
Research consistently shows that getting outdoors is good for your physical and mental health. Gardening provides low impact exercise that improves cardiovascular health, and spending time in green spaces can lower stress and anxiety.
Gardening is a great way to reconnect with nature, and it can be a good opportunity for parents to teach kids about where food comes from, natural life cycles, and how to be stewards for the environment.
Best of all, you don’t need a huge backyard to enjoy the benefits of gardening. Create a green oasis on your balcony with potted plants or a vertical garden on your patio that you can tend through the summer months.
Summertime Gardening Tips
Make the most of your gardening time with these tips.
- Start Early
To reap an early summer crop or enjoy blooms all summer long, you need to start preparing your garden bed and cultivating your plants in early spring.
Use seed starting trays or an indoor greenhouse to germinate seeds and nurture young seedlings until they are ready to be transplanted to your garden bed.
- Check Your Hardiness Zone
You may take up gardening in the summer, but you need to make sure your perennial plants can survive the harsh Canadian winter as well.
Canadian hardiness zones differ from those of much of the rest of the world, as they are categorized according to total rainfall, maximum wind speed, frost-free days, and minimum temperatures. Check your hardiness zone online, and buy your plants accordingly so you can enjoy many future summers with your lush garden.
- Buy Your Gardening Gear Online
Don’t waste time in a big-box gardening store searching for supplies. Shopping online is quick and convenient so you can spend more time getting your hands dirty in your garden.
Garden Your Senses’ online store has a huge range of equipment, tools, and supplies to enhance your gardening experience. From starting your seeds in the spring to preparing your garden bed to harvesting a bumper crop, we have everything you need to create a garden paradise.
Top 3 Essential Products for Summer Gardening
Make the most of your summer garden with these three handy gadgets to streamline your gardening system.
- PVC Watering Pipe
A PVC watering pipe is designed to make your gardening life easier. Spending hours watering your plants under the blazing sun is exhausting and inefficient, as most of the water tends to fall on the leaves, where it is quickly evaporated, rather than the soil.
A drip-irrigation watering line delivers moisture where it is needed most – at the plant roots – and helps to avoid damaging foliage and flowers. Add a watering timer, and you can spend less time hydrating your plants and more time harvesting your crop. As a bonus, you’ll save water and have a more sustainable gardening system.
- Thumb Knife
To enjoy the maximum flavour and nutrients from your summer produce, you’ll need to pick fruits and vegetables at their peak. Harvesting produce correctly allows many plants to deliver a second harvest and prevents you from damaging the stalks and branches of your plants.
A thumb knife has an arched, stainless steel blade that allows you to quickly and easily harvest your summer crops, and you can also use it for pruning back roses or hedges. The silicone thumb cover is comfortable and easy to clean, and the blade comes with a cap for safety.
- Plastic Support Clips
Growing plants and climbers need to be secured to stakes or a trellis to grow up to their potential.
Plastic support clips are a reusable, eco-friendly alternative to string or wire to keep your plants stable. They are suitable for use on a wide range of stem diameters and provide a firm but gentle attachment that won’t damage stalks, stems, or vines. They can be used year after year and are simple to operate – just squeeze, place, and release.
The Takeaway
Gardening is a fun and healthy way to spend the short summer months outdoors. Take pleasure in getting your hands dirty and nurturing plant life this summer with a selection of gardening gear from Garden Your Senses.
Explore our full range online, or contact us at (604) 398-4165 or via our online form to learn more about the benefits of gardening this summer.
