How to maintain a garden in summer

How to maintain a garden in summer and how Drogheda hire can help.

For so many of us, our gardens are our passion projects and summer is the time to “enjoy the fruits of our labour”.
That said, gardens are a living, changing environment and will provide a never-ending source of tasks to keep you entertained, no matter the season. 
After what has hopefully been a flourishing spring season, your garden should be ready to provide a green and mellow venue for those long, warm summer evenings.

With this in mind, it’s worth staying on top of those summer gardening tasks that will allow you to truly enjoy your garden at its greenest.

As leading providers of gardening tool hire and gardening equipment for purchase, we have compiled a short guide on how to maintain a garden in summer as well as the equipment that will make these tasks a breeze.

 

What gardening to do in summer

Regardless of whether you have a floral English garden, a Tuscan garden or a recreation Japanese ornamental garden, all gardens have one thing in common: they require maintenance.

There are a series of tasks that are common to most gardens, and summer maintenance usually includes:

Weeding: Few things ruin the overall appearance of a garden like weeds. Try to devote a few minutes each day to pulling up those unsightly weeds and note the huge difference that this makes to your garden’s appearance.

Watering: Gardens dehydrate quickly in summer, particularly if there is wind or a breeze. The early morning is the best time for watering a garden as the soil will still be cool from the night and the sun will not evaporate the water. 
Take special care to water potted plants and hanging baskets as these will dry more quickly than plants planted in the ground. Also, take special care of saplings and young plants as these are very sensitive to heat damage and dehydration.

While you are watering, remember to top up ponds, fountains, water features and bird baths. Remember to clear out floating algae as this will proliferate quickly in warm temperatures.
If you are going away on holiday, remember to set up an irrigation system or arrange for someone to regularly visit and water your garden and plants.

Trimming hedges and bushes: Hedges will usually have experienced a growth spurt during the spring and early summer, which can make your garden look untidy.
There are a number of different tools available to help you make light work of trimming bushes and shrubs such as hedge trimmers and shrub shears. Drogheda Hire has a variety of models available for rent or purchase.

Lawn mowing: Keep your lawn tidy by mowing regularly, however consider leaving the grass longer to avoid dehydration and dry patches. You can adjust the cutting on your lawn mower for this purpose.
If your lawn is out of hand or you have changed your mind about your meadow garden and would like to trim it back down, brush cutters will help you get any overgrown vegetation under control.

If you don’t own a brush cutter or a lawnmower, Drogheda Hire can provide these machines for hire or purchase. 

Deadheading: Deadheading spent flowers encourages plants to dedicate less energy to generating seeds and more energy to growing fresh buds, keeping your flowering plants blooming into the summer.

Trimming herbs: Herbs can begin to look tired during the summer. Give these plants a new lease of life by trimming away dead foliage, keeping the wooden stems intact and removing dry leaves.
Fertilising and feeding: The summer months can be very strenuous for your garden. Give your plants an energy boost by fertilising regularly with an appropriate product.

Controlling pests: Most pests are more active during warm weather. Keep a lookout for
snails, aphids, beetles and vine weevils.

Harvesting crops: There are a number of fruits and vegetables that will ripen over the summer. Stay on top of harvesting mature crops and try not to neglect this as rotting fruit can attract pests.

Laying mulch: For gardens or plants with a tendency to dry up, laying mulch can be a fantastic way of retaining soil humidity. There are a number of materials you can use for mulch including straw, compost and chipped wood and bark.

 

Consider gardening tool hire

Gardening in the summer heat can be an arduous task, that said, there are a number of tools that can make the work far easier and more enjoyable.

With depots in Drogheda and Dublin, Drogheda hire has an ample selection of gardening tools and equipment available for hire or purchase including:

BLOWERS

STUMP GRINDERS

LAWN EDGERS

SOD CUTTERS

ROTAVATORS

CORDLESS TOOLS

STRIMMERS

CHAINSAWS

SHREDDERS / CHIPPERS

BRUSH CUTTERS

MOWERS

LAWN SCARIFIERS

LAWN AERATORS

HEDGE TRIMMERS

GROUND CULTIVATION

GARDEN HAND TOOLS:

Cordless Shrub Shearers
Cordless Pole Pruner
Kombi Engine Unit
 

EARTH AUGERS

A number of our machines are available in petrol or electric versions. We also stock a range of corded and cordless equipment, offering solutions for gardens of any size.

Our Drogheda Depot has been on the Cement Road for almost 30 years, providing a fast delivery and collection service to Louth, Meath and surrounding areas.  Our recently opened Dublin branch is our largest depot to date!  Situated on the Long Mile Road, this depot serves Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and surrounding areas.  Since opening in Dublin, our branch has grown by the day and now is a one-stop-shop for all things hire and sales with a full fleet of large plant machinery and small power tools for hire ready to go when you call.

For more information on gardening tool hire or purchase, get in touch with us today on 0419841319. Our friendly team is always happy to help.