Believe it or not, lots of people ask this question. My answer is clear, your summer garden is what you want it to be. There is no hard and fast rule as to what a summer garden should be. This means that your personal vision for your summer garden is going to be quite achievable if you take the time to do the proper research and plan the planting for your summer gardening wisely and with great care. One thing is certain, planting wisely can produce a summer garden that is beautiful and maintains some degree of natural pest control. (photo courtesy: Bing

Your summer garden can produce flowers, fruits, vegetables and even be designed so that it attracts certain birds and butterflies. When planning your summer garden, you don’t have to commit to a single prevailing purpose. In other words, it is not at all inappropriate to plant some flowering plants or even herbs as pest control along with your favorite summertime vegetables. It is also acceptable to add a few vegetables of your choice in your flower garden.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to having lots of color in your summer garden. Brightly colored flowers are in abundance during the summer months and these bring a gorgeous splash of color to those hot and humid months when the summer sun is at its peak. By brining a few well placed colors into your garden as a highlight or border you are adding dramatic appeal. If you choose to make your garden a sea of brightly colored flowers, plants, leaves, and vines you can also achieve great results that may be breathtaking in beauty. Do keep in mind that you need to spend time maintaining a summer garden to keep it healthy and beautiful. (photo courtesy: flickr)

If you prefer nice and lush greenery and live in a climate that will accommodate this particular style of a summer garden, there is no reason to avoid this either. Vegetable gardens are yet another option when creating your summer garden and another fine example of just how versatile these gardens may be. Keep in mind that many people are discovering the beauty of vertical gardening and hanging plants for a few favorite vegetables and this may be an option if you wish to use limited space wisely and to greater effect. (photo courtesy: wikipedia)

Another option when it comes to showing the incredible versatility of the summer garden is raised gardening. This is quite literally planting your garden above the ground. Some people create elaborate ‘sand boxes’ of sorts in which the garden is planted. This allows great versatility for those with smaller spaces in which to plant their gardens as well as those who have landscaping issues that are inhospitable for gardening.

These are but a few examples of just how versatile a summer garden may be but I think they provide excellent insight and food for thought for those who are looking for a little something new and different for their summer gardens. And remember that a summer garden is just what you want it to be.

Every flower garden should be full of butterflies! Butterflies are beautiful and I love to watch them around my gardens all summer long. Most people decide to have a summer garden just because they like flowers and want to attract butterflies to the garden. Another reason that is becoming popular these days is families wishing to entertain their children through things that are closer to home like teaching them about butterflies. And this is an easy way to engage children in the knowledge of butterflies and keep them busy all summer long. (photo courtesy: flickr)

The sad thing about butterflies is that these beautiful creatures have very short life spans. Maybe that is the reason they seem to be attracted to beautiful things during their short lives. Butterflies are attracted to bright color flowers and flowers like aster, black eyed susan, marigold and butterfly weed are known to attract them in droves.

When selecting flowers for the purpose of attracting butterflies to your summer garden take into consideration that butterflies flock to a garden to get their food which is the nectar of the flowers. So a garden that is filled with more nectar producing flowers will likely get more than its share of attention from butterflies nearby. The greater the selection of nectar producing flowers in your garden, the greater the number of butterflies your garden will attract.

Besides planting lots of colorful flowers in your garden, you can also place several pieces of ripe fruit around your garden and this will attract even more butterflies. This is another method that is used by many butterfly lovers. Also keep in mind that butterflies love the sun which means that shady types of gardens are not best suited for attracting them. So your butterfly garden should be planted in an area where it gets full sun most of the day. In addition, keep in mind that different butterflies are attracted to different plants both as caterpillars and as butterflies. For best results, visit your local nursery and ask lots of questions when seeking the most suitable plants for your butterfly garden. (photo courtesy: home-and-garden.com)

The use of pesticides in a flower garden set up to attract butterflies should be avoided. Pesticides will harm butterflies and it doesn’t make sense to harm these beautiful creatures through the nourishment they receive when they visit your garden. The good news is that you can use organic gardening methods in your butterfly garden for best results and protect them from harm.

Butterflies need to be kept hydrated so make sure there is a source of water nearby. Some gardeners add water fountains that keep the water running while having it available for birds and butterflies. If you decide to use this method, be sure the water runs to avoid attracting mosquito infestation. The most important thing to remember is that a summer garden is an investment and adds beauty to you home. It is a great thing when we can accomplish more than one beauty as the result of our hard work and effort. A summer garden designed to attract butterflies is a great way to achieve just that. (photo courtesy: flickr)

It is summertime and time to start thinking about that dream summer garden that you’ve been meaning to plan for a while. There is nothing more beautiful than a summer garden in full bloom. The thing to remember is that there is some planning required in order for you to get the desired results. Once you decide the area where your summer garden will be, start thinking about what types of plants, vegetables and flowers you want. Don’t forget that in planting a summer garden you will get your hands dirty and some gardeners believe that this is the best part about growing a summer garden. To me, the best thing is the results of a summer garden and watching my garden grow healthy. (photo courtesy: delhiseeds.org)

Before you start planting, keep a list with the date that each area in your summer garden will be planted as different flowers and vegetables have different growing seasons. Some prosper by earlier plantings while others prosper later in the season. If you are planting a summer vegetable garden then it is quite possible that some of the plants will need a precise number of days between planting and harvesting. Both the plant and harvest days should be noted. This provides an excellent opportunity to plant more of the vegetables and maybe some flowers every two weeks to provide a continuous rotation of the vegetables you love well into the gardening season.

An important thing to remember is that climbing plants can be trained to climb poles that you can easily set up in the garden. This is highly recommended if your garden space is limited. Doing this also provides an opportunity to shade plants that prefer less direct sunlight when planted next to these climbing vines that are climbing vertically. Also make sure you have enough stakes for all the plants that require them for best effect. Be sure to read the planting instructions that are provided with each plant and plant them so that those needing shade get the shade they need and those that require the most water are located on a downward slope so that they get the water that runs off from the plants that require less water. (photo courtesy: home-and-garden.com)

This is a trick that seasoned gardeners know and it makes the most of sometimes limited resources such as water for the purpose of creating a better environment for optimal growth. At the same time you want to avoid planting vegetables and flowers that require less water at the bottom of these slopes as they are likely to become over hydrated, which can be just as devastating as not getting enough water.

Another important thing is that you need to be sure your soil is healthy so that it can create the healthy plants you are hoping to have. Fertilize the soil where these plants, flowers, and vegetables will be grown. This provides the foundation necessary for optimal performance from your plants and greatest yield from your vegetables. You should also take great care once the planting is done and be sure that the plants, flowers, and vegetables that make up your summer garden are well fed in order to produce even better results.

There are plenty of fertilizers and plant foods from which to choose so be sure to check local laws in order to make sure you aren’t using a combination that is not recommended for your region where you live. This is often overlooked but keep in mind that there are regulations that vary from one state to the next Also, plan your pest control before you begin planting your summer garden. There are some plants, flowers, and herbs that work as natural pest controls. These make an excellent addition to your garden as they offer no harmful side effect and can rid your garden of many of the pests that create problems for you. Another thing you may wish to consider is the use of chicken wire to protect some of your plants from things a little bigger than the average bug. The more humane the methods of pest control and the less you rely on pesticides the better it is to protect our environment.