Organic Gardening News

When the dog days of summer arrive, your borders may start to look tired and droopy. Those plants you joyfully tucked in or started a couple of months back are losing their vigor (after all, they’ve performed well for weeks now). And perennial mainstays that have already bloomed are leaving unsightly gaps. If you want to save your borders from this noticeable slump, it’s high time for a midsummer refresh!

To give your yard a midsummer pick-me-up, you can deadhead faded summer blooming plants, shear spent perennials for a second flush, and renew mulch if needed. But for an instant facelift, replace the worn-out annuals that are buggy, diseased, leggy, or are going to seed. At this point, you need tough yet beautiful annual bloomers that thrive in summer heat and humidity, or perennial all-stars that are famous for their heat and drought tolerance.

By introducing some select established plants now, you can bypass the fragile seedling stage and enjoy a festival of color that will take you easily and cheerfully into fall. These resilient beauties hit the ground running, instantly closing gaps and turning a weary, fading border into a vibrant, texturally rich sanctuary. Meet the rescue squad that can pump out color all the way through to the first frost.

Try These 8 Summer Rescue Plants

Planting in July is fundamentally different from planting during a cool, damp spring. The soil is likely baked, which means new root systems could be vulnerable to thermal shock and moisture loss. Before planting these instant color plants, take a moment to evaluate your USDA hardiness zone and localized microclimate. Deeply sun-baked, wide-open spaces suit heat-loving tropicals, while partially shaded gaps are best for resilient options that can bloom without full-day sunshine.

To give these floral rescue workers the best start, ground-level preparation is key. You need to create a loose, highly moisture-retentive pocket, so new plant roots can anchor instantly. Gently clear out weeds and old plant roots from the vacancy. Then use a soil diagnostic tool like the Yamron 4-in-1 (Moisture, Temperature, Light and pH Meter, available from Amazon, to check your planting site isn’t too depleted from spring's heavy feeders.

(Image credit: Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images)

If your soil feels heavy, packed down, or spent, give it a quick pick-me-up with a little aged compost, plus some perlite or coarse sand for drainage. You might also like to try a scoop of Wakefield Biochar Premium Soil Conditioner from Lowe’s to add beneficial microbes at the root level. Then check out the following summer-slump rescue plants to add instant color to your garden borders.

1. Periwinkle

(Image credit: Education Images / Getty Images)

Vinca or periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) is one plant that needs its praises sung more often. These summer rescue plants love heat and humidity, and don’t need a lot of water – and their bright flowers bloom until the first frost. Perennial in zones 9-11, they are usually treated as an annual. Plant them in full sun, where their mounding, shiny green foliage can reach 16 inches (41cm) tall and 22 inches (56cm) wide. You can buy purple Periwinkle Plants from Fast Growing Trees.

The number-one golden rule with vinca is to avoid overwatering, as these plants despise wet feet. Plant them in fast-draining soil alongside fine-textured partners like ornamental grasses or blue salvia varieties for a gorgeous contrast. And sprinkle some Espoma Organic Plant-Tone Plant Food from Amazon around the base for a gentle way to nourish that glossy foliage during intense August heatwaves.

2. Begonia Big Series

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The Begonia BIG Series (B. x benariensis) is always in bloom and grows quickly. Its succulent stems will forgive a lapse in watering. Loose clusters of single or double flowers bloom in white, pink, red, or bicolor. Foliage is dark green to bronze on compact plants reaching 12-18 inches (30-46cm) tall and wide. Flowers are also self-cleaning, so this plant doesn’t need deadheading. It tolerates sun or shade, so you can use it anywhere the garden needs a pick-me-up. Grow as an annual except in zones 10-11. You can buy red Begonia BIG plants from Cheryl’s Greenhouse.

While these begonia varieties are highly self-sufficient, they appreciate a timely feed. Scratch a handful of Espoma Organic Chicken Manure from Walmart into the surrounding soil to give them the slow-release nitrogen required to keep those heavy, fleshy stems multiplying without snapping in summer storms.

3. Crossandra

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Crossandra (C. infundibuliformis) is another great garden performer that needs more love. It sails through summer without a care, always looking pristine with its shiny, green leaves and bright orange flowers. The flower petals stack on a center spear, giving the flower layers. This rescue plant will even bloom indoors. It only needs part shade, moderate water and well draining soil. Once or twice a season, feed it with a slow-release balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food from Lowe’s for continuous blooms.

Often called the firecracker flower, it brings a vivacious splash to the garden with its overlapping fan-shaped blossoms. It is an exceptional rescue choice for brightening up awkward, humid gaps. Deadhead spent spears to keep it tidy. Hardy in zones 9-11, you can treat it as an annual or bring it indoors for winter. You can buy Crossandra by the Tropical Plants of Florida Store from Amazon as potted plants.

4. Garden Phlox

(Image credit: Alex Manders / Shutterstock)

Garden phlox (P. paniculata) blooms from summer to fall on stems 2-4 feet (0.6-1.2m) tall. Its clusters of fragrant flowers remind me of hydrangea blooms. Pollinators love phlox, especially butterflies. This rescue plant just needs full sun to keep powdery mildew at bay. In hot climates, partial shade is fine. Hardy in zones 4-8, phlox prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soil. You can buy Coral Creme Drop Garden Phlox from Nature Hills.

Plant towards the middle or back of borders, pairing with spiky coneflowers or golden rudbeckia for a classic cottage look. Water deeply at the base, and feed every fortnight with Neptune's Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer from Amazon to deliver rich organic trace minerals that maximize blossom size and perfume strength.

5. Coleus

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Coleus (C. scutellarioides) is perfect for instant color in a partially shady area. Heights average 1-2 feet (0.3-0.6m), and their colorful foliage is a glorious combination of green, pink, chartreuse, cream, burgundy, red, yellow, or purple. Pinch off the flower spikes as they appear, so the plant will focus on leafy growth. I often leave a few spikes on one plant for the hummingbirds. For a burgundy splash, buy Coleus ‘Dipt in Wine’ by the Plant Nook Store from Amazon as starter plants.

These plants need fertile, moist soil. They are hardy in zones 10-11, so most folks treat them as annuals. If you want to overwinter your favorite coleus, take cuttings in fall and root them in water or potting soil. To prevent lower leaf drop and downy mildew, mist the foliage with Arber Organic Bio-Fungicide Concentrate from Walmart.

6. Sunflowers

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Sunflowers (Helianthus x annuus 'TMSNBLEV01') are summer icons, especially when it is hot and dry. Variety SunBelievable ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ is a great summer rescue plant, as it doesn’t set seed. Instead, it produces flowers continuously until the first frost. Its multi-branched stems grow up to 3 feet (0.9m) tall and wide. Plant in rich, well-draining soil in full sun and only water when the soil is dry. You can buy Sunflower SunBelievable Brown Eyed Girl Helianthus by Monrovia from Armstrong Garden Centers, as potted plants.

What makes this hybrid an unparalleled rescue option is its non-stop branching habit. Traditional single-stem sunflowers are a one-and-done show, but this bloomer fills border vacancies in no time and keeps going. Topdress the planting zone with Worm Bliss Premium Earthworm Castings from Amazon. This improves moisture holding capacity, while releasing a steady stream of essential nutrients.

7. Coneflowers

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Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) are quintessential rescue plants for heat tolerance in high summer. Purple coneflower is great for the pollinator garden, while new forms and hybrids feature white, yellow, red, pink, orange, and multi-color blooms, many with compact forms. They bloom continuously until first frost, especially if deadheaded. Hardy in zones 3-9, they thrive in moist, well-drained soil. Buy PowWow Coneflowers from Fast Growing Trees for vibrant drought-tolerant color.

For ultra summer grit, compact cultivars like Cheyenne Spirit or Sombrero offer thick, sturdy stems. When introducing it in summer, just don’t let the rootball dry out. Add a scoop of Down to Earth Fish Bone Meal from Amazon for rapid root establishment, and keep it watered deeply twice a week until it settles into its new home.

8. Pentas

(Image credit: Pakin Songmor / Getty Images)

Pentas (P. lanceolata) are some of my favorite pollinator plants and my yard is never without them. Their colorful clusters of flowers bloom from spring to frost, and attract plenty of butterflies and hummingbirds. Pentas prefers moist, well-drained soil, but are drought tolerant once established, and happy in full sun or partial shade. Typically grown as an annual, these rescue plants are hardy in zones 10-11. You can buy vivid purple Pentas Lanceolata from Amazon.

Known affectionately as Egyptian starclusters, their striking flower heads are made up of dozens of tiny stars, creating a rich texture in front-of-the-border displays. Add a bit of micronutrient-dense Dr. Earth Premium Gold All Purpose Fertilizer from Walmart into the surrounding soil at planting time for seamless, gorgeous growth.

Midsummer Maintenance

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To keep perennials blooming, shear back early bloomers like catmint, yarrow, salvia, and bee balm for a second flush. Some varieties, like Walker’s Low catmint, will continue to bloom whether or not they are cut back. You should also remove any dead or damaged stems you see.

Deadheading will encourage annuals like cosmos and zinnias to repeat-bloom rather than set seed. Perennials such as coneflower, blanket flower and phlox also benefit. Phlox is sneaky, though: when the petals first fade and drop off, new buds appear. So wait until you don’t see any more new buds before trimming phlox. Use a sharp pair of shears, scissors or snips for clean cuts. We love Fiskars Micro-Tip Pruning Snips from Amazon for their ability to slide between tight nodes.

A fresh sprinkling of mulch will help the plants retain moisture. Add a two-inch (5cm) layer of organic mulch, such as Back to the Roots Organic Premium Mulch from Amazon, so your rescue team stays happy, hydrated, and blooming beautifully. It’s best not to fertilize during the hottest part of summer, unless a plant is showing signs it lacks nutrition, such as yellow leaves. Revamping the yard now will carry it through summer into fall so it keeps looking lush and lovely.

Need more ideas for getting the most from your plants, indoors and out, and looking for the best seasonal expert advice delivered straight to your inbox?

Cyclospora has been all over the news this summer. An outbreak has affected thousands of people across more than thirty states, with investigators pointing to commercial lettuce and salad greens. The parasite behind it, Cyclospora cayetanensis, spreads through fresh produce that has picked up traces of human waste somewhere along the way – which raises an obvious question for anyone who grows their own food. Can homegrown vegetables carry Cyclospora?

The reassuring part is that the trouble rarely starts in the backyard. A home vegetable garden sits at the low-risk end here, because it skips much of the commercial supply chain – the industrial farms and shared packing equipment a bagged salad passes through before the shelf. You decide what water touches the leaves and what goes into the soil.

But while a homegrown salad beats a store-bought one right now, it's not totally risk-free. Check your gardening practices and follow these simple habits to keep your harvest clean and safe to eat.

How Cyclospora Spreads, and Why the Garden Is Lower-Risk

Cyclospora doesn't pass straight from person to person. An infected person sheds it in their stool, and the parasite needs at least 1–2 weeks to mature in the environment before it can infect anyone else. That lag is why contamination travels through water and soil rather than a quick touch. Raw produce is the usual vehicle, and it's the uncooked crops that keep turning up. Leafy greens lead the list. Fresh herbs like basil and cilantro make the list too, along with soft fruit like raspberries.

A store-bought salad has already been through shared irrigation water and packing equipment and a long refrigerated haul by the time it hits the bag. Pick your own, and you skip nearly all of that. Cooking shuts the door the rest of the way – according to NYC Health, Cyclospora is killed at around 158°F (70°C), so a stir-fry or a pot of soup poses almost no risk. Raw food is where the care needs to go. Salad and berries never meet heat, so the real job is keeping the parasite out of the bed to begin with.

How to Protect Home Vegetables from Cyclospora

Cyclospora is spread through food or contaminated water, so the risk in a vegetable garden is not just about hygiene – it can also come from unsafe manure, contaminated water, or poor sanitation practices. Community gardens can be a little higher risk if shared water, tools, compost, or hygiene standards are weak, but the same food-safety rules apply in home gardens too.

1. Only Use Water From a Clean Source

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The biggest garden risk is irrigation water drawn from a creek or pond that could be catching sewage overflow or septic seepage. Stick to tap water or a tested well. A two-gallon watering can filled at the tap, such as this Expert Gardener design from Walmart, keeps surface water off your leaves.

If you collect rainwater in a barrel, know that rooftop runoff can carry other biological contaminants, including from bird droppings. For edible crops, this water should not be treated as automatically safe unless the system is well maintained and the water is used in a way that avoids contaminating produce. However, it's well worth using a rainwater barrel to water ornamental beds. This RTS Home Accents ECO Rain Barrel from Amazon holds 50 gallons.

2. Check Composting Practices

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If contaminated vegetables went into a home compost pile, the pile could be exposed to Cyclospora, and with slow/cold composting, pathogens may not be destroyed. Hot composting that reaches and holds high heat is what breaks pathogens down, and a Reotemp compost thermometer from Amazon shows whether the pile is getting there. A cold pile that never heats up should stay clear of food crops.

Never use raw human waste – sometimes called night soil – in the garden. It can be a direct route for the parasite to reach your crops. Even if you have a composting toilet, it's not automatically safe to use it to grow food, so don't risk using it anywhere near vegetables that grow directly in the soil.

3. Wash Your Hands!

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This one is less about the produce than the person handling it. A gardener who's picked up the parasite can carry it into the plot without realizing. Soap and water before you harvest, and again before anything hits a cutting board, shuts that door. It's simple insurance for a habit you half-do already.

4. Rinse Crops Under Running Water

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Rinse everything thoroughly under running water before it reaches a plate. There's no need to use soap or produce washes. Scrubbing firmer produce with a brush, like this OXO vegetable brush from Amazon, lifts more off the skin than a quick splash.

Rinsing lowers the risk but won't fully remove Cyclospora, which clings tightly – so treat it as one layer, not a guarantee.

5. Keep Harvested Crops Off Dirty Surfaces

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Once picked, keep produce off the ground and away from tools or anything that's touched soil or untreated water. A clean basket or bowl beats resting the harvest on a potting bench. Those last few feet are easy to overlook, and a common spot for clean produce to pick up what it just dodged.

6. Store and Chill Promptly

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Get tender crops into the fridge soon after picking. Greens and herbs hold up far better cold than sitting out, and berries too. Chilling won't kill Cyclospora – it just slows spoilage and keeps other bacteria from multiplying while the produce waits. One more thing: hold off on washing until you're ready to eat, since produce stored damp breaks down faster.

Extra Cover: Cook or Peel What You Can

Washing is the everyday line of defense, but heat and a paring knife go further. Cyclospora can't survive proper cooking, so anything that goes into a hot pan or the oven stops being a risk – handy for crops that work either raw or cooked, like kale or green beans. Peeling helps too, lifting off the surface layer where the parasite would sit. Neither does much for a fresh salad, so sourcing and a good rinse still carry the load for raw produce.

Spot the Symptoms

Cyclosporiasis usually surfaces about a week after exposure, and the giveaway is watery diarrhea that can come and go for weeks if untreated. Appetite tends to fade alongside it. Cramping and bloating are common, nausea comes and goes, and the tiredness lingers. Healthy adults often ride it out, but it tends to relapse, part of why it's treated rather than waited out.

A course of the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole usually clears it, so anyone with persistent watery diarrhea – especially with signs of dehydration – should see a doctor and mention the outbreak, since diagnosis needs a specific stool test that isn't run by default.

Frequently Asked QuestionsCan lettuce from my garden make me sick?

Very unlikely. Homegrown lettuce only carries Cyclospora if it was introduced through contaminated water or human waste, both of which you control in your own beds. The outbreak in the news involves commercial lettuce, not backyard crops.

Can I get Cyclospora from animal manure or pets?

No – this parasite is specific to humans, so pets and livestock neither spread it nor pick it up from your garden. Animal manure carries its own risks, like E. coli, and should still be composted well, but Cyclospora isn't one of them.

Does vinegar remove Cyclospora?

No solid evidence backs a vinegar rinse for removing the parasite, and it's no substitute for cooking or careful sourcing. Plain running water does about as much, so keep the vinegar for the dressing.

Woohoo! The very first dahlia blooms are freshly out and damn, aren’t they gorgeous? But July is not the time to sit back, relax and enjoy the display. July is a hard-working month for dahlia plants, and how well you look after them now determines how many flowers you get, how fabulously big they grow, and how long into fall the display lasts.

In July, dahlias are busy growing stems, leaves, flowers and buds, which uses up a heap of energy and moisture. They’re also dealing with long, hot days – and while all that sunshine fuels growth, high temperatures stress the plants. There’s no telling how long the current heatwave will last for, making these vital July gardening jobs to keep dahlias happy and healthy all the more important.

Why? Because while your dahlia plants will probably go ahead and flower for the next month or so, even with minimal care, they’ll quickly give up blooming once the first flush is over. Nurture your plants in July, however, and they’ll continue flowering into fall with far bigger, more beautiful blooms. Thanks to this summer’s heat, many dahlia varieties are already flowering with deeper, more intense colors this year. So, take care of these vital gardening jobs in July and this could be your most spectacular dahlia display, ever. Here's what to do with dahlias in July…

1. Water Deeply

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When it comes to what dahlias need in July, moisture tops the list. While it’s important not to overwater newly planted tubers as they can easily rot, now your plants are established they need plenty of moisture. In the peak of summer, if there’s no rainfall, you need to be watering dahlias growing in the ground around three times a week. Container-grown dahlias are likely to need watering daily or, in extreme temperatures, twice a day.

Water the soil at the base of the plants, rather than the plants themselves, to prevent fungal issues. Opt to irrigate first thing in the morning and you'll reduce evaporation so more of that precious moisture reaches the roots. If your mulch is thinning by midsummer, you may also want to consider re-mulching to lock that moisture in the ground. It’ll keep those tubers a little cooler too.

2. Fertilize Regularly

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As soon as you spot flowerbuds, or if your plant is already actively flowering, you should be feeding dahlias once every 7-14 days. A soluble feed gives plants an instant boost, which makes it far easier to control the nutrient supply. Because here’s the thing that most home-growers miss: if a flowering plant is fertilized in a heatwave, it's going to need more moisture to facilitate the extra growth the feed fuels. If you provide that moisture, great. But if you don’t, the plant is put under a lot of unnecessary stress.

In the current heatwave conditions, with plenty of states already under a hosepipe ban, it’s vital to consider this before fertilizing. It’s best to reduce fertilizing in extreme temperatures, and using a soluble feed makes it easy to adjust feeding levels week by week. And remember, while you should never under-dilute plant food, you can absolutely over-dilute it to provide a more gentle nutrient boost.

To fuel abundant flowers at this time of the year, you need a feed that’s high in potassium. Use all-round flower food such as Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Bloom Booster, available from Amazon, or a specialized dahlia feed such as TPS Plant Food Dahlia Fertilizer, also available from Amazon. If you’re growing tomatoes and already have a liquid tomato fertilizer such as Espoma Organic Tomato!, available from Amazon, you can use that, too – it’s also high in potassium and will do a similar job.

3. Deadhead Fading Flowers

(Image credit: Future Publishing Ltd)

Snipping off fading blooms will keep your dahlia focused on growing more flowers rather than producing seed. Deadheading regularly, every few days, is an important part of July dahlia care and makes a huge difference to how many blooms a plant will produce. So, if you're wondering how to get more dahlia flowers, don't skip this task: the quicker you remove those spent blooms once the petals start to fade, the more energy you'll redirect.

Use a pair of bypass pruning shears such as these from Amazon to deadhead dahlias and, if you haven’t sharpened yours in a while, get a razor-edge on those blades with a sharpener such as this $7 tool from Amazon. Trace the stem of the faded flower down and cut just above the next bud, pair of leaves or main stem. This is far easier for the plant to deal with than cutting higher and leaving a bare stem end that could rot.

The trickiest part of deadheading dahlias is knowing what’s a fully spent bloom and what’s a new bud, because they can both look very similar – and you seriously don't want to remove all the flowers yet to come! It's easy to tell the difference once you know how, though.

New buds are round, tight, feel firm when you squeeze them and may have a glimmer of color at their centre, like this:

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Spent flowers are more pointed and cone-shaped, feel slightly squishy when you squeeze them, may have brown tones, and look like this:

(Image credit: Shutterstock)4. Make Quick Earwig Traps

(Image credit: Future Publishing Ltd)

Midsummer is prime earwig season and these critters are well known for chewing holes in dahlia foliage and ruining blooms. You probably won’t spot the earwigs themselves as they’re nocturnal, but the tell-tale signs are uneven holes or ragged edges on leaves, and shredded buds. You might also see dark earwig poop, known as frass, on the leaves.

If you don't mind this damage or it's minimal, don't worry about it – earwigs are useful bugs to have in your garden ecosystem as they eat aphids, mites and juvenile snails. If you want to curtail the damage, however, it’s simple to catch the culprits with homemade earwig traps.

Stuff dampened straw into small plant pots or plastic cups and upend these on bamboo canes pushed into the ground around your dahlias (watch out for the tubers, though). Earwigs will crawl into these cozy, dark spaces after feeding so, in the morning, it’s a simple task to rehome them, and you don't have to move them far. Though they have wings, earwigs rarely travel more than 100 feet.

5. Prune Dahlias For Huge Blooms

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If you fancy growing a few fabulously big dinnerplate dahlias, then there’s an extra job to be done – but it’s by no means an essential part of summer dahlia care. Disbudding involves removing sidebuds on a stem to force the plant into putting all its energy into growing the central flower. And the results can be incredible! Disbudding dahlias also brings longer stems for cut flowers.

You’ll get far fewer blooms overall if you disbud but, if you want to grow a few showstopper cut flowers for a special occasion, or just try something different with your dahlias this year, it’s worth it. You don’t need to disbud all the stems on an established plant, so why not try it with one or two stems and leave the rest?

Disbudding is a quick and easy job. Look at a dahlia stem and you’ll typically see it has a larger central bud and some side buds either side. Simply pinch or snap off all the side buds – do this in early morning when the plant is fully hydrated and the rigid stems snap far more easily.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Give your dahlia the care it needs in July, and it will reward you by flowering abundantly all through summer and fall, till the first frost. And that’s a heck of a lot of beautiful blooms for your efforts!

How does Pamela Anderson ’s garden grow?

This summer, it is growing bountifully, as the Hollywood star shared in a recent Instagram post from her family compound in Ladysmith on Vancouver Island .

“Look what’s growing in my garden,” said Anderson , as she turned her camera on a large garden filled with an abundance of vegetables.

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The video isn’t the first time Anderson, a vegan and the co-founder and co-owner of the Sonsie skincare brand, has taken her fans into her island oasis.

The early stages of the garden were chronicled during Anderson’s HGTV series Pamela’s Garden of Eden. The two-season series followed the actor/producer and former Playmate as she renovated the British Columbia waterfront property purchased from her grandmother decades ago. You can stream the series on Hulu.

Anderson’s garden tour post comes just a couple of weeks after the Baywatch, The Last Showgirl and Naked Gun star attended her and ex-husband Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s 28-year-old son Dylan Lee’s marriage to interior designer Paula Bruss in a garden ceremony in Saint-Tropez, France.

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Anderson, who is also an ambassador for brands including Pandora and Aerie , isn’t the only Hollywood star showing off the province this summer.

Transformers star Josh Duhamel recently posted a video to his Instagram account from the base of the Fraser Canyon at Hell’s Gate while Your Friends and Neighbors star James Marsden posted a gallery of images on Instagram that fans scouted as being taken on and around Vancouver Island.

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Architecturally, Mercer Village, the 12-acre master-planned community in New Westminster, leans to a traditional, heritage-inspired esthetic influenced by the city’s historic housing stock and colour palette while the stylish interiors are decidedly modern with contemporary finishes and designer touches.

The setting of Mercer Village — adjacent to Port Royal in the Queensborough neighbourhood — is a combination of a central Lower Mainland location with a range of transport connections plus proximity to the shores of the Fraser River where a boardwalk links to a walking and cycling trail network, says Kyle Shury, principal at Platform Properties.

The development comprises multiple phases. In the first phase there are 23 townhomes, in the second phase, there are 27 townhomes (completing summer through to fall). Full build-out of this portion of Mercer Village will ultimately include 146 townhomes and 14 commercial units, says Shury. Future phases on neighbouring lands include additional townhomes and a mixed-use portion including up to 200 apartments and approximately 50,000 square feet of retail.

All the townhomes in the second phase are three-bedroom and three-bedroom and den/flex space layouts ranging from 1,284 to 1,566 square feet. The homes, all with air conditioning, span three levels from the grade-level garages (tandem or side-by-side with EV charging outlets), kitchen, dining and living room on the first floor (along with the den/flex space in some floorplans) and bedrooms on the top floor.

Charyle Ross, principal of Ross & Company Interiors, says the interiors at Mercer Village are designed to stand out from run-of-the-mill “vanilla” schemes and reflect a more urban and inspiring design.

Ross created two colour palettes to give homebuyers the option of a light (Mercer) or darker (Blackley) interior scheme.

Both palettes include light oak accents in the kitchen with the difference between the schemes seen in the matte white cabinetry in the Mercer scheme or the charcoal-coloured cabinets in the Blackley option. Major appliances are by KitchenAid including a gas cooktop, fridge/freezer, dishwasher and oven.

Ross notes the backsplash is a key design feature in the kitchen. Quartz countertops extend a few inches up the wall with the vertically laid mosaic of small rectangular (often called a chiclet pattern) tiles to cabinet height, adding texture and interest to the space.

The islands (or peninsulas) include a sink, dishwasher and space to tuck in counter-height stools. One of the standout features are the oak accents seen in open shelving on the kitchen wall and the island (in some homes). The wood accent wraps around the corner of the island, explains Ross, creating a space for cookbooks, kitchenalia or favourite decor pieces.

The flooring — tile in the bathrooms, carpet on staircases and on the upper floor and wood grain vinyl flooring in the main living areas — is the same in both schemes as are the matte black plumbing fixtures in the kitchen and bathrooms.

The light oak cabinetry seen in the kitchens carries through to the vanities in the bathrooms. The vanity in the primary bathroom has two sinks and provides plenty of drawer storage while the framed mirrors and a display niche with a decorative wall sconce that casts a layer of soft light sets the tone for the space. Oversized 12- by 24-inch terrazzo-style tiles on the floor and shower walls and the textured tile backsplash add the finishing touches.

As this group of townhomes completes, Shury reflects on the last decade of work to reach this point in the masterplan.

The Mercer Village lands were assembled from a former school board property (intended but never used for a school), city-owned parcels including a tow yard, dog park, works yard and additional private properties.

“It’s been a long project in the making,” he says, noting it has taken more than 10 years from acquiring the first parcel of land, completing the extensive planning process, the addition of major servicing infrastructure and site preparation to launch the new community.

The name of the development traces back to Mercer Street, a central road in the land assembly, coupled with the inspiration of creating a village-like environment.

In the planning phase of the development feedback from local residents noted the lack of shops and services in the area.

“This idea of village was recognition that we’re completing a community by bringing the shops and services to the neighbourhood in addition to the housing. We want to be that social node, the gathering place,” says Shury.

“So it’s a locational attribute, but village to me is the more defining term and it’s that central gathering hub and heart of the neighbourhood that we are truly trying to connect, which is sadly the only piece missing out there right now,” he says, adding the vision is to attract an anchor retail tenant, such as a grocer, to the area in a future phase.

Amenities for Mercer Village focus on outdoor, lifestyle-oriented spaces and leveraging the location’s proximity to the riverfront. Shury says a central amenity area scheduled for phase two will provide a mix of active and passive open spaces — bench seating, play elements and a dedicated dog run with water fountain — all connecting directly to the Stanley Street Greenway and the riverfront boardwalk network.

Project: Mercer Village

Project address: 388 Duncan St., New Westminster

Developer: Platform Properties and Domus Homes

Architect: Ciccozzi Architecture

Interior designer: Ross & Company Interiors

Project size: 146 townhomes and 14 commercial-residential units

Number of bedrooms: 3-bedroom; 3-bedroom and den

Price: $929,900 — $1,329,900

Unit size: 1,284 — 1,566 square feet

Sales centre: 260 Ewen Ave., New Westminster

Centre hours: Saturday — Tuesday from 12 noon to 5 p.m. and by appointment

Phone: 604-780-5087

Website:mercervillage.ca

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Did you think the time to sow seeds for veggies was long over for this year? Many gardeners make that assumption, but there are several crops you can sow in July for a fall harvest. This is one of the best times to get a second round of vegetables for the season. The warm soil speeds germination, while the cooler temps of early fall are ideal for many crops.

A harvest of fall vegetables requires careful selection. Now is the time to sow seeds for quick-growing and cool-season veggies. Sowing now allows plenty of time for both options to grow into bountiful fall harvests.

Here are some of the best options for summer seed sowing and pro tips to help you get the most out of them.

1. Radishes

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Radishes are among the fastest and most forgiving of all vegetables to grow. Depending on the variety, they can go from seeds to harvest in 25 to 40 days. You can probably get a few additional radish harvests this year if you start now. The later rounds will be even sweeter and crisper, as they develop and grow in cooler weather.

Sow radish seeds in beds, raised beds, or containers, as long as they are at least six inches (15 cm) deep. It’s important to keep the soil consistently moist as they grow to avoid cracked roots. If your July is very hot, wait until the end of the month to sow radish seeds. Find a wide variety of radish seeds from Burpee and try a few unique types you might have never tried before like Martha Washington's 'Early Scarlet Globe' radishes or watermelon radishes!

2. Carrots

(Image credit: Stieglitz / Getty Images)

Here’s another great root to start now for your fall harvest. Carrots started now will mature just as the first frosts of the season hit. This hit of cool triggers the starches in the roots to turn into sugars, giving you a very sweet fall crop. Carrots mature in 70 or 80 days. Park Seed offers a great selection of carrot seeds that will make a great addition to your veggie garden.

Raised beds are best for carrots, so they can develop full roots in good soil that is free of rocks. You don’t want to transplant them, so place the seeds where you want the carrots to grow. Keep the soil moist and thin the seedlings as they develop.

3. Beets

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Yet another tasty root for fall harvests, beets can be sown now in the heat of midsummer and harvested between 50 and 70 days later, depending on the variety. They grow and develop best as the weather begins to cool. You can use raised beds, garden beds, or big containers to grow beets.

Thinning seedlings is particularly important for beets. Overcrowding interferes with root development. Make sure the soil stays consistently moist, or you risk woody roots. While waiting for the roots to mature, you can harvest and eat the greens. Burpee has some great heirloom beet seeds available including the unique and beautiful Chioggia beet!

4. Bush Beans

(Image credit: DircinhaSW / Getty Images)

Bush beans are an example of a quick-growing veggie you can sow in July. They won’t do well in cold fall weather, but if you start now, you’ll get a good harvest before the first frost. Keep harvesting the beans as they develop to encourage ongoing production.

Bush beans germinate well in warm soil, and they grow fast, maturing in 50 to 60 days. You can grow bush beans in beds or in large containers as long as you can keep the soil moist. It’s especially important to water deeply while the plant is flowering. Heirloom Blue Lake bush bean seeds from Mountain Valley Seed Company on Amazon are high-yield and great for home gardens.

5. Kale

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Kale is one of the most iconic of fall veggies. It can grow well into fall and even early winter, depending on your location and climate. While greens are known for being a little tough and bitter, kale sweetens nicely as it matures in cold weather and especially after a frost. Grow it in beds or large pots.

If you’re sowing seeds for baby kale, you can start harvesting after about 30 days. Botanical Interests has Red Russian kale baby greens seeds that are ready in 25 days! For mature kale, you’ll need 55 to 70 days. Keep harvesting the outer leaves as the kale grows. Keep soil moist and use mulch if necessary.

6. Spinach

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Spinach also thrives in the cool weather of fall, and it grows fast, maturing in 35 to 50 days. You can harvest baby spinach in as little as 20 to 25 days. Because it’s such a fast grower, sow seeds every one to two weeks for regular fall harvests.

The heat of July can be a little tough on spinach, so start with varieties that don’t bolt readily and keep seedlings shaded in hot weather. Bloomsdale long-standing (bolt-resistant) spinach seeds can be found at True Leaf Market. Water regularly to keep the soil moist and cooler.

7. Brassicas

(Image credit: Getty Images)

All of your brassicas can be planted now, including kale of course, but also broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower. They take between 80 and 100 days to mature, depending on type and variety.

The brassicas thrive in cooler weather, but they might need some help staying cool if your July and August weather is too hot. Keep the soil moist, use mulch, and use shade cloths as needed. Another option is to sow these seeds indoors now and transplant them outside when the weather has cooled a little.

Pro Tips for Maximizing Your Fall Harvest

Master gardeners get more out of their fall harvest with succession planting. Sow seeds every week or two instead of all at once. This staggers and extends your harvest time.

Sowing seeds in the heat of summer can be risky. Keep the soil moist and use a light mulch to keep it cooler. Consider using a shade cloth during particularly bad heat waves. Pull weeds as seedlings sprout and thin out crowded seedlings.

At the other extreme, if you get a cold snap in fall, use row covers to protect the more delicate vegetables. For most of these crops, a light frost actually enhances the flavor.

July isn’t the end of your growing season. For many fall crops, it’s just the beginning. Sow fast-growing, cool-weather plants now for fresh produce and an extended harvest this season.

I grow heaps of catnip in my garden, so when I read new research that suggests the plant's oil is as effective at repelling mosquitoes as DEET, I didn’t hesitate to make my own skidaddle-you-skeeters spray. It was quick, easy and once I’d tried it out, I had to agree with those scientists. Catnip does seem to keep mozzies away.

In the 2025 study, its findings published this year in Scientific Reports journal, scientists tested how mosquitoes responded to various substances: a hand lotion infused with 6% catnip oil, the same lotion with 2% catnip oil, a commercially available repellent containing 15% DEET, and plain lotion to act as a control. In field trials with real-life humans, the lotion with 6% catnip oil proved just as effective as the DEET repellent; the lotion with a 2% concentration repelled skeeters a little less, but scientists still rated it ‘highly effective’.

I much prefer natural pest solutions over chemical ones, and I already make an effective skeeter trap with baking soda and vinegar. So, as I'm already growing catnip (Nepeta cataria) – one of three plants I grow for my cats in my garden – using the leaves to make my own natural mosquito repellent was a no-brainer.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

It makes sense that catnip could repel skeeters as it contains high levels of a compound called nepetalactone, which it’s thought the plant has evolved to repel pests. My cats seem to subscribe to the theory, anyway, as they like to roll on the plants as if they’ve read the online blurb that this could afford some natural protection against fleas. And what do you know, with a little digging, I discovered that catnip is registered as an insect repellent with the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

It was time to cook up a batch of catnip-leaf mozzie repellent spray and test out its properties for myself.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)How to Make Natural Catnip Mozzie Repellent

1. Pick a cup of fresh catnip leaves. It’s important the plants haven’t been treated with any pesticides. Crush the leaves with the back of a tablespoon.

(Image credit: Future/Emma Kendell)

2. Scrape the crushed leaves into a small heatproof bowl and pour over 1 cup just-boiled water. Place a plate on top of the bowl so steam can’t escape and leave to steep for an hour.

(Image credit: Future/Emma Kendell)

3. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, muslin cloth or a coffee filter, pressing or squeezing the leaves to extract as much moisture as possible.

(Image credit: Future/Emma Kendell)

4. Discard the plant matter and pour the strained liquid into a clean spray bottle. Store in the fridge where it will keep for 1-2 weeks; adding a tablespoon of straight vodka to the strained liquid will extend its shelf life.

(Image credit: Future/Emma Kendell)

As with any new topical skin product, spot-test the spray on a small area of your skin before using, to ensure it doesn’t cause irritation. Shake the bottle well before each use. Apply to skin, being careful to keep well away from eyes. Reapply frequently and gauge for yourself how effective the spray is at repelling mosquitoes.

If you have cats, expect company as felines adore the scent of catnip.

Water-less-often mix

Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix

Purrfect plants

2-Pack Bonnie Plants 1oz Catnip Plants

Refillable Mister

100ml Spray Bottles With Fine Mist Function

Does Catnip Mozzie Repellent Spray Work?

While steeping catnip leaves doesn’t extract nepetalactone as effectively as distilling, I found that while I was spritzed with my homemade spray, I wasn’t bothered by mosquitoes. Aware that natural repellents don’t last as long as chemical alternatives, I reapplied every couple of hours.

I’ve been testing the DIY spray in my garden while gardening and relaxing on the patio. If you are heading into an area heavily infested with mosquitoes, or it’s known that mosquitoes in your area carry a pathogen such as West Nile virus, that’s not the time to be testing out a homemade spray – use a commercially available repellent that's proven to work.

I found the spray has a mild earthy fragrance, which I found neither pleasant nor unpleasant. Thanks to the scent, my cats were especially fond of me though!

Other natural ways to deal with mosquitoes in your garden include using potted patio plants with mozzie-repelling scents, and setting up a mosquito bucket of doom.

(Image credit: Getty Images)Is Catnip Safe to Put On Your Skin?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed Nepeta cataria essential oil is safe for human use. Studies show that, even when applied to skin at a 25% concentration, it doesn’t cause irritation.

(Image credit: Getty Images)How to Grow Catnip

While catnip (Nepeta cataria) is never going to win any prizes for its flowers, with regular snipping of the stems, it grows into a pretty-enough potful of leaves on the patio. Don't confuse catnip with catmint, though both are closely related. Catnip has much higher concentrations of nepetalactone, though catmint does still contain this compound.

A hardy perennial in zones 3-9, growing catnip is easy. It's quick to raise from seed or economical to buy as young plants, and both catnip seeds and catnip plants are available from Lowes. It’s important to grow this member of the mint family in a container set on hard landscaping as, like many of its cousins, it’s too vigorous to grow in the ground in most gardens. It needs well-draining conditions so mix a handful of sand, gravel or horticultural grit such as this from Amazon into any multipurpose potting soil, or use a moisture-control compost such as this, also from Amazon.

Nepeta cataria is enthusiastic enough to thrive in partial shade as well as full sun and is drought-tolerant so be careful not to overwater. It grows to 2½ feet high and has white or pale pink flowers, sometimes dotted with purple. It tends to have straggly stems, but pinching off the tips encourages it to grow into a dense, bushy mound of foliage.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)What the Research Report Said

The report (Evaluating repellence properties of a catnip essential oil-based mosquito repellent using the human landing catch method in Eastern Uganda by Charles Batume et al) states that lotions containing both 2% and 6% catnip oil was highly effective at preventing mosquito landing, and recommended their use as a natural alternative to synthetic mosquito repellents. With the research carried out in 2025, the findings were published in the March 2026 Scientific Reports journal.

The catnip oil used in the research comprised of 92% nepetalactone and was derived from mature Nepeta cataria plants grown outside with 12 hours of sunlight a day. The plant material was dried before being distilled, to extract pure essential oil.

The report referred to previous studies that found that nepetalactone repelled several mosquito species, ticks, red poultry mites and bed bugs.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If there's one group of plants I'll always have a soft spot for, it's evergreens. Particularly (you guessed it) evergreen perennials.

Why? Well, as much as I look forward to spring bulbs bursting into life or summer borders overflowing with blooms, I've come to appreciate that it's evergreen plants that quietly do the heavy lifting in a garden.

Think about it: they're there in every season, providing a burst of much-needed color (sometimes I think we all forget that green is a color) when everything else has died back, creating beautiful backdrops for flowering perennials, and bringing the sort of lush permanence that makes a space feel established.

Gardeners Are Obsessed With This Striking Evergreen Perennial

While plenty of evergreens are happy to play a supporting role, others are born to be the star of the show. The Japanese sago palm (Cycas revoluta) is one of them.

With its perfectly symmetrical crown of feather-like fronds (not to mention that glossy emerald hue), the Japanese sago is exactly the kind of plant that stops you in your tracks. It also happens to be older than the dinosaurs, though, so why is it having such a sudden surge in popularity now?

Well, over in the UK, this evergreen perennial was named one of the standout plants at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Sitting pretty in Tom Stuart-Smith's breathtaking Tate Britain Garden, which was designed around the power of foliage rather than flowers, the garden used texture and dramatic leaf shapes to create an almost jungle-like atmosphere.

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According to Stuart-Smith, the plant has long been admired in warmer parts of Europe, including southern France and Mallorca, but has rarely been used in British gardens because it's often considered too tender.

With milder winters becoming more common in some regions, however, he believes carefully positioned cycads like the Japanese sago have an exciting future. And RHS Wisley Curator Rob Brett (who branded it it his favorite plant of the show) agrees, predicting it could become an increasingly important choice for gardeners looking to push planting boundaries.

Nature's Way Farms Sago Palm

This slow-growing evergreen is drought tolerant once established, and easy to care for, making it perfect for beginner or seasoned gardeners.

Unlike flowering plants that have a relatively short season of interest, Japanese sago palms earn their keep all year round thanks to their evergreen foliage. They're also surprisingly versatile, pairing beautifully with ornamental grasses, palms, agaves, and flowering perennials.

Better still, they're surprisingly low maintenance; think drought-tolerant once established and slow growers, which means they maintain their magnificent shape for years with very little need for pruning and constant upkeep.

Still, if you're tempted to add one to your own yard, it's worth remembering that this isn't a plant for every climate; Japanese sago palms prefer partial shade or filtered sun and thrive in moist but well-drained soil. And, while they can tolerate the occasional light frost once established, this evergreen perennial is only considered half-hardy, so gardeners in colder regions will have the best success growing them in containers that can be moved to a sheltered spot during winter.

Shop Planters:

Gardenaire Metal Square Planter Box

Made from galvanized steel, this weather-resistant design offers ample space for an evergreen perennial.

Worth Worth Garden Large Urn Planter

A terracotta urn is an easy and timeless way to transform your garden instantly, especially when you team it with a Japanese sago.

LuxenHöme Blue Glazed Planter

One of the pricier options on this list, there's no denying that the shimmering blue of this planter would look stunning with an evergreen inside it.

That being said, there aren't many plants you can grow that have survived since the age of dinosaurs. So if that means popping one in a pot on a patio or by a front entrance, you'd better believe I'll be doing it (and telling everyone about my prehistoric beauty if they even think about breathing a compliment about it in my presence).

Join me in my new Jurassic obsession, why don't you?

A bird bath is not only a beautiful addition to any landscape, but it also benefits local and migrating birds who need a relaxing spot to cool off and hydrate during the hot summer months. There is one big problem, however, that you need to be aware of before adding a bird bath to your yard or garden: mosquitoes.

Any standing water in your yard can quickly become a breeding ground for mosquitoes – and that includes bird baths. Figuring out how to prevent mosquitoes in a bird bath is yet another item on the ever-growing garden to-do list. But there’s one affordable item that can make the job a bit easier and turn your bird bath into a gorgeous mini water fountain that birds adore and that adds the soothing sound of trickling water to your garden.

A solar-powered fountain from Amazon costs less than $10 and stops mosquitoes from turning your bird bath into their own personal breeding pool. If you’re considering adding a bird bath to your yard or already have one that’s full of mosquito larvae, here’s how to turn your bath into a bug-free fountain that birds will love even more.

Why Bird Baths Attract Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes lay eggs and develop larvae in or near standing water. Bird baths make the ideal spot for breeding mosquitoes because they are shallow vessels of stationary water. Add in debris like fallen leaves, dirt, algae, and warm summer temperatures and you have a prime environment for mosquito larvae to pupate and grow.

Standing water is one of the main requirements for breeding mosquitoes and it only takes five days for your bird bath to turn into an insect incubator. So to keep them free of mosquitoes, you need to change out the water in bird baths once every few days or find a way to keep the watering moving. That’s where a solar-powered fountain comes in handy.

(Image credit: WilliamSherman / Getty Images)How a Solar Fountain Stops Mosquitoes

This solar-powered fountain from Amazon only costs around $10 and keeps water moving in bird baths and prevents mosquitoes from breeding. A small fountain like this is a simple way to turn a stagnant bath into a beautiful showpiece in your garden that also stops mosquitoes.

Another option is to add a water agitator to your bird bath, but a solar fountain has another additional benefit. It adds the soothing sound of running water into your landscape, turning a basic bird bath into a lovely sensory garden feature.

Adding a fountain to your bird bath can also attract more birds. Birds love moving water – it more closely resembles a natural water source like a stream – so you should have more birds and less mosquitoes in your bath when you pop a solar fountain into your bath.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

To add a solar-powered fountain to a bird bath, all you have to do is place it in a bird bath in a sunny location where it will receive charge and power the motor. Keep your bird bath clean of fallen debris like leaves that can cover the solar panels and prevent the fountain from charging. You also need to regularly clean the filter to keep water flowing.

Your bird bath also needs to have enough water in it to submerge the motor of the solar fountain. Basically, keep your bird bath clean and full of water in order for the solar fountain to function properly. You should be able to wait a few more days between changing out the water in your bird bath with the addition of a solar fountain, without the risk of mosquitoes breeding.

More Ways to Keep Mosquitoes at Bay

AISITIN 3.5w Solar Fountain Pump for Water Feature

Get fancy with a solar fountain that has different spray patterns like this one. Birds will think they're at the Bellagio!

Summit Mosquito Dunks

Mosquito dunks are a biological control for insects in bird baths, but they don't harm birds and other animals.

Mellbree Bird Bath Copper Disc

Copper naturally keeps water in a bird bath cleaner for longer and clean water is less attractive to mosquitoes.

Who doesn't love the timeless charm of a cottage garden? Overflowing borders packed with roses, foxgloves, delphiniums and lavender have been enchanting gardeners for centuries. Yet while many traditional cottage garden favourites are undeniably beautiful, some demand regular watering, staking and plenty of attention to keep them looking their best. And when midsummer heatwaves strike, some dreamy varieties can collapse into brown, crispy disappointments.

Fortunately for us, there are plenty of resilient cottage garden flowers that deliver all the nostalgic appeal without the high-maintenance routine. These hardy perennials and flowering shrubs are tougher than they look, coping with everything from prolonged summer drought and poor soils to freezing winters and unpredictable weather. By integrating these robust, resilient cottage garden ideas into your yard, you can simplify seasonal maintenance and enjoy your displays for longer.

As our gardens experience hotter, drier summers alongside colder snaps in winter, choosing plants that can adapt to these up-and-down conditions has never been more important. So, if you want resilient cottage garden flowers that look abundant without demanding constant care, I’m showcasing a handful of my favourites that prove you don't have to sacrifice beauty for toughness.

Try These 5 Resilient Cottage Garden Plants

Whatever you choose to plant in your yard, giving new additions a thorough soak during the first few weeks and the first growing season will help them establish strong roots. It's also worth matching each plant to your USDA hardiness zone and growing conditions. If you have a sunny, free-draining border, Mediterranean flowering plants and daisy varieties will thrive. Pick the right plant for the right place and resilient cottage garden flowers will reward you with years of dependable color.

While these resilient cottage garden flowers are famous for surviving poor soil, they cannot tolerate wet feet or dense, compacted clay. If you are planting these cottage garden beauties in heavy clay soil, you risk rotting their roots before they ever have a chance to show off their heat-tolerant capabilities. Good soil drainage is key to the health and heartiness of these tough bloomers.

(Image credit: CBCK Christine / Getty Images)

To ensure your soil quality and structure are at their best, take a quick reading before planting. Using the Luster Leaf Rapitest Soil Tester from Amazon is an excellent way to quickly analyze your pH and nutrient levels. For heavy clay or depleted soil, incorporate a high-quality soil amendment like coarse sand or perlite. Mixing some Back to the Roots Organic Compost from Lowe’s into your planting hole will also help to loosen the dirt, introduce vital beneficial microbes, and improve drainage.

Whether you are planting these cottage garden flowers directly in wide-open borders or styling them in patio containers, ensure your location receives 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily to fuel those midsummer blooms.

1. Lavender

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Lavender is one of the most resilient cottage garden flowers. Fragrant, colourful and adored by bees of course, it has all the romance of an old garden border, plus it is remarkably tough once established. In my new book, The Ethical Gardener, available to preorder now on Amazon, I dedicate a chapter to gardening for the future, and plants like lavender are exactly what I have in mind.

As summers become longer and hotter, with parts of North America experiencing temperatures above 100°F (37.7°C) for days at a time, it makes sense to grow plants that are beautiful, resilient and capable of coping with increasingly challenging conditions. Lavender is hardy in zones 5-9, and while we focus on the blooms, its secret weapon is the foliage. Covered in oil-producing glands, it reflects harsh sunlight and traps moisture, making lavender a master of water conservation.

Whether you prefer English, Spanish or French lavender, the growing advice is much the same. Plant it in a sunny spot with free-draining soil and avoid waterlogging at all costs. Make sure you grow it in dry, sandy, or gravelly spots. Overwatering is the fastest way to kill this Mediterranean native, so water only when the soil is dry.

Once flowering has finished in late summer (usually around August), give plants a light trim to remove the spent blooms and help prevent them from becoming woody. For exceptional drought tolerance and extended flowering, try Spanish Lavender from Amazon and Phenomenal Lavender from Nature Hills.

2. Mexican Fleabane

(Image credit: Tom Meaker / Getty Images)

Fleabane is one of my go-to plants. Whether tumbling over retaining walls, weaving through cracks and crevices or softening the front of a sunny border, it somehow looks right wherever you grow it. Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus) produces masses of delicate white flowers that age to soft pink, creating a dual-tone display that seems to go on for months. Buy Mixed Erigeron Flower Seeds from Amazon.

Hardy from US zone 6, it thrives in poor, dry, shallow and rocky soils, shrugs off drought once established and happily self-seeds into the smallest spaces, making it one of the most useful cottage-garden plants around. But, while it is a wonderful garden plant, fleabane is often considered invasive in some regions, including Hawaii, so check with your local government or local extension office before planting.

Plant your Mexican fleabane in full sun to partial shade. To prevent it from spreading too aggressively, shear back by half after the main summer flowering flush. Feed lightly in late spring with Espoma Organic Holly-Tone Fertilizer from Walmart for a steady, slow-release nutrient boost that supports extensive blooming.

3. Nepeta (Catmint)

(Image credit: Katsiaryna Yeudakimava / Getty Images)

Catmint (aka nepeta) is one of those resilient cottage garden flowers that more than earns its spot in the yard. It is hardy down to zone 3, easy to grow, and produces clouds of blue flowers from late spring through summer that bees cannot resist. It performs beautifully even in clay soil, as long as it doesn’t sit wet through winter.

As a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), the foliage is highly aromatic, which is one of the things I love most about it. Plant it alongside a path or at the front of a border and, every time you brush past, it releases the most wonderful scent. Once settled, nepeta is very drought tolerant and needs little attention beyond a light trim after flowering to encourage a second flush. Buy Better Versions Junior Walker Nepeta from Fast Growing Trees for exceptional structure and flower power.

To keep its foliage looking lush and vibrant through the peak of summer, you can just give it a splash of Neptune's Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer on Amazon once every few weeks. Nepeta gets a major foliage boost from the trace minerals, keeping that beautiful silver-blue sheen vibrant all summer.

4. Shasta Daisy

(Image credit: Niall_Majury / Getty Images)

What to say about Shasta daisies? With crisp white petals and golden centers, Leucanthemum × superbum brings a classic cottage-garden look to any border, flowering for weeks through summer. Typically hardy from US zone 5, these upright, sturdy perennials are remarkably resilient once established. They cope well with heat, dry spells and poor soils, provided they have good drainage. Look for 'Becky' or 'Snowcap', with stiff stems that won't flop over in storms.

Plant your daisies in a sunny spot, deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers, and cut plants back in fall. Shasta daisies are heavy summer feeders, so mix a few handfuls of Espoma Organic Chicken Manure from Walmart into the surrounding soil when planting to fuel heavy, continuous summer blooms.

You can buy Clovers Garden Shasta Daisies from Walmart as live plants that settle fast for elegant white blooms that hold their own until first frost. As a lovely bonus, these hardy cottage garden classics can be an effective mosquito repellent.

5. Russian Sage

(Image credit: Sandra Alkado / Getty Images)

Russian sage (or Salvia yangii) will keep performing in the most challenging conditions. Hardy in zones 4-9, it produces airy blue flower spikes above aromatic silver-gray foliage from early summer into fall, creating a soft haze of colour that pollinators love. Once established, it shrugs off heat, drought and poor soils with ease. You can buy live Clovers Garden Russian Sage Plants from Amazon.

Reaching up to 4 feet (1.2m) in height, this sub-shrub brings structural texture and height to the back of sunny borders. It is virtually bulletproof, resisting deer, rabbits, salty coastal air, and intense heatwaves without dropping a leaf. Just avoid over-feeding or overwatering, which can make stems weak and floppy.

In late spring, when humidity levels rise, Russian sage can sometimes fall victim to powdery mildew. To keep your display immaculate, apply a little organic remedy such as Arber Organic Bio-Fungicide Concentrate from Walmart. This safe spray destroys harmful fungal pathogens, keeping silver stems pristine all summer long.

Shop Cottage Garden Essentials

(Image credit: Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images)

Creating a natural, traditional aesthetic in your backyard doesn’t need to involve breaking a sweat. These drought tolerant beauties can handle whatever summer throws at them with easy grace. Make some room for these natural wonders that deliver dreamy blooms with massive impact from now until well into fall.

Extended Fragrance

Fast-Growing-Trees.com Southern Living® Phenomenal™ Lavender

An incredibly tough, drought-tolerant and humidity-resistant lavender variety that releases crisp, herbaceous essential oils through summer, while also being resilient enough to withstand the cold once the hotter sunshine days are over.

Brighter Whites

Clovers Garden Shasta Daisy Live Perennial Plants

Blooming from midsummer all the way to first frost, these resilient daisies cast a shimmering wave of gleaming white with sturdy stems that sway elegantly in the breeze. Keep deadheading to enjoy the flower show well into fall.

Purple Plumes

Clovers Garden Clovers Garden Russian Sage Plants

These Russian sage plants are gorgeously tough, thriving in sunshine and drought. Happiest in poor and sandy soils, their elegant spires are the perfect addition to cottage garden borders and flower from July to first frost.

To find out more about inspirational gardens and gardening, read The Garden Through Time by Thomas Rutter, available from Amazon. From Persian paradises to New York’s High Line, this volume offers practical ideas and plant selections to help you design a gorgeous, low-maintenance garden. Telling the story of 45 gardens found worldwide, it is an essential read (or gift) for gardeners looking for timeless inspiration.

July is when a lawn stops coasting. Through spring the grass more or less runs itself, growing fast and green. Heat changes that. Rainfall turns unreliable and the days run long. The lawn that looked effortless in May starts thinning at the edges and going pale in patches. What it needs now is nothing like what it wanted in spring.

None of it is complicated, though. Good July lawn care is a few habits that hold moisture in and keep grass from cooking, plus the one mistake that undoes them. Get those right and the lawn rides out the worst of summer. The mistake is cutting the lawn too short right when it needs protection the most.

1. Raise the Mowing Height

(Image credit: triocean / Getty Images)

Cutting the grass too short is the classic July mistake, usually with good intentions – mow low now, skip a mow later. The trouble shows up at the soil line. Bare ground takes full sun and heats fast, the root zone loses what moisture it had, and weed seeds get their opening. Taller grass does the reverse: the blades shade their own roots, and the soil beneath stays cooler and damper.

For cool-season grasses in summer, 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10cm) is the height to hold, and cutting more than a third of the blade at once tips the plant into shock. Several light mows beat one hard cut. A clean edge matters as much. A dull blade shreds the tips instead of slicing them, and frayed tips brown and invite disease, so a handheld tool like this Smith's mower blade sharpener from Amazon earns a place in the shed for a mid-season pass.

2. Water Deep, Water Early

(Image credit: Nico De Pasquale Photography / Getty Images)

An established lawn wants about an inch of water a week (2.5cm) in heat, though how it goes down counts for as much as the amount. A light sprinkle every evening barely helps. It wets the top half-inch and no more, drawing roots up into the layer of soil that dries out first each afternoon. One or two deep soakings a week pull them back down. That's the point of watering the lawn less often, not more.

What time you water the lawn is the other half. Earlier is better – water put down at dawn sinks in instead of steaming off the blades, and the lawn has all day to dry rather than sitting wet overnight. That overnight damp is the opening a lot of turf fungus needs. Whether you've hit that inch is hard to judge by eye, so an AcuRite glass rain gauge from Home Depot does the job, reading rainfall and sprinkler output.

3. Leave the Clippings Where They Land

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Grass clippings get blamed for thatch, and that reputation sends a lot of them to the curb. It's misplaced. Clippings off a routine mow are thin and green, breaking down in a week or two – too fast to pile up into anything. What they leave is a modest dose of nitrogen and a fine layer that slows the soil drying out.

The catch is that the clippings stay short. Let the grass go long and shaggy first, and the clumps that fall smother what's below – which loops back to mowing often and never scalping. Cut on schedule, drop the clippings, and the lawn feeds itself.

4. Ease Off the Fertilizer

(Image credit: New Africa / Shutterstock)

When a lawn looks stressed, the instinct is to feed it. In peak summer that backfires, at least for cool-season grasses. A heavy dose of nitrogen forces tender new growth right when the plant is trying to conserve energy and ride out the heat, and that soft growth scorches, pulling water the roots can't spare.

It depends on the grass. Cool-season types like fescue and ryegrass are better left alone until early fall, when a feeding helps them recover. Warm-season grasses such as Bermuda and zoysia are the exception – they grow through the heat and can take a light summer feeding. For a struggling cool-season lawn, the July answer is patience, not fertilizer. Feeding it now does more harm than good.

5. Scout for Summer Pests

(Image credit: wildpixel / Getty Images)

A brown patch that keeps widening no matter how much you water usually points to something other than drought. Two pests cause this kind of damage in summer, and they come at the lawn from opposite ends. Above ground, chinch bugs (Blissus leucopterus) tap the stems and siphon them dry; the yellowing turns brown and spreads fastest in the driest spells. Below it, the larvae of Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) – the common white grub – chew through roots until the turf loses its grip and peels back like carpet.

A quick check settles it: tug at a brown patch, and if it lifts with pale grubs curled beneath, there's the answer. Grubs are simplest to control with a granular treatment – a product like Scotts GrubEx from Walmart, applied to a dry lawn and watered in, covers both over a good stretch. Catch them before the patches join up and it's a spot treatment, not reseeding in fall.

The heat that can come with the month of July can undo all of your hard gardening work from the spring. You water everything, it looks spectacular, and then the sun comes in and bakes everything. By the next morning, the soil is crumbly and dry, looking neglected, and your plants are no better off than when they started. The problem isn’t lack of effort, that’s for sure; it’s the method you’re using.

Most surface watering, no matter how good your intentions are, never gets deep enough to give your trees and shrubs what they actually need. If you’ve been pondering why your trees look stressed despite you regularly watering them in the summer, the answer probably isn’t what you’re not doing, but where the water is going (and where it isn’t). If you’re looking for a broader look at getting the most out of watering your garden, check out our guide to watering the garden before you continue reading.

Why Shallow Watering Is Quietly Sabotaging Your Trees

Corona Tools Rootirrigator

When you’re going about your tree watering routine, two things happen when it lands on the surface: some of it evaporates right away, and the rest encourages the roots to grow upward toward the moisture rather than down into the earth. After a period of time, that will create a shallow, surface-level root system that will be highly vulnerable to drought, heat stress, and wind. The tree may look well-established from the outside, but inside, the roots are camping just below the surface and are way too dependent on their next watering from you.

Deep roots, however, make trees super resilient to whatever Mother Nature throws at them. When roots grow downward (about 1-2 feet into the soil) they have access to moisture reserves that surface heat can’t reach. It also helps them stay anchored when it’s really windy and will help sustain them through droughts without the need for constant watering from you. Essentially, the goal of summer watering isn’t to just keep the tree alive – you’re training it to look after itself.

The Tool That Changes How You Water

Corona Tools Rootirrigator

The Corona Tools LG 3710 RootIRRIGATOR (available on Amazon) is a 46-inch deep-watering probe designed to do exactly one thing: get water directly to your roots, bypassing the surface entirely. It’s super easy to use, as you can connect it to any standard garden hose, insert the probe into the soil near the plant's base, and water flows straight down to where roots actually live.

It has 3 depth markers at 12, 18, and 24 inches that take the guesswork out of how deep you're irrigating. For watering newly planted trees, 12 inches is usually enough, while established trees need watering at the 18- to 24-inch mark where feeder roots are most active.

There is a detachable 3-inch brass shut-off valve that gives you exact control over the flow rate, so you can slow it right down and let water absorb gradually rather than rushing through compacted soil. Plus, the ComfortGEL grip makes this considerably easier to use than it might sound. That means no blisters, no tired hands, even in hard or rocky soil.

What It Works On and How to Use It

The RootIRRIGATOR is most valuable for:

Trees: Both newly planted and long-established. New trees need deep watering every few days during their first summer, while established trees benefit most from a slow, deep session once a week during heat waves rather than a bunch of shallow sprinkles.

Shrubs: Especially the large, deep-rooted varieties like hydrangeas, roses, and viburnum that tend to struggle when only the surface stays moist.

Compacted or clay soil: Where surface water tends to run off before it can penetrate, the probe delivers water directly past that super hard layer to where the soil is easier to penetrate.

The technique is quite simple: Insert the probe about 6 to 8 inches from the trunk. It’s a common mistake to insert the probe at the base of the tree, but feeder roots actually extend outward, not straight down.

Slowly open the valve and allow water to flow for 30 seconds to 1 minute per insertion point. Move the probe around to about 2 or 3 different positions around the drip line of the tree (this is the outer edge of the canopy where root uptake is most active) for the most coverage. If you’re working on clay soil, insert and remove the probe slowly to avoid compressing the surrounding soil.

Corona Tools Rootirrigator

A Bonus Use Most People Miss

The RootIRRIGATOR pulls double duty as it also works as a delivery tool for fertilizer. Liquid fertilizers can be applied directly through the probe to the root zone, where uptake is much more efficient than simple surface application.

It’s especially useful for trees that are showing signs of iron deficiency or for giving newly planted ones a boost in their first season. It may seem like a small detail, but it makes an already useful tool even more versatile.

If you've been watering your trees constantly and wondering why they still look like they're dying in July, this is probably the missing puzzle piece you’ve been looking for.

Pick a handful of basil at seven in the morning and again at three in the afternoon from the same plant and taste them side by side. The morning leaves will undoubtedly taste better – sharper, more perfumed, the flavor sitting right up front. The afternoon leaves will likely be flatter, a little grassy, and missing whatever it was that made them worth growing. But nothing about the plant changed, only the clock did.

There is chemistry behind this change and it’s important to understand why flavor is so different depending on what time you harvest vegetables and herbs. Knowing how to harvest vegetables at the right hour turns out to matter about as much as knowing when plants are ready to pick. Water moves through a plant on a daily cycle. So do its sugars and the volatile oils that carry aroma, though not all of plants’ flavor peak at the same time.

Pick plants at the right point in the cycle and you’ll taste the difference. Harvest at the wrong time and the flavor will fall flat. I’ll share the best time of day to harvest some common vegetables and herbs for the peak flavor.

Why Flavor Changes

Overnight, a plant refills. With the sun down, transpiration more or less stops while the roots keep pushing water upward. So, by dawn, the cells are packed tight and under pressure. Pressure is what you're hearing when a cucumber snaps rather than bends.

Harvest a head of lettuce at first light and it will stay crisp in the fridge for days. Cut the same head at noon and it goes limp much quicker, having never had the chance to fill back up before harvesting.

Volatile oils follow their own schedule, too. In herbs, the compounds that carry aroma build up through the cool hours and start burning off as leaf temperature climbs, which is exactly what you're smelling when you brush past a rosemary bush on a hot afternoon. That perfume in the air is the flavor that has already left the plant.

Sugars run the opposite direction, accumulating through the day as photosynthesis does its work, which sets up a small conflict worth being aware of.

(Image credit: ARTFULLY PHOTOGRAPHER / Shutterstock)Plants That Change Flavor the Most

There are herbs that shift in flavor more depending on the time of day you harvest them. Basil carries its character in essential oils that thin out under direct sun, and mint, oregano, and thyme behave the same way.

Cut them early in the day when the oil content is at its peak. A pair of Fiskars micro-tip snips from Amazon makes clean cuts that don't crush the stem tissue, which can make herbs lose even more flavor – a mashed stem bleeds oils you were trying to preserve.

Then there are the leafy greens. Heat turns lettuce bitter. Warmth nudges the plant toward bolting and the milky latex sitting in those ribs results in bitterness in your salad.

Cucumbers pull a similar trick under stress, concentrating cucurbitacin. Corn is its own separate headache. Sugar in a harvested ear starts turning to starch right away and an ear picked in the heat of the afternoon does this quicker than one picked in the cool of the morning.

(Image credit: Getty Images)The Best Time to Harvest Veggies & Herbs

The best time to harvest herbs and vegetables is in the early morning, once the dew has dried, but before the sun has any real heat in it. Somewhere in that window – an hour or two after sunrise – is ideal.

The plant is at full turgor, the oils are still where they belong, and the tissue itself is cool enough that it won't start breaking down the moment it's off the vine. But wet foliage is something that needs to be avoided, too, since water sitting on cut surfaces invites rot in storage. So wait for dew to dry.

Get the harvest out of the sun quickly. A Fiskars harvest basket from Walmart lets produce be rinsed and drained in the same container into which it was picked.

For a big morning's harvest, a basic cooler chest from Target parked in the shade holds everything at temperature until it goes inside to your fridge. Field heat is the enemy here. Every degree a vegetable or herb carries into the kitchen means respiration eating its sugars.

Evening after the heat has broken makes a reasonable second choice for the best produce picking time. It’s better than harvesting at noon by a wide margin, and much better than not picking at all.

(Image credit: Peter Cade / Getty Images)The Worst Time to Harvest Veggies & Herbs

Mid-afternoon on a hot day is the worst time to harvest. The plant has been losing water for hours, the leaves are slightly wilted even if they don't look it, and the volatile compounds have been cooking off since mid-morning.

Anything picked then arrives warm, soft, and already expending its own sugars to stay alive. Refrigerating produce slows that down, but it doesn't reverse anything. Once an herb's oils are gone, no amount of careful storage brings them back.

There is one complication, though. Because sugars build up through the day, some crops like carrots, certain tomatoes, and sweet corn can taste measurably sweeter when picked in late afternoon or early evening than when harvested at dawn.

Growers who care about sugar content sometimes pick at that time, accepting the wilt and cooling the harvest fast to compensate. But for the average garden, morning still wins, since crispness and aroma are what a home cook notices most.

I've always had a bit of an understanding with the squirrels that visit my garden. They don't cause too much trouble, and in return, I don't let my overzealous lurcher out if I spot one happily wandering across the lawn.

It might sound silly, but I quite enjoy watching them scamper along the fence or bury the odd acorn before disappearing again. And, to be fair to my local squirrels, they know which side their bread is buttered (or should that be, which side their nut is buttered?), as they prefer to keep their visits fleeting so as not to run into my aforementioned mutt.

Not everyone has a squirrel-deterring dog at their disposal, though. My mother-in-law and several of my neighbors, for example, have spent years trying to stop squirrels from digging up flower beds, nibbling vegetables, and unearthing newly planted bulbs. Rather than turning to traps or chemical repellents, they've had surprising success with a much prettier (and much more natural) solution: marigolds.

Do Marigolds Really Deter Squirrels?

Marigolds, you say? Deter squirrels, you gasp? Yes, while these cheerful flowers have long been a staple in cottage gardens and vegetable patches, they're more than just a colorful annual. Many gardeners believe marigolds can help deter squirrels and other unwanted visitors, all thanks to their distinctive scent.

Now, a caveat before we delve any deeper; the scientific evidence specifically linking marigolds to squirrel deterrence is scanty. Still, the idea has been passed down among gardeners for generations, and all hinges on the fact that these pretty flowers produce a strong aroma – one that some people believe squirrels find so unpleasant that it encourages them to forage elsewhere.

(Image credit: Schnuddel / Getty Images)

Whether it's the scent itself or simply the fact that marigolds are often planted as part of a diverse and healthy garden (they make excellent companion plants!), plenty of gardeners say they've noticed fewer curious diggers after adding them to their beds.

That makes marigolds an easy, low-risk option to try if you want to deter squirrels in a kinder, more natural way. They're inexpensive, easy to grow from seed (we love the Burpee range of marigold seeds) or young plants, and bloom for months with very little fuss.

Better still, they're loved by bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators (including your birth month bug), which means they can support the wider health of your garden while potentially helping to keep squirrels at bay.

(Image credit: Alamy)

If squirrels are constantly digging up bulbs or helping themselves to your vegetable patch, try planting marigolds around the edges of raised beds and vegetable gardens.

It is also a good shout to plant them bear tulips, crocuses, and other bulbs squirrels love to dig up, along pathways and garden borders, or in containers in spots where squirrels often wander. French marigolds (like these HOME GROWN Petite French Marigold Seeds) are often recommended because they have a particularly strong fragrance, although any marigold variety can make a striking addition to sunny borders.

All that being said, marigolds aren't a magic fix; hungry squirrels are remarkably persistent, especially in late summer and fall when they're busy storing food for winter. Still, as part of a wildlife-friendly approach that also includes clearing up fallen birdseed, protecting newly planted bulbs with wire mesh, and reducing easy food sources, they may help make your garden a less inviting place for these bushy-tailed vagrants to linger.

Shop Three More Plants That Help Deter Squirrels:

LAVENDER

CZ Grain Lavender Plant Plugs Live for Planting

Lavender is as useful as it is beautiful. While people love its calming fragrance, many gardeners believe squirrels are less enthusiastic about its strong aroma

PEPPERMINT

Bonnie Plants Peppermint, Live Plant

The powerful menthol scent of peppermint is thought to overwhelm squirrels' sensitive noses, making them less likely to investigate nearby plants.

DAFFODILS

Marde Ross & Company 5 Jersey Lace Narcissus Bulbs

Daffodils contain naturally occurring compounds that make them unappealing to many animals, including squirrels. Plant then alongside more vulnerable bulbs.

One of the nicest things about planting marigolds is that, even if they don't solve your squirrel problem overnight, you've still added months of vibrant color to your yard (there are so many reasons why it is such a popular annual to grow!).

If you want to deter squirrels, there are rarely any guarantees; these clever little animals quickly adapt to new surroundings, and what works in one neighborhood may not work in another. Still, if you're looking for a simple, affordable, and wildlife-friendly alternative to traps, marigolds are certainly worth a place in your garden, especially as they might encourage those furry visitors to move on to someone else's flower bed instead.

And if all else fails? I can really recommend the ever-barking lurcher option (although, fair warning, your lawn will not thank you for it!).

Summer is a gorgeous season, but unfortunately pests adore it too and come out in abundance. It can be tough to keep pests at bay and ensure that your plants are protected - I know I've definitely woken up to my berries all eaten and my plant beds thoroughly trampled on before!

There are so many pest prevention solutions out there, from fences to chemicals and traps. But if you're looking for something easy to use that won't harm your plants you might need to look no further than in your kitchen cupboards.

Cayenne pepper is an excellent summer pest deterrent, detested by so many different animals and insects. And the best part is that it's cheap and chemical free! (You can even find cayenne pepper in bulk on Amazon). I talked to an assortment of gardening pros to learn exactly why it's so effective at deterring pests and the best ways to use it in a yard. Your plants will definitely be thanking you.

Why Do Pests Hate Cayenne Pepper?

Cayenne pepper is hated by common garden pests because it's a form of irritant. Its strong scent and spicy flavor profile is a lot for a pest's nose, eyes or paws to bear, encouraging them to steer clear.

As Jessica Mercer a horticulturalist at Plant Addicts, explains: "Cayenne pepper works as a pest deterrent because it contains capsaicin, the compound responsible for the pepper's spicy heat. It is an irritant to mammals, including rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, voles, raccoons, and deer, as well as soft-bodied insects. Cayenne irritates the mouth, nose, and mucous membranes, so the pests may avoid treated plants or soil after they smell or taste it."

There are many different ways to harness the humane, organic pest-banishing power of cayenne pepper, so there's bound to be something that works for you and your garden.

What are the Best Ways to Use Cayenne Pepper in the Garden?

(Image credit: Helin Loik-Tomson / Getty Images)

There are three primary ways to use cayenne pepper as a pest deterrent in your yard: in its powder form, diluted with water, or diluted with a mixture of water and super mild soap.

If you're using cayenne in its powder form Lindsey Chastain of Waddle and Cluck recommends targeting the base of your plants or the borders of beds. This way, there's a barrier created between your pests and your greenery using the cayenne pepper.

She explains: "Just sprinkle it around the edges of garden beds or around the base of plants. Crawling pests like slugs and ants won't want to crawl over it and it will also keep rabbits, squirrels, and deer away. Anything that feels the irritation will back off."

Combining the cayenne pepper with a bit of water can elevate the hack, providing you with a spray you can use on the leaves of your plants to stop pests from munching on them.

Adding a small amount of mild soap can help the cayenne and water solution to better adhere to leaves, especially if you live in a rainy area and don't want the cayenne to rapidly wash away. Though be sure to use something extremely gentle like a baby soap in small doses.

Are There Any Downsides to This Hack?

(Image credit: Nitr / Shutterstock)

The main downside to this hack is that the cayenne pepper will dilute and/or wash away when it rains, so it will need reapplying. If you live in an area with less rainfall this hack may be better suited for your needs.

Lindsey also noted to me that cayenne will irritate people's pets as well so if you have pets, it's important to consider whether they will be able to access the areas where you plan to use the pepper.

Jessica added that birds don't react to capsaicin in the same way that other pests do, so if you specifically have a bird problem the cayenne pepper may not work to discourage them or they will just get used to it.

If this is the case, the hack will work more effectively alongside other pest prevention methods for birds such as using netting like the Sukh Garden Mesh from Amazon or physical barriers like these Amazon Plant Protectors to shield your plants.

Summers today are hotter than summers in yesteryear. But for those of us who want to enjoy the sights and sounds of backyard birds in summer, it’s important to keep our little friends hydrated in the best way, despite the rising temperatures. Birds feel the same discomfort in hot weather as humans do, but birds don’t sweat. Instead, they try to regulate their body temperature by panting. This can all take a toll on garden birds, resulting in rapid moisture loss.

Your bird bath can help garden birds make it through the summer – but simply setting out water isn’t always enough to attract your bird friends, especially when intense heat quickens the rate of evaporation and encourages the potential for algae. When temperatures spike above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32°C), you quickly wind up with a stagnant, sun-baked bird bath or an empty bowl. Providing consistently chilled, reliable hydration will boost your bird numbers, but how do you ensure this in a way that isn’t too draining on your own time?

If you don’t want your bird bath to become a hot tub or an empty bowl, and want to save yourself some time while enjoying the view, this trick is perfect for you. Discover how a simple Tupperware tub holds the key to happy, hydrated birds that stay cool and refreshed for longer, freeing up more of your time for relaxing in the yard!

Birds Just Want to Stay Cool

A garden without birds is more like a photo than a living ecosystem. It’s the butterflies winging by, the hum of bees, and, mostly, the twitter of wild birds in the trees that make a landscape come alive. When the heat is oppressive, birds suffer just like we do, and the most important survival step is to stay hydrated. While we can open the refrigerator and pull out a bottle of cool water, cardinals and robins cannot – and that bird bath needs to work extra hard when temperatures soar.

During peak July heatwaves, you can fill a shallow bird bath in the morning, only to find it bone-dry or hot enough to steep tea by noon. Constantly running out with the hose or watering can is a chore that quickly loses its charm, and birds won’t visit your bird bath if it is left to stagnate. Added to which, warm, stagnant water is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and mosquito larvae.

(Image credit: Chelsea Sampson / Getty Images)

Keeping water fresh and cool is the single best way to prevent the transmission of avian diseases in summer, as well as keeping them refreshed. But unless there happens to be a sheltered river running through a forest near your property, it’s up to you to take action to keep your local finches, sparrows, robins, cardinals and bluebirds hydrated in a heatwave. Luckily, the following trick really can help you protect birds from heat exhaustion and illness, while sparing yourself endless trips to and from the faucet.

Keeping a Bird Bath Cool in a Heatwave

(Image credit: Peter B Nyren / 500px / Getty Images)

Icecubes are a wonderful thing in a heatwave. Have you ever taken a tall kitchen glass full of ice cubes and water or lemonade out to the patio during summer heat? The beverage stays cooler longer, giving you more time to finish the drink at a nice temperature. Well, you can also use the ice cube principle to keep your birdbath cool in summer heat. First, make sure your bird basin is placed in dappled shade, under trees or shrubs. Water features are best in areas that receive some afternoon shade to naturally block out the most punishing UV rays.

As for the bath, ceramic and stone bowls are ideal. One great ceramic option is the Sunnydaze Avignon Freestanding Ceramic Bird Bath from Walmart. Exercise caution with metal bowls. A thin, cheap metal dish in direct sunlight can quickly reach temperatures that are painful to avian feet. However, heavy-duty cast iron or shaded aluminum baths can work under dense tree cover with a cooling element. There are also some excellent plastic and resin options, such as the popular Best Choice Vintage Fleur de Lis Standing Bird Bath from Amazon. With these elements in hand, you’re ready to deploy the secret weapon for thirsty birds: the giant ice cube!

Using the Tupperware Trick

(Image credit: Pashkov Andrey / Alamy)

Now, our ice cubes are designed to fit into glasses and beakers. These small pieces of ice would cool off the bird bath water, but only for a short period of time. Just set an ice cube on the deck in the next heatwave and see how fast it turns into a puddle of water. Instead, you need to make a large ice cube, specially for the birds. For this, you need to use a tupperware or other large, plastic container. It’s all about the surface area-to-volume ratio. Tiny household ice cubes melt in mere minutes under a hot July sun because of their high surface area. However, a dense block of ice in a standard 32 or 64-ounce Tupperware container has a much lower surface area relative to its thermal mass, so it takes a lot longer to thaw.

(Image credit: Wirestock / Getty Images)

Ensure your container is made of flexible, freezer-safe plastic, so the frozen block slides out easily after a quick rinse under the tap. If you haven’t got any Tupperware, you can pick up packs of mixed-size food storage containers online. The Rubbermaid EasyStore 18-Piece Set from Walmart is a good option for freezing large, easy-release blocks of ice. You can also get GladWare DeepDish Containers (64 oz) in packs of three from Amazon. Fill your tub with water and freeze it overnight. In the early morning, add your giant ice cube to the bird bath. As it slowly melts, it will create chilled water for your wild birds to enjoy.

Variations on the Tupperware Trick

(Image credit: Kyryl Gorlov / Alamy)

Alternatively, you can use small plastic water bottles to freeze the water. By freezing water inside sealed, reusable plastic bottles, the cooling effect is transferred directly through the plastic barrier without raising the water level of your bath as it thaws. Fill each one up about three-quarters of the way before you freeze them. This gives the water room to expand as it freezes. In the morning, change out the water in the bird bath. Then take out one or two bottles and lay them directly in the water. These act as big ice cubes, cooling the water in the bowl for hours. Later in the day, switch these out for new bottles and refreeze the old ones.

(Image credit: Ray Kennedy / Alamy)

For an extra touch of summer fun, use your giant ice cubes or bottles of ice alongside a floating solar aerator. A solar-powered floating fountain will create sparkles and splashes to attract your birds. Furthermore, mosquitoes require still water to lay their eggs, so a moving, chilled bath disrupts their breeding cycle. Try the Mademax Solar Bird Bath Fountain Upgrade from Amazon, which can be dropped into an existing bath and runs without wiring.

Other Summer Bird Bath Essentials

(Image credit: Tomazl / Getty Images)

Your giant ice cube will keep water cool for longer and save you loads of time at the faucet – but it’s still important to keep an eye on the general cleanliness of things every few days. Make sure your bird bath is kept free of organic debris, bird droppings, and algae. It’s a good idea to scrub your bird bath once or twice a week using a stiff brush, such as the Songbird Essentials Bird Brush from Amazon. Use a simple solution of nine parts water to one part white vinegar. Rinse and dry completely before refilling.

For a more relaxing way of keeping your bird bath water clean, try using a copper disc into the bowl. You can pick these up inexpensively online. Our team loves the Melbree Bird Bath Purification Discs, also available from Amazon. They are a simple way of preventing algae buildup, helping to keep the basins cleaner for even longer.

Shop Bird Bath Extras

Ready to finetune your summer bird sanctuary? These curated backyard essentials are guaranteed to keep your feathered friends happy, hydrated, and returning to your yard even when summer temperatures spike. Slide these avian treasures into place as summer heats up, so birds know your backyard is the place to be!

Perfect Play

Mademax Mademax Solar Bird Bath Fountain Pump

Keep birdies amused as well as hydrated at the bird bath with one of these popular solar-powered fountains. Floating on the water, they are a great way to maintain bird activity and as a bonus, they help to deter mosquitoes from laying eggs. A lovely way to keep birds coming back over summer.

Clean Sweep

Modanu Modanu Ergonomic Brush for Bird Feeders and Baths

Keeping your summer bird bath clean is a breeze with this heavy-duty, ergonomic utility brush. The stiff, durable bristles easily strip away stubborn green algae and mineral deposits without scratching delicate ceramic or stone basins. Pair it with a simple splash of white vinegar for a safe, non-toxic deep clean.

Extra Splashing

Bakayoyo Bakayoyo Ceramic Bird Bath for Decks. and Balconies

Communal water stations are key to happy birds, but don't rely solely on one. You can place this splashing basin near your main bathing bowl so more birds can refresh and hydrate. This pretty ceramic dish is shallow, safe, and sturdy, and makes the perfect accompaniment to your main ice-cool bathing zone.

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If you love to cook, you already know how much herbs add to a recipe. But what if, instead of using dried herbs or quick-grown packaged herbs from the grocery store, you could pluck fresh, tasty herbs right from your own backyard? Because you'll be shocked how much more flavorful homegrown herbs are.

Most are so simple to grow, too. Many home cooks assume growing herbs is only for the greenest of thumbs, but these plants are very forgiving. Our selection of beginner-friendly herbs are especially easy to grow, and you don't need to have any specialist gardening knowledge to raise them successfully. All thrive in containers, too, so even if your garden space is a doorstep or a balcony, you can grow them. Not only do homegrown herbs taste so much better, they'll save you money, too.

There are many varieties to choose from that you simply can't buy in stores, so there's a world of flavors waiting to be explored. Be warned, though: once you start a herb garden and realise the difference adding fresh leaves makes to all your dishes, you'll want to grow more.

Why Herbs Are Great for Beginner Gardeners

Most popular culinary herbs originate from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea such as Italy, Greece and Spain. There they evolved to thrive in a hot, dry climate, often in poor, sandy soil – and this makes them very easy to grow. Get the basics right (and they're detailed below), and you can't go wrong.

The varieties we’ve chosen here are particularly forgiving and are the best herbs for beginner gardeners, and can be grown in beds or containers. Many gardeners like to grow herbs in a raised garden bed with wheels such as this from Amazon. This puts your herbs at a good height for harvesting and keeps them away from slugs and snails, and you can wheel the planter from back door to barbecue to outdoor dining table for easy pickings.

To replicate the fast-draining conditions herbs have evolved in, grow your plants in fast-draining soil. You can buy potting soil designed especially for herbs such as Rosy Soil Herb, available from Amazon, or use a multipurpose potting mix with moisture control such as Miracle Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix, also available from Amazon.

The Easy Herbs Every Cook Should Grow1. Basil

(Image credit: Ilona.Shorokhova / Shutterstock)

Topping our list of easy herbs to grow, basil is often known as the king of herbs for its elegant aroma and flavor. It’s a must-have herb in Italian dishes, including pizza, pastas, pesto, and any recipe with tomatoes. Basil grows quickly from seed and is highly productive, giving even first-time gardeners a good harvest.

Grow basil in a warm spot that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day. Harvest early and often by pinching off leaves, which encourages more growth. Don’t let flowers develop, though, as this changes the flavor of the leaves – just pinch flowerbuds off as you spot them.

Basil doesn't tolerate the cold so in most zones, it's best to sow anew every spring, or take the pot indoors over winter. It can be overwintered outside in zones 10 and 11. There are all sorts of basil varieties to choose from, offering a surprising spectrum of flavors, from classic Italian Genovese to sweet Purple Petra and citrus Lemon Basil, with seeds available from Botanical Interests. If you don't want to wait for seeds to grow, then you can buy Sweet Basil plants from Lowes.

2. Mint

(Image credit: Paul Maguire / Shutterstock)

Mint is a versatile culinary herb, useful for everything from meats and salads to teas and desserts. It’s also good for your digestion, and it's quick and easy to steep leaves in just-boiled water to make an after-dinner herb tea. Harvest leaves regularly by pinching or snipping off entire stems.

Mint is among the easiest of all plants – not just herbs – to grow in sun or partial shade. In fact, it's so enthusiastic that you should only grow mint in a pot, and stand that container on hard ground lest the roots escape from the drainage hole. Grown in the ground, runners will shoot out in all directions and can take over big areas.

Hardy in zones 3 through 11, once you've planted mint it will be with you practically forever! Regular common mint is quick and easy to grow from seed, and you can buy seed from Amazon. There are over 7,500 varieties of mint though, and each has its own flavor, so do explore. A great one to try is Chocolate Mint which has a mint-choc-chip flavor, and plants are available from Nature Hills Nursery.

3. Chives

(Image credit: Albert Fertl / Getty Images)

Chives provide a delicate onion flavor perfect for potato dishes, dips, eggs, and salads. It’s very easy to grow chives in a variety of conditions, even partial shade, as long as the soil drains well. Chive plants are hardy in zones 3–10 and are quick to grow from seed, and Burpee has some flavorful varieties to choose from.

The flowers are also edible, and very pretty, making chives one of the best herbs to grow. There are even varieties that have been bred to be more ornamental with bigger flowers, with the leaves just as flavorful, such as Chivette Chives, and plants are available from Nature Hills Nursery.

To harvest chives, use a sharp pair of scissors to snip leaves off at the base. Do not pull them out by the root. Harvest chives regularly not just to enjoy them in the kitchen, but also to keep the plant from getting too crowded.

4. Parsley

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Parsley is one of the most versatile of culinary herbs and a workhorse in the kitchen. Use it whenever you want a green herby flavor to lighten a heavy dish. It works well in stocks, soups, and stews, and in parsley-heavy condiments and salads, like chimichurri and tabouleh.

Parsley is hardy in zones 5 through 9, though it's a short-lived plant so it's easier to sow fresh every year, in all zones. Burpee stocks a great selection of seeds, including the very flavorful flat-leafed parsley. Or, if you're impatient to get cooking, Flat Italian Parsley plants are available from Lowes.

You can grow parsley in full sun or partial shade, and harvest by cutting stems at the base from the outside of the plant, not the centre.

5. Thyme

(Image credit: DimaBerlin / Shutterstock)

Thyme works well in heavy, flavorful dishes, including stews, cooked meats, and roasted vegetables. In the garden, thyme is a drought- and heat-tolerant sun-lover that thrives even when neglected. Grow thyme in soil that drains very well, as this plant can even cope with sandy or rocky conditions. In zones 5 through 9, thyme plants will last for years.

You can buy culinary thyme seeds from Eden Brothers, or skip straight to the good bit with English Thyme plants from Lowes. To harvest thyme, trim off the tender, non-woody stem tips frequently throughout the growing season.

6. Rosemary

(Image credit: ARTFULLY PHOTOGRAPHER / Shutterstock)

Like thyme, rosemary is a forgiving herb that grows well even in dry, hot conditions. Also like thyme, it needs full sun and very good drainage, and won’t tolerate soggy soil or wet roots. A plant will last for years and you can grow rosemary outdoors year-round in zones 8-11; if you grow this herb in cooler climates, then it needs to be overwintered indoors.

Rosemary is very slow and tricky to grow from seed, so buy an established plant, available from Lowes.

Harvest rosemary by snipping off the tender green tips of stems and enjoy their bold, piney flavor in robust dishes such as stews, roasted meats and vegetables, and sauces. It’s even good in baked goods like breads, scones, and crackers.

7. Oregano

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Oregano is a staple in many Mediterranean dishes and also commonly used in Mexican recipes, so this is a versatile herb with an earthy flavor you can use in many ways. It pairs very well with tomatoes and roasted vegetables, and is a must on pizza.

Oregano grows readily in full sun and hot conditions. Once established, it won’t need to be watered often, and thrives outdoors in zones 4 through 10. This isn't the easiest plant to grow from seed, so we recommend buying a plant, and Italian Oregano is available from Lowes.

Harvest leaves by snipping off tips and stems before the plant blooms, as flower development changes the flavor.

8. Cilantro

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Yet another versatile herb on this list, cilantro is popular in Mexican, Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisines. It is a divisive herb and you either love it or you hate it! If you love cilantro, you’re in luck because it’s quick and easy to grow from seed, with a good selection stocked by Burpee. If you're a big cilantro fan then regular cilantro is for you; if not then do try Confetti Cilantro which as a more subtle taste.

Most folk in all zones grow cilantro fresh from seed every year as it's so fast-growing, though plants will survive outdoors year-round in zones 8-11. However, cilantro tends to bolt (go to seed) very quickly in temperatures above 50°F, when the taste becomes bitter. In hotter zones, grow new variety Calypso Cilantro, which is far slower to bolt and also available from Burpee.

Harvest cilantro by plucking leaves and stems from the outside of the plant.

Expert Herb-Growing Tips

While growing herbs is generally easy, these expert growing tips will ensure a bountiful, flavorful harvest:

• Read the plant label or online description to understand what conditions it will thrive in.
• You can plant herbs that like the same conditions in one planter. Thyme pairs well with rosemary as they both like dry conditions, while cilantro is a good pot-mate for basil as they both prefer more moisture. If you're planting your herbs in a raised bed, simply put those that like drier conditions at one end and those that prefer more moisture at the other. It's best to give mint its own pot as it's a bully of a housemate!
• If you're growing herbs in pots, they'll need watering regularly as the soil will dry out more quickly than if they were planted in the ground. Be careful not to overwater, though, especially with Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano.
• Don’t bother with fertilizer as most herbs don’t need it. In fact, too much feeding can reduce the concentration of flavorful oils in the leaves.
• Harvest your herbs regularly. Not only does this give you a steady supply of culinary ingredients, but it also encourages the plant to grow more.
• Extend the growing season by bringing pots indoors for winter. Place them by sunny windows to get year-round harvests.

Common Herb-Growing Mistakes

These herbs are very forgiving, even for newbies, but it’s still possible to make mistakes. Avoid these common pitfalls:

• Overwatering – this is the number one killer of new herb plants!
• Harvesting more than one-third of the plant at a time. It's important to leave enough leaves for the plant to photosynthesize.
• Letting herbs flower, also known as bolting, which stops leaf production and changes the flavor.

Fresh herbs offer some of the biggest gardening rewards for the least effort. If you like to cook but are new to gardening, don’t be intimidated. Herbs are much easier to grow than you think, especially if you start with these beginner-friendly options.

A natural, calorie-free sweetener you can grow in your own home garden? Sign me up! You may have seen powdered stevia sweetener on grocery store aisles, but you can grow your own much more cheaply and use your harvest year-round.

The stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) is an herb native to Brazil and Paraguay and hardy in USDA Zones 9-11. However, you can grow it as an annual in other zones and it makes a particularly nice container plant or addition to a kitchen garden.

Unlike artificial sweeteners, stevia is a natural source of sweetness and, unlike sugar or honey, it has zero calories. You can grow stevia from seed or buy a live stevia plant from Hirt’s Gardens on Amazon. Let’s explore how to grow and use stevia as a natural, homegrown sweetener!

How to Grow Stevia Plants

Did you know that stevia is 200-300 times sweeter than white sugar? Pretty impressive for such a lowkey plant, and you can easily grow your own to sweeten any recipe.

Stevia plants like warmth and well-drained soil. While they are perennial herbs in USDA Zones 9-11, they can be overwintered indoors in cooler climates or planted anew every spring. Plant your stevia plants 18 inches apart in the ground or a raised bed, or plant one in a 12-inch porch pot.

Stevia likes consistent moisture but you shouldn’t let the soil become soggy. A simple soil moisture meter from Amazon will help you to keep track of the moisture levels, or water when the top inch of soil is dry.

Ensure your stevia plants get 6 or more hours of sunlight, and cut off any flowers that might pop up to help the leaves retain their sweetness.

Stevia leaves are most sweet during the fall when temperatures begin to cool off, but they can still be harvested and enjoyed through the spring and summer.

How to Use Stevia Plants as a Natural, Sugar-Free Sweetener

(Image credit: Santje09 / Getty Images)

There are a couple different ways to use stevia leaves to sweeten your culinary adventures. Leaves can be used fresh, dried, or as an infusion. Stevia plant leaves are about a quarter of the sweetness of commercially available stevia powders, so it is harder to over-sweeten things.

Note: Stevia leaves and commercial stevia powders should not be consumed during pregnancy without first consulting your doctor.

1. Using Fresh Stevia Leaves

A great way to use your homegrown stevia is fresh off the plant! Take a leaf, drop it in a mug and pour your hot tea or coffee over it to extract its sweetness.

You could do the same thing if making a batch of iced tea this summer! Boil water, place tea bags and 4-5 stevia leaves in your pitcher, and pour the water in. Let it cool and add some ice for a sugar-free taste of summer!

(Image credit: Olga Pankova / Getty Images)2. Using Dried Stevia Leaves

Again, your stevia will be the sweetest at the end of the growing season, but you can harvest all season long. In order to save the sweetness for your cups of tea this fall and winter, harvest and dry your leaves to use as a powder.

Snip off stevia stems and strip the leaves off of them. Place the leaves on a kitchen towel in the sun to dry out for a couple days or use a food dehydrator like this highly-rated one from Amazon to speed things up. Once the leaves are dry, blitz them in a food processor or spice grinder to turn them into a powder that can be stored in an airtight container.

Take a little pinch and add it to your food and beverages for a boost of sweetness!

3. Make a Stevia Leaf Infusion

A great way to use your stevia leaves is in an infusion. You can make an infusion with water, or by using vodka and cooking off the alcohol in it.

To make an infusion with water, rinse and coarsely chop ½ cup of stevia leaves. Place in a jar and pour 1 cup of warm water over top. Steep for 24-36 hours and strain out the leaves. You could also use a teapot with a removable tea infuser basket like this one from Amazon. Store your infusion in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

To make an infusion with vodka, rinse and coarsely chop 1 cup of stevia leaves. Place leaves in a lidded jar with 1 cup of any brand of vodka, cover, and shake the jar. Ensure all the leaves are covered by the vodka and let sit for no more than 48 hours. Strain out the leaves and pour the infusion into a small saucepot. Simmer the vodka infusion on the stove for 5-7 minutes to cook off the alcohol and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 months.

Stevia is a wonderful way to sweeten beverages and food naturally without adding sugar and extra calories. Add this unique herb to your garden and get ready for a sweet reward!

The Fiskars SmartFit Steel Bypass Pruner P68 is a classic, lightweight model of one-handed pruning shears, designed to perform a wide range of pruning tasks toward the easier-going end of the pruning spectrum.

These shears can delicately prune soft plants, remove dead flower heads, cut woody shrub branches, and – with a bit of effort – cut relatively thin tree branches. Do bear in mind that the P68 has a maximum cutting width of 5/8", which will limit your options when it comes to pruning trees.

One of the key reasons to choose this pruner, rather than another pair of bypass pruning shears, is affordability. The P68 costs far less than high-performing alternative models such as the Felco No. 6 pruners, which we also reviewed here.

Despite their reasonable price, Fiskars pruners have some great design features that earned the brand a place on the list of the best pruners experts recommend. The blades on this particular pair of Fiskars pruners are made with hardened steel – ideal for long-term performance with minimal upkeep required. Meanwhile, the handles are made with a combination of durable, lightweight aluminum and soft-surfaced plastic, ensuring easy, comfortable usage.

We assessed this pruner by using it to perform a variety of pruning tasks around the yard. In keeping with the tool’s advertised capabilities, our test activities included deadheading, cutting soft plant stems, and pruning slender tree branches.

The UK equivalent to the P68 is the Fiskars Solid Bypass Pruner P121. The two models are similar in most respects, although UK readers should note that the P121 does not feature the "SmartFit" lever used to adjust the width of handle opening on the P68. A Fiskars P121 is shown in the testing photographs.

Overview

Finnish brand Fiskars is one of the biggest-names in affordable cutting tools for the home and garden. Founded in 1649, the company has a remarkably long history of designing and making useful, accessible products – especially scissors and shears.

The SmartFit Bypass Pruner P68 continues Fiskars’ fine tradition, offering a great combination of effective design and economical manufacture. A good pair of bypass shears is one of the 3 types of pruners every gardener should have and these are a good beginner model.

It’s usually possible to get hold of a Fiskars P68 for less than $20, from big box retailers such as Lowe's and Walmart. Readers in the UK who are seeking a similar option that’s available in their region can turn to the Fiskars Solid Bypass Pruner P121 on Amazon, for example..

(Image credit: Future)Key Specs

Type

Bypass pruner

Cutting capacity

5/8″

Blade material

Hardened steel

Handedness

Left or right

Accessories

N/A

Performance

The Fiskars P68 is designed for all-purpose pruning, from delicate tasks like deadheading to cutting relatively thin tree branches and twigs. So, our reviewer tested the shears by using them to perform a variety of tasks around the yard.

We started with the relatively tough task of cutting tree branches. The P68 proved capable of doing this type of work, although we had to put in a little more effort than was necessary when doing similar tasks with higher-spec bypass pruners. Nonetheless, the P68 cut a variety of tree branches effectively.

(Image credit: Pete Wise)

The P68 also proved capable of carrying out lighter pruning work, such as deadheading and cutting the stems of tender plants. We were satisfied with the clean, hygienic cuts the P68 made across the stems.

All things considered, the P68 is by no means the right pruner for every pruning task. However, this tool is a good option to cover most of the bases, from precision plant pruning to light tree pruning tasks.

This is an affordable model of pruner and you will usually get what you pay for, when it comes to product quality. The P68 won’t last you a lifetime, but based on our hands-on testing, these shears could indeed give you effective pruning in the short-to-medium term.

Should You Buy?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Price & availability

Unbeatable, budget-friendly price.

5/5

Design

An effective design with comfy ergonomic handles.

4/5

Performance

Reasonably good performance across tree and plant pruning tasks.

3/5

Buy It If...

Value for money is a factor.

The Fiskars P68 gives you decent pruning capabilities, at a far lower price than some premium alternatives.

You have small tree branches to prune.

These bypass shears are very good at cutting relatively thin tree branches (although they may struggle with thicker ones).

There’s a lot of pruning to do.

Lightweight and easy on the hand, the P68 is a convenient option for users who have lots of pruning to do around the yard.

Don't Buy It If...

Long-term use is your priority.

While the blades of the P68 are hardened for long-lasting sharpness, the overall build quality of the tool means you might be using these shears for years, but probably not decades.

You have thick tree branches to cut.

Any branches over one-inch thick are an unsuitable match for the P68. For wide branches, consider a higher-capacity pruner instead.

Traditional style matters to you.

This pruner has a smart, modern aesthetic which will appeal to many users. However, it’s a world away from the style of a traditional pair of secateurs.

(Image credit: Pete Wise)How Does It Compare?

While we would gladly recommend the Fiskars P68 to users who value affordability and versatility, some other readers will be better served with an alternative model.

FELCO F6 Pruning Shears

The Felco 6 Bypass Pruner is similar to the P68. However, the Felco pruners give you better cutting performance, and far greater longevity thanks to their build quality and ease of maintenance. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the cult-favorite Felco pruners cost about four times as much as the Fiskars P68.

Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears

If you're looking for a pruner that's even more affordable, these shears from Fiskars are a crowd-pleasing favorite. At just $12, you really can't get more budget-friendly. They are also steel and can cut up to 5/8" like the P68, but they don't have the ergonomic adjustable handles.

Greenworks Greenworks 24v 6" Mini Chainsaw Cordless

If you have lots of thick tree branches to prune, then we’d suggest looking at an entirely different type of pruner – not just a different model. For example, the Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw is our top-rated solution specifically for branch-cutting.

How We Tested

Our reviewer tested the Fiskars SmartFit Steel Bypass Pruner P68 by using it to prune various plants around the yard. He tested the shears on a wide range of plants, from marigolds with juicy stems to half-inch-thick crabapple tree branches.

“Here comes the sun,” goes the classic Beatles song. “Here comes the sun, and I say, ‘It’s all right.’” But some 60 years later, the summer sun is not always a sign of hope, and it can cause issues in the garden.

I just got back to San Francisco after some months in France. April and May were a delight but late June and early July brought a heat wave – with the highest temperatures ever recorded in the country (think 107 degrees F).

These temperatures killed off some of my favorite garden shrubs and made me rethink what to plant in the future. Let’s take stock of some traditional garden plants that struggle (or give up the ghost) in extreme heat as well as some great, heat-tolerant replacements.

1. Hydrangea (Hydrangea spp.)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

I have never seen my hydrangeas looking better than they did in April and May. I have three bigleafs, (Hydrangea macrophylla) two mopheads and one lacecap variety. They were stunning in spring, totally covered with the huge flowers, and even the leaves were starting to look baked.

Hydrangeas generally prefer morning sun and afternoon shade, so I have all of my plants planted where they don’t get much direct afternoon sun, but that did not save them. After one week of 100-plus temperatures, the pink and blue flowers had turned brown or green and when I left, they were beginning to drop.

Plant instead: Pentas (Pentas lanceolata)

(Image credit: Getty Images/Future)

We’ve found the perfect, heat-proof alternative. Pentas love intense sunshine and thrive in high heat. That’s why they are so popular in Florida. And they look a bit like hydrangeas with their blossom clusters. Their star-shaped flowers are a target for hummingbirds and butterflies.

Pentas "Star Bright Mix" 3 Pack

2. Peonies (Paeonia spp.)

(Image credit: Phil Carpenter / 500px / Getty Images)

With large, fragrant, long-flowering blooms, peonies are one of those shrubs that grace many a garden. These classic flowers need a site with mucho sunshine - at least 6 hours a day! But that doesn’t mean they will thrive in heatwaves.

The type of intense, direct hot sunshine we saw this summer does not make a peony happy. I saw my peony leaves scorch in two days, and the third day, the gorgeous petals began to fade and wilt. It’s enough to make a grown gardener weep!

Plant instead: Heat Tolerant Roses (Rosa spp.)

(Image credit: Knock Out Roses)

Most rose plants need some direct sun, but only a few, heat-tolerant roses survive temperatures of 100 degrees F for more than a few minutes. The ones that do share these traits: thick, leathery foliage; lots and lots of petals; and their own roots rather than grafted roots.

We recommend "Belinda’s Dream," said to be the top pick for the Deep South. Its huge pink flowers are intensely fragrant and don’t blink in 100-degree weather. "Julia Child" comes in next, with its continuous clusters of buttery yellow, licorice-scented blooms, even when summer heat hits news highs. Roses in the "Knock Out" family are also amazingly heat resistant. heat, their blooms may temporarily shrink or fade.

Julia Child Rose

3. Astilbe (Astilbe spp.)

(Image credit: Alex Manders / Getty Images)

Many of us have astilbes in the garden since they are known to be one of the easiest perennial flowers to grow. Their flowers are unusual as well, plume-like blooms in soft shades of white, pink, purple, and red. They rise above the airy foliage on stiff stocks. I can tell you from personal knowledge that these are extremely low maintenance additions to the shade garden, requiring only moisture and damp, loamy soil.

All these positive features are negatives as the summer temperatures rise. As summers turn hotter and drier, the feathery foliage actually burns - look for brown, crispy edges on the leaves - and wilting, browning blossoms. The plants just can’t uptake water fast enough to keep its flowers looking good.

Plant instead: Russian Sage (Salvia yangii)

(Image credit: Anmbph / Getty Images)

With its soft but dramatic spikes of lavender flowers lasting for up to four months, Russian sage offers the same type of unusual eye candy to the garden that makes astilbe stand out. But as summers swelter, Russian sage just keeps getting prettier while astilbe just cooks. Don’t even think of planting this salvia in shade! It will cause the stems to become weak, lax, and prone to flopping.

Better Versions® Crazyblue Russian Sage Plant

4. Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

(Image credit: Sodel Vladyslav / Shutterstock)

Old-fashioned bleeding heart is both stunning and darling, with its unique, dangling heart-shaped flowers and finely divided foliage. It just makes you happy to see it in the garden - and that’s why it is so popular with gardeners.

But a bleeding heart plant needs shade - partial to full - and also moist soil. They work well in woodland settings and require consistent moisture and full protection from hot afternoon sun. Obviously, sizzling summer temperatures will not do any favors for these favorites. They won’t survive anything hotter than 75 degrees F.

Plant instead: Foamy Bells (Heucherella spp.)

(Image credit: Alamy)

Heucherella is a plant that does double duty. It displays fabulous foliage as well as darling little blossoms. Known as foamy bells, this perennial is a hybrid of Heuchera (coral bells) and Tiarella (foamflower), carrying the best traits of both. Like Heuchera, the leaves come in a wild variety of colors, sometimes streaked with intricate veining. Like its other parent foamflower, Heucherella grows tall stems with delicate frothy flowers on tall stems that dance in a gentle breeze.

Plant Heucherella foamy bells in filtered, dappled shade. Once installed, they tolerate heat and humidity, thriving in southern regions. If you choose Heucherella (foamy bells) varieties with Heuchera villosa parentage - like Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’ - your plants have superior heat and humidity tolerance.

Proven Winners "Hopscotch" Foamy Bells Plant

5. Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)

(Image credit: Xxposure / Shutterstock)

Lily of the valley is a woodland flowering plant , known for its pure white, bell-shaped pendant flowers and unforgettable perfume. It is often used as a shade-loving ground cover since it has a dense root system that will eventually crowd out weeds and create a lush carpet of green.

These plants do not do well in hot, dry areas. Harsh sun and high heat dry out their shallow root systems and kill the plants.

Plant instead: Creeping Lilyturf (Liriope spicata)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

For hotter, drier summers, replace lily of the valley with hardy, heat-tolerant ground cover creeping lilyturf. These plants create a dense mat with long, grass-like leaves and pale violet or off-white flowers on short rachis. It suppresses weeds like lilies of the valley but survives intense heat waves while staying green.

Variegated Liriope Plant

6. Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

(Image credit: Gyro / Getty Images)

Cosmos are native to Mexico, which means that they generally like warm weather and direct sun. This extremely popular showy annual can grow to 2-4 feet (1m) tall on erect stems, carrying saucer-shaped, daisy-like flowers with red, pink or white petals and yellow centers. They bloom constantly from early summer to frost.

However, cosmos plants suffer in hot and humid summer climates. The flowers simply stop opening and the lovely colors fade. As temperatures climb, the plants can even wilt.

Plant instead: Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Looking for a flower that will thrive in soaring temperatures and dry soil? Look at the purple coneflowers. These North American natives also grow large, daisy-like petals with prominent, spiky center cones. But they are hardy perennials that have evolved to grow in extreme temperatures and lean, dry soil.

Cheyenne Spirit Echinacea