
My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant’s point of view. – Fred Dale
High temperatures and low precipitation can play havoc with your plant's health. While we can manage water, we cannot control the outside temperatures. In 2021, the northwest experienced a record-breaking heat wave with temperatures exceeding 100°F for days and staying above 80°F for weeks. These extreme temperatures can be detrimental to your garden. Here are some tips to ensure your plants remain healthy and thrive during the summer.
Plan Your Plantings

- Plant sun tolerant plants in sunny areas. Plants that are less tolerant in shady areas.
- Prepare your soil for sunny and shading planting areas. Shady areas should have sandy soil to prevent drainage problems. Sunny areas should have more organic material to absorb water and increase saturation while slowing evaporation.
- Group drought-tolerant plants together to help with watering control.
General Tips
Now that you have your soil right and your plants planted in the right areas of your yard, here are a few general tips on keeping them healthy.

- Keep insects like aphids under control by spraying both upper and lower leaves with neem or pyola oil on a weekly cycle. Insects such as ladybugs also help.
- Prune all spring blooming bushes such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and lilacs by mid-summer so that they can begin their new growth for next spring.
- Prune rose bushes after first bloom and pinch back summer and fall perennials to keep them healthy and stagger blooming times.
- Even during the heart of summer it is not to late to plant summer blooming bulbs like dahlias and quick-blooming summer seeds like sunflowers and cosmos.
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