Summer Power Hour

10 Things You Can Do to Make Your Garden Grow in Less Than an Hour a Week!

Whether you’re retired or you have a full-time job, some people just don’t want to spend hours and hours on end in the garden. So what can you do in your backyard in a single hour? More than you’d think, as a matter of fact! Set a timer and see just how much you can get done in your backyard.

1. Bird Baths

The birds will thank you for your bird bath this summer – especially if the water is fresh. Take some time to dump out your bird bath and giving the basin a wash before adding fresh water for the bath.

2. Toad House

If you’re very lucky to find toads in your garden, create a little house for it to live in! All you’ll need is a clay pot and a little patch of shade to keep it happy. For instructions on how to create a toad home, click here.

3. Hummingbird Feeder

Hummingbirds use our backyards to fuel up as they flit along their migratory path. When hummingbirds reach your yard, they’ll be extra grateful if they have fresh nectar to sip from. So clean out your hummingbird feeder and fill it with some fresh nectar.

4. Rich Blooms

If you want more hummingbirds in your backyard, you can also plant tubular, nectar rich blooms too! Here are the flowers we have in the hummingbird garden at CWF’s office. You can also pick up a handy plant pack filled with hummingbird-friendly flowers at Home Depot.

5. Mulch!

Next time you swing by the garden centre, pick up a few bags of mulch! Mulch is really important to plants so they can maintain their moisture over the hot summer months. You’ll want to fully cover the soil between plants. But don’t pack it down! You want a air pockets between the stems and the plant centres!

6. Sprinklers

If your sprinklers are on a timer, set them to go off early in the morning. This will stop the water from evaporating quickly in the heat. So make that switch to maximize your water usage.

7. Water for Wildlife

Speaking of water, when the temperatures rise and there’s no rain in sight, you’ll want to take a close eye at the bodies of water in your backyard. Top up the water on your pond and bird bath. The wildlife that visit your home will be grateful!

8. Insects

Keep a close eye on your plants too. If you see any signs that insects are getting a little too voracious with your plants and they show signs of damage, get a plan in place. Particularly, you’ll want to get a plan in place that omits pesticides. Learn how to control harmful insects naturally.

9. Fertilize

If you’ve got any plants in containers or pots, make sure you’re watering them every day and feed them a little fertilizer every couple of weeks.

10. Compost

As the summer comes to an end, you can prepare for fall by adding some compost to your flower beds!

If you really want to improve your green thumb, go through the steps to get your garden certified with the Canadian Wildlife Federation!