Caring For Summer Annuals In Planters
Now that we have hit the middle of summer our outdoor pots and containers may be looking a little forlorn, a tad ratty, a bit leggy and oh, so tired. Today I’ll share ways to keep our outdoor containers healthy and growing right through the end of September.
My flowering containers bring such beauty to my porch and patio. And I love to cut the blooms right from the pots to bring inside so caring for them and keeping them in tip-top shape is important. Here are 5 ways to keep summer containers full of healthy flowers well into the fall.
Here are 5 ways to keep summer containers full of healthy flowers well into the fall.
PLANTS ARE THIRSTY
Keep plants well watered during the hottest days of the summer. I like to water my plants first thing in the morning to help them withstand the heat and sun of the day!
If you are having a heat wave and it’s dry, depending on the plant and the container, they may need a refreshing drink in the late afternoon too.
Watering a plant during those scorching days is great but make sure the soil is not too soggy or you will have a whole other problem!
GIVE THEM A HAIRCUT
The only way to deal with leggy blooms is to give them a good cut. Cut all the leggy stems and don’t be afraid to give them a pretty severe clipping. This will encourage new growth. Annuals have a shelf life and will not last forever. But you can extend their life and beauty by cutting them back.
Keep an eye on your plants and as soon as they start to get straggly give them a clip!
FEED YOUR PLANTS
If you have not used a time release food in your containers you might need to give your plants a little nourishment. Make sure to follow the directions on the container of the plant food and don’t over feed. That’s even worse!!!
GIVE THEM A LITTLE SHADE
When the weather gets so blazing hot your flowering containers may need to be given a reprieve from the sun for part of the day. I keep all my containers on rolling plant caddies so I can move them if they look to heat stressed.
It is such a great idea to invest in plant caddy or dolly for each outdoor container.
REPLACE A PLANT OR TWO
If a plant looks beyond saving in your container you may need to bite the bullet and replace it. I don’t like digging out a plant but replacing it with a “fresh” one will make your whole flowering container look so much better.
I hope this will help your beautiful containers stay that way!!!!
Garden Snips || Scotts Super Bloom || Plant Caddy
Today on Decorating Tips And Tricks we are talking about our HALLWAYS! I think we don’t give them as much decor love as we should. Today we are talking about the stairs in our home and ways to make yours fabulous!
Remember, we are here to inspire you to create a beautiful home!
Listen below…
Thanks for the great tips! I need one of those plants caddys…I never thought of that.
Your flowers are gorgeous! Thanks for the good advice. A little shade now and again is good for me too!
I bough inexpensive plant caddies this year but really like the ones you’ve shown. They really do help your containers survive the heat and I roll mine out further out on the deck when a shower comes through. Great trips!
Great tips. I need to give a few of ours a haircut. Your pots are gorgeous.
Love your blog! Have followed for years. Why am I no longer receiving a daily email? Thank you!
Jackie, maybe the newsletter has been sent to your spam… this is what usually happens. You need to search for the newsletter in your spam folder and put it back into your inbox. Then it should come to your inbox regularly. Hope this helps.
Great timing…I’ve already got one on my front porch that I’m considering tossing. It was gorgeous and turned overnight after a frog made its home there for several nights! Overall, I feel like I wasted $20.00 for the pot of flowers that were already assembled together. Also, my Lantana’s are acting strange…they aren’t full of greenery or flowers. Gosh, I sound like Negative Nellie!
Sounds like you could use the Superbloom!
Gorgeous plants! Mine are looking a little stressed right now.
Your pots look beautiful.
Okay, I’ll cut them back! Scary, but I know it helps. I cut back my petunias which have slowed up a lot in their blooming and they look awful now. Fertilized as I do in pots every 2-3 weeks with liquid fert. Think I need to hit Lowes and see if I can find some refreshers. Thanks, Barb!
I live on the panhandle of Florida and it is HOT! My plants have to be pampered every day or they die. And believe me I do lose a few. Thanks for the tips. I think I need to replace a few plants.
My plants are looking pretty sad. I’ll give them a good snip or two and hope they perk up! Thanks for the tips!
I thought I was the only reader who was not receiving Stonegable’s blog each day. I really hate to miss a day, so maybe the problem is at Yvonne’s end and can be remedied. I do hope it is not due to illness, etc. Thanks for checking…
Bunny, see what I wrote to Melissa.
Your planters are beautiful!! Thanks for sharing, it inspires me to go out and take a good hard look at my planters. Enjoy your day!!
Do you use plastic or clay pots? We’ve just moved to the Dallas TX area from CA and I’m having to adjust my gardening habits! This heat to a real stinker!!!
I use one of the composite pots. They look like stone but weigh much less.
I have lived in Dallas 17 years and still struggle with gardening here. Learning what will take the heat and making adjustments to the horrible clay soil is my best advice. It’s taken a lot of trial and error but my neighbors tell me how nice my flower beds look so I must be doing something right. ? Good luck to you!
Yes, you are! Your poor flowers can get so heat stressed! Keep up the great work, Diane!
Your containers are beautiful!
Your flowers are beautiful! I sure wish I had a green thumb!
What plants do you use I your pots for cutting flowers to bring inside? This pot doesn’t look like many would be used for cuttings.
I use everything. I put them in a sweet Mason jar or a little creamer.
Thanks for the helpful tips! I need to give a few clips to one of my pots!! Some of the plants are getting leggy with all the rain!
From Pinky; Did you have your pots planted at Perfect Pots? I love the combination of flowers you have! Please do a post on the whole patio showing all the pots etc. Everyone will love it! XOXO
Oh yeah, those rolling plant caddies, need to get more for those heavy pots?. Back savers those rolling holders are.
Pat
Your flowers are beautiful! Such nice combinations, and the lantana is my absolute favorite flower in the orange/yellow colors.
Mine too, Shelley
Beautiful plants – wish I had your green thumb.
I buy clear plastic rolling caddies at the local Family Dollar ~ lifesavers!
They are great if your pots are not big or heavy. I’ve cracked a few plastic ones.
Very pretty and colorful but they do get hot in this hot weather that we are having….looking for some rain here this afternoon
Love the color combos
Good advice for container gardens. The heat wave here in N.C. has truly stressed my plants and I feel the watering will never end! Even with good maintenance I fear I may have to give up on some of my pots. In the spring planting over 50 containers seemed like a great idea now not so much. Your pots look beautiful and I hope your weather is cooler in Pa. Happy summer.
I need to remember the fertilizer! Thanks for reminding me
Your post today and our post have very similar info. Great minds think alike.
Thanks for the ideas. I never have enough plants. I enjoy watching them grow. I do think I need to buy some Super Bloom. I have started a butterfly garden and the plants look pretty good. I do think I need to move them to a better soil area. I liked this post. Thanks again.
Thanks for the reminder. One problem is Momma birds nesting in hanging pots on my deck, even though we have provided them with perfectly good houses. Hate to water and drown those babies. Advice, anyone?
Momma bird trumps flowers. Enjoy the hatching babies!
Simply Charming… your beautiful pot of flowers.. look fresh as a daisy! Thanks!
You have a way with flowers and choosing the ones that look best together!
beautiful colors
Your pots are beautiful! Love the rolling cart idea to move them around easily!
I’m fairly new to gardening…would you mind telling us what plants you have in the pot in the photos? Thank you! They’re just beautiful!
beautiful flowers…great tips!
Beautiful pot! I need to use lantana more often. Deer are a problem for me and I need to be selective in my choices.
Great tips!!!! Your pots look great!!!!
Thanks sweet Pamela!
I saw the most lovely pot this week at my orchard, in a concrete pot all soft blue greens to white, elephant ear, kale, & the silvery stuff hangingg down, I’m off to the greenhouse, IM going to try to find penny Eculiptus to add to it
Sounds gorgeous, Marian! I love those plants!
you definitely have a “green thumb”, your container flowers all look lovely
Wonderful post! I saved pictures of all the plants to “copy” your colors. Beauty for the patio next year! Great tips too. I just added the rolling plant saucers to all my patio pots. Makes it so much easier on my back.
Your planters looks amazing and I like the colors you choose. I also heard the podcast and like it very much.
Beautiful combination of colors and plants! Thanks for the great ideas and reminders.
Great flower combinations. The colors are striking! Thanks for the tip on the Super Bloom!
All great tips Yvonne. Your plants are beautiful. We are dealing with Japanese beetles this summer and they are the worst we’ve ever encountered this year.
Great tips! July – September is very very HOT in Texas and I struggle with keeping my plants alive without over-watering. We have to water every day obviously, but I’m learning to check and make sure I do not over water and moving plants around so they get some sun, some shade is a great idea. Thanks!
So pretty!
Beautiful flowers and great tips. I will have to get the rolling plant saucers to move some of my heavy ones. Thanks!
Great tips Yvonne. I’d love to see all of your pots on your patio and what exactly what you put in each of them; the combinations are really pretty.
Gorgeous!
The photos are gorgeous. Thanks for the wonderful tips! I guess I’ll have to break down and trim!!
Love your flower pots! Question…..I’ve noticed in some of your posted pictures that you have pots with pole candles planted in them. Can you tell us how you did it? Thanks.
Love your color combinations!
Your flower pots are Beautiful!!! I moved to North Eastern Pennsylvania two years ago from New York. Gardening is my great love but it is a real challenge here. Thanks for the great tips. Love your blog!!! I always learn something!
Susan
I have a plant that, every time I deadhead it, it closes up and turns brown. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. Any thoughts?