Getting your garden through summer in Phoenix

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Summer has just started here at The Tropical Paradise, and it will be brutal for the next two months. I've lived in the Phoenix area for a very long time, and like most people, always imagine that this year is hotter than it was last year. But every year, we get through it. Here are some suggestions -

Increase your watering schedule.
I moved my watering up to every two days. I don't have any grass, so if you do, you may have to water more often. But why do you have grass?

Leave the garden alone.
Other than looking at it in the morning to check for problems, this is no time to get out there and fuss. Yes, many plants, like my cannas, have sunburn. Trimming them back harshly now will just make it harder for the plant to survive. Yes, it's going to be ugly for a couple of months, but you want to look forward to September.

Put up some temporary shade over new plantings.
Anything will do. I've seen people invest in tomato cages and wrap shade cloth around it. I planted some ice plant that just isn't gonna make it, in spite of my attempts to shade it, because they are just too small and too close to the ground.

Don't plant anything.
Put your gardening instinct on hold until September. This is the equivalent of waiting through the winter back east. You wouldn't go out in December in Minneapolis and try to plant geraniums, so apply the same way of thinking to July in Phoenix.

Start your annuals indoors.
Now is the time to start annuals from seed. You will be planting them in the garden in September and October, so go ahead and get started so they will be ready in a couple of months.

Hang on, this too shall pass.

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