(Updated June 2, 2022)

How I wish we could bottle up this time of the year as we approach Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer. As a New Englander, you have to admit it’s one of the best times of the year as we get ready for the warm-season groove. Why not? The days are longer and warmer as we march into summer solstice. And where I live in Massachusetts, all the trees are finally in full bloom. It seems like overnight the world turned lush and green.

Memorial Day marks a date on my calendar where I strive to check outdoor work off my list. I wonder … Is this true for others? Is it your personal prerequisite to have certain pre-summer preparations underway before Memorial Day to start your summer off on the right foot?

Flower Beds Top the List

No matter how busy I am, if I don’t have the main flower bed and foundation landscaping in front of our house completed before Memorial Day, I’m not a happy gardener. I’m happy to report I got these done and more. Allow me to share some photos:  

Always Essential: Potting Pots

It’s taken years of trial and error, but I’ve found my groove with container gardening. My standbys include:

Million Bells (Calibrachoa) are my go-to for flowers in pots, which are pictured on top of the post. They make a pretty statement on my front steps and flank the garage doors. They don’t require deadheading and come in a multitude of colors (win-win!). Learn more. A tip from lessons learned: Life’s too short, buy Million Bells as hanging planters and transplant them in your containers. You’ll be happy with full pots without waiting for them to fill out, as you would using plants from flats or small pots.

Herbs on my upper deck are convenient being just steps from my kitchen for easy snipping. I used to grow so many herbs, but now I just grow the ones I use regularly: basil (lots in multiple pots to make pesto), parsley, mint and dill.

Sweet 100 and Sweet Gold cherry tomatoes in large pots are my favs. They taste like summer. Yum.

Seeds planted directly into containers of soil are so easy and satisfying to watch grow and eat. Think mixed greens, arugula, peas and Swiss chard to name a few.

Something tropical and green such as yucca palm is always festive, especially on our lower deck where I won’t need to water them as regularly. This is the third season for these; they’re moved inside to our finished basement for the winter.

Figs trees have been an enigma to me but I keep trying to grow them. I’m hoping my fig trees survived overwintering in my garage. The good news is my fig tree expert and friend Nick, who gave me the trees, continues to advise me!

Tips on How to Be Mindful of Your Back

While on the topic of container gardening, remember that as the season goes on the pots will get heavier as plants get bigger, root bound and with moist soil. I have been investing in pretty, lightweight resin or plastic containers to save my back transporting containers around and carrying them up the stairs of the upper deck. In addition, a small, hand truck (here’s an example) is helpful to scoot extra-heavy pots around, especially my figs and tomatoes. I also use the wheelbarrow to transport pots around our property built literally into a hill.

This year, I needed to replace containers and found so many affordable ones in all sizes and colors. I ended up with these Wal-Mart purchases with several Mainstays’ basket-weave containers by for my Million Bells and a red Better Homes & Gardens pot for transplanting an evergreen shrub.

Tree Removal Enhances Front Yard

Just a few days after Memorial Day, we had trees removed in our front yard which dramatically changed our curb appeal. Not a fan of removing trees; however, in this case, it was necessary for safety reasons. There were actually three trees growing in one clump and listing to the side. See before, in process and after images below.

An Ongoing Labor of Love

While I’ve made a big dent in my gardening routine this spring, it’s a constant labor of love. I still have weeding and transplanting to do in the back yard where I have a cutting garden in progress. Plus, I need to find new homes for several old-fashioned mophead hydrangeas from Cape Cod that aren’t happy in my yard with too much shade and won’t regularly produce mops. Most of all, though, I’m glad to have my hands in the dirt again, which is another item under the Pure Joy/Fun goals category in my Commit30 planner (see other such goals already met!).

Wishing my fellow garden enthusiasts many cherished moments enjoying the fruits of your labor this season. I’ll sign off with a quote for inspiration:

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.”

Alfred Austin, English poet

STAY TUNED FOR GARDEN UPDATES as the summer unfolds!