It’s official, summer is upon us! Here at the Salt Lake County Extension office we recognize the summer season not only from hot temperatures and the last day of school, but by the increased visitors and everyday hustle and bustle that fills our office. We have been busy maintaining gardens, keeping up with pest alerts and providing our community with classes and advice about gardening and it’s only the beginning of June! Time just slips away when you’re having this much fun, so we are taking a moment to slow down and share our top 3 fun summer activities for gardeners.

image of flower bed at demo garden

Three Fun Summer Activities For Gardeners

1. Scout for Pests

Okay…..fun might be a stretch, but if you love gardening as much as we do, you understand how important this activity is. Staying on top of populations before they become a problem and signing up for the Utah Pest Advisories can really help keep pests under control without the use of chemicals. Plus it is a great (and geeky) reason to get out and spend some time in your yard or garden. In case you missed the advisories for June thus far, we have included them below.

Backyard: Thinning and Bee Info

Psyllids, Thrips, Flea Beetles, Grasshoppers, and Frost Damage

2. Visit a Garden

Bring the whole family and visit our Demonstration Teaching Garden at Wheeler Historic Farm to get some inspiration for your yard! You can see first hand how hard we’ve been working and just how far this garden has come in the last year! If you haven’t been, or don’t remember what it looked like last June, check out these cool 360° images taken in 2016.

Demonstration Teaching Garden Map

3. Visit with a Master Gardener

And, as if you need another excuse to visit the Demo Garden at Wheeler, we will have our talented Master Gardeners in the garden on the dates below! Come and check out the Wasatch Front Farmer’s Market, pick up some fresh, local produce and visit with our volunteers. They are very helpful and can offer some great advice as well as provide you in formation about the plants we have growing in the Demo Garden.

  • Sunday, June 11th
  • Sunday, June 25th

Master Gardeners at Farmer's Market Booth

And for a final tip to summer fun, consider visiting all of the local Farmer’s Markets along the Wasatch Front to see what’s growing in your community. For a full list read the “2017 Farmers Market Roundup” blog post from our sister blog livewellutah.org.