Protect Your Garden From Heat
WITH HELP FROM YOUR KIDS
2. SPREAD ORGANIC MULCH — Adding 2–4 inches of light-colored mulch around your trees, shrubs, and other plants will protect the soil from the sun and keep it damp and cool. 3. SWAP OUT TERRA COTTA POTS — Unsealed terra cotta pots are terrible at retaining moisture. If you water a plant in terra cotta, it won’t be long before that water evaporates. To avoid this, enlist the kids to repot your plants in oversized, light-colored plastic nursery pots. (Some nurseries give these away for free!) 4. WATER, WATER, WATER — Your garden will dry out twice as fast during extreme heat, so take shifts as a family checking the soil and watering when needed. Don’t rely on your sprinkler system or usual watering schedule. These tips should help protect your delicate fruit and vegetable plants. Next year, get a head start by asking your local nursery to help you choose drought and heat-tolerant species for your region and beefing up your soil with organic matter. According to Farmers’ Almanac, soil rich with 5%–9% organic matter (think compost, manure, and decomposing leaves) retains more water, saving you trips with the hose.
Not all gardening tasks are suitable for the entire family. Fertilizers can be dangerous, and you definitely don’t want a young child wielding sharp tools. But there’s one gardening project you and the kids can tackle together: protecting your plants from the heat.
Last June, heat waves scorched the country, sending temperatures in Portland, Oregon, of all places to 110 degrees F. This is uncomfortable at best, and at worst a massive heat wave can ruin an entire spring’s worth of effort in the garden. To avoid that, rope your kids into helping you with easy heat solutions like these: 1. BUILD SHADE COVERS — Shade helps people survive the heat, and it’s great for plants too! You can overlay greenery with umbrellas, canopies, “garden fabric,” or even bed sheets draped over your plants. If you have spare lumber or PVC pipe, build a trellis to hold up your shade cover. YouTube has plenty of tutorials for this — just search “Garden Shade DIY.”
HOW TO BEAT YOUR AFTERNOON SLUMP No Caffeine Needed
We all know the feeling: Sometime after lunch, you become sluggish, spacy, and unproductive. Many of us instinctively turn to caffeine to power through the rest of the day, but that can cause another crash, not to mention sleep problems. But don’t worry — you aren’t doomed to an aimless afternoon. We’ve compiled expert tips to perk up and carry on with your busy day. PLAN YOUR WORK. All of our bodies have internal rhythms, and by now, you probably know yours. Typically, people peak mid-morning or in the late afternoon. But whenever your productive heights are, plan around them. Complete the detailed, creative, or difficult work during the times when your energy is at its best, and save your “busy work” or repetitive tasks for the lulls when you feel less motivated. You’ll feel better and get more done. CONSUME HEALTHY FOODS AND LOTS OF WATER. Maybe you don’t have complete control of your schedule. That’s where a healthy snack comes in. We tend to crash in the afternoon when our blood sugar drops, usually due to consuming carbohydrates. Eating vegetables, fruit, and
protein or fiber-rich foods will help pick up your energy without incurring a future dip. While you’re snacking, drink some water. A 2018 study out of Yale found that even mild
dehydration can negatively affect our brain’s ability to function, so don’t let your water bottle sit untouched.
GET UP AND MOVE. You’re not going to get over that slump by sitting in your chair. If you want to beat back fatigue, go for a walk, climb some stairs, stretch, or do some marching in place. Researchers have proven that exercise wakes up both your body and your mind. In fact, science says it will do a better job of rousing you than caffeine will. Best of all, it will help, not hurt, your ability to sleep at night. Finally, set yourself up for success by going to bed at a reasonable hour and getting your necessary 7–9 hours of sleep. Our attention ebbs and flows naturally, so none of us can be our best 100% of the time. But along with these other tips, staying well-rested can help you pick up the pace.
2 • www.ImagineGoingThere.com
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