For optimal health, humans are frequently told, “Listen to your body.” Apply this adage outward and listen to your plants to maximize their health and vibrancy. Robust, happy plants burst with health that radiate to your therapeutic landscape garden visitors, impacting the physical, emotional and spiritual sense of well-being of those visitors.

At the peak of summer, both people and plants wilt in the sun without proper care. Be mindful that, like you, your plants receive the right amount of light, water and nutrients – particularly this month, when just a day or two of neglect can harm the plant for the rest of the season.

Three simple, yet commonly overlooked, tips to optimize your garden this summer:

• Ensure that fruit plants receive the right amount of light (usually full sun) and that they are properly positioned to cross-pollinate to become fruit bearing
• Do not reuse your tomato soil for new tomato plants. Recycling this soil for the same plant encourages growth of a bacteria that turns tomatoes brown and the plants’ leaves yellow
• Remember that flowers, herbs and vegetables growing in containers will require more water compared to those planted directly in the ground

Our last bit of advice this month is to truly listen to your plants, as you know them best. Even if the label says “full sun” or you were told “water twice a day” pay attention to your plant, observe how it responds to its environment and adjust accordingly. You may find that changing the location of a plant or increasing the frequency of watering is just what the doctor ordered.