If ever there was an argument for raised beds, this summer is the one.

The beauty of raising ornamentals and vegetables up above the soil level is drainage. Most of our summer sunshine loving plants hate wet feet.

Many of our favorite summer plants have their origins in tropical and semi tropical regions.

While their hardy northern cousins time their growth to the length of the day, summer plants pay attention to sunshine and heat.

When they are cold, they don’t grow. If their roots are also mostly wet, they may turn yellow and drop leaves. They may succumb to fungal infections and root rot if they don’t drain well at all.

Now that we are in the height of summer, it’s time to take a hard look at the landscape and start thinking about changes that will make the garden more resilient in the future.

We can’t control the sunshine, but we can think about how to manage the rain.

The first idea that comes to my mind is raising the beds to create better drainage.

The second idea is to be sure the beds have enough organic matter and mulch.

Organic matter such as compost slows down the rate of water running through the soil. That means less runoff and lost water-soluble nutrients. Mulch prevents the soil from eroding and also splashing soil fungi up on the plants.

Now how about shelter? Sunshine loving vegetables like peppers can be grown in green houses, poly tunnels, or simply in pots that can be moved under an overhang when downpours are forecast.

I found some really creative tomato shelters on the internet when I was researching this article.

Summer plants grown in rainy weather also need more space for air circulation to dry the leaves out.

To avoid soil fungi, keep them pruned up at the bottom so their leaves don’t touch the ground.

Thin out the fruit on tomatoes and peppers so the plant’s resources aren’t stretched. Better to have fewer good peppers and tomatoes than a lot of green fruit in September.

Also, be careful not to over fertilize. It’s normal for summer plants to grow more slowly in wet weather. Too much fertilizer can produce a flush of growth followed by a weakening of the plant and poor fruit quality.

For now, rainy days are our new normal. With a bit of creative planning, we can make small changes that will help our gardens weather the storms.