I love watching the plants unfold. The rhythm of blooms from early spring until frost keeps us intrigued, and we always want to keep the blooms and the foliage going strong for as long as we can. But how to care for all the plants we love? The best advice is to avoid trying to do too much on any given day. Just tackle a small portion at a time, and be thorough. Eventually, you will make it around to everything.

PRUNE SPRING FLOWERING SHRUBS... Now is the perfect time to prune spring flowering shrubs such as Azalea, Pieris, Rhododendron, Spirea and Viburnum. After the flowers have dropped off, you can safely prune, and the plant will have plenty of time for the buds to set for next year.

PERENNIALS THAT FLOP...Some perennials become so tall that they become top heavy and have a tendency to flop, especially after a good rain. Many of us resort to bamboo stakes and ties to keep them upright, but for some plants, there is an easier solution. In June, cut the plant height in half before it starts to flower. This encourages additional branching and a shorter ultimate height which in turn prevents the ‘flop.’ The plant may bloom a little later than normal, but it will still bloom and be lovely. Some of the ideal plants for cutting back include: Asters, Amsonia, Baptisia australis, Boltonia, Coreopsis tripteris, Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed), Phlox maculata or Phlox paniculata, Platycodon grandiflorus, Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, and Helianthus salicifolius. If your flopping plant does not appear on this list, contact me. I’ll be happy to look up the specifics of your plant.

PERENNIALS THAT REBLOOM...AFTER DEAD HEADING...You will be able to coax an additional bloom from many of your perennials if you dead head them immediately after blooming. This works extremely well with Echinacea / Coneflower, Leucanthemum / Shasta Daisy, Salvia, and Veronica.

RENEW UNSIGHTLY FOLIAGE...Foliage can discolor during the growing season either from too much sun (Sun Scorch) or too much humidity (Powdery Mildew). There are other afflictions as well, but the key is whether the appearance of the foliage bothers you. If so, cut down the plant to the height of fresh new foliage or 2-3 inches if there is none. Usually, the plant will generate new, healthy, disease free foliage that season. In the rare case that foliage does not reappear, don’t panic. There is a very good chance that the plant will still appear again next year.

WEEDING AND WATERING will be the greatest challenge for JULY. When I walk past a weed, I generally stoop down to pull it, and then just leave the weeds in a small pile next to the bed. Then, when I actually take some time for ‘gardening’, I pick up all the piles. It may not be the prettiest way to handle it, but it does seem to help. For large areas of weeds, RoundUp is my new best friend. The poison is absorbed through the leaves, and then heads down into the root system to kill the plant. Extreme caution should be used to protect the leaves of plants you want to keep.

The DROUGHT will probably arrive in July / August, and we will all need to watch our water consumption. I know most of us have learned to avoid watering in the evening to avoid mold and mildew developing on the foliage. Due to our extreme heat, sometimes an evening watering is the best way to go. At least the water will have a chance to soak into the soil without immediate evaporation by the sun. I frequently water between 6p-10p. If you have a timer, you can water at 3 or 4am. Remember, a thorough soaking for 15 - 30 minutes 2 times per week is much better than a brief spritz daily.