Seasonal Care of the Garden
Shrubs
Now is the time to prune yew, hemlock, privet hedges, even if they received an April pruning.
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Perennials
Divide and replant bearded iris. This should be done every three to five years.
Continue deadheading spent flowers. Leave some seed heads on self-sowing perennials
such as bleeding heart, prairie coneflower, or liatris if self-sown seedlings are wanted
to share with friends or for garden club plant sales.
Pinch chrysanthemums and fall asters one last time, before July 10th.
Annuals
Cut back annuals that are going to seed. * Note: leave seedpods on self-sowing kinds such as
cleome, cosmos, Nicotiana langsdorfii. This allows them to establish as repeating colonies.
Feed annuals with liquid fertilizer but not if a time release fertilizer was applied at planting time.
Vegetables
Use shade cloth to shield lettuce, spinach, radish and other less heat-tolerant vegetables.
Harvest herbs and hang to dry in dark, well-ventilated area. Store in airtight container once they are "cornflake" dry.
Continue planting heat-resistant vegetables such as beans, Swiss chard, and cucumbers.
Lawns
Continue as in June: Mow regularly, removing no more than one-third of the grass blades.
Frequent mowing means you can leave clippings on lawn, returning nitrogen to the soil.
Water Gardens
Remove dead leaves and spent flowers from water lilies.
If mosquitoes are a problem add gambusia or guppies (more heat-tolerant than goldfish.)
Or, use Mosquito Dunks – floating tablet that kills mosquito larvae.
Miscellaneous
Water garden if natural rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. This is especially important for lawns.
Stop application of high nitrogen fertilizers to perennials and shrubs after July 10th.
KEEP WEEDING!