SURVEY THE SHRUBBERY
Yellow or undersize foliage on your trees indicates a lack of nourishment. Feed them regularly, but don't overdo it. If the trees are less than three years old, water them well in dry weather.
HOUSEPLANT CARE
If you have any houseplants sitting directly in the window, make sure the light is filtered or the plant is moved to a site out of direct sunlight. The windowpane intensifies the heat, and you don't want to scorch your plants. Fertilize your houseplants frequently to ensure vigorous growth.
DON’T FORGET TO SMELL THE FLOWERS
Extend the indoor life of your cut flowers by putting them in a solution that is one part water, one part clear soft drink (such as 7-Up, Sprite, etc.). Some people recommend that you put a few drops chlorine bleach in to the water , but I will leave that decision up to you.
Snip off the old flower clusters from rambler roses to encourage them to bloom all summer. Deadhead traditional roses too
If you have thick, thriving phlox, thin the plants to four or five stalks per clump to provide adequate ventilation and avoid mildew.
Pinch out the growing tips of basket and container plants to encourage them to produce bushy even growth and lots of flowers. Encourage chrysanthemum shoots to branch out and carry more blooms by pinching out the shoot tip. This technique is called stopping.
SEED SOWING
Biennials, such as foxgloves, sweet Williams, Canterbury bells and forget-me-nots, should be sown as soon as fresh seed is available; most biennials are producing seeds now.
CUT DOWN EARLY FLOWERING PERENNIALS
Remove faded flowers on perennials such as lupins and delphiniums. Early pruning often encourages a second flush of flowers late in the season. Cut the flower-spike down to just above a new shoot or leaf, and give each plant a generous liquid feed to encourage fresh growth. Remove the seedheads from aquilegia to prevent them from spreading.
Horticultural.
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