Vegetables, perennial flowers and shrubs can use a little boost now. Give them all a feeding before August 1. You can use a liquid feed, a foliar feed (sprayed on), or a granular feed watered in right away. Follow directions on the fertilizer label for exact amounts to use.

Summers offers warm days, occasional cool nights and long, long evenings (usually with mosquitoes). The hammock makes a family-centered gathering place under a shady tree. If you have no shady trees, why not plant two (at perfect hammock distance) for enjoyment in future summers!

LATE SUMMER VEGETABLES

Use all the empty space in your vegetable garden. Put down black plastic mulch when you plant. Follow your spring vegetables with broccoli, kale, collards, carrots, turnips, greens, squash and cucumbers.

SUMMER-PLANTED FLOWERS

Up until July 1, there’s still time to plant annual flower seeds. For a ""patch"" of color, scatter marigold, zinnia, phlox, baby’s breath, cosmos, four o’clock, sunflowers or bachelor button seed (or mix them all up and scatter them together) in a bare area. One day you’ll come home to see some flowers blooming in that forgotten patch. You won’t forget the thrill! If you have a cold frame, this is an excellent time to plant seeds of perennials and biennials, as well as pansy seeds. Plant container-grown perennials all summer, or start your own from seed. Summer’s a great time to sow biennial flowers such as forget me not, lunaria, canterbury bells, sweet william. Also start perennial seeds now -- if you have a cold frame, that’s a great place to plant. Flowers for summer planting: delphinium, shasta daisy, viola, lupine, painted daisy, coreopsis, echinacea, black eyed susan, gaillardia, hibiscus, iceland and oriental poppies, and salvia. Take me to Flower Seeds.

PLANTS FOR BIRDS

Assure yourself of bird visitors by planting sunflowers, cornflowers, cosmos, coreopsis, four o’clocks, petunias, columbine, daylilies -- either for nectar or seeds. For nesting materials, thyme, pyrethrum, yarrow. Brushy cover and evergreens are favored by birds for shelter. Fruiting trees, shrubs and vines are an invitation, too. And provide fresh water.

GARDEN PARTIES

When you gardens are at their prettiest in summer, plan an outdoor party to show off your flowers. (more ideas) Ask your friends to bring plants to swap, or allow some time for writing some poetry in the garden, then take turns reading it.

TREES AND SHRUBS

You can plant container-grown trees and shrubs right through the summer. The major thing to do afterwards is water, water, water. Do it daily when there’s no rain. Apply around the root area, using about a gallon per shrub, more per tree.

KEEPING LAWNS GREEN

Water regularly, mow frequently but don’t mow too short, and don’t fertilize during hottest weather. August is the best time to get cool-season grasses established. These grasses love the hot days and cool nights of late summer. Plant from seed, or try Take Home Turf. It has seed embedded in an organic mat which makes planting easy. Whatever kind of lawn you plant, water diligently until the seedlings emerge.

WATER CONSERVATION

In many areas of the East, summer brings with it water restrictions. Before this can threaten the health of your plantings of trees, shrubs and perennial flowers, put a mulch down around all planted areas. The best time to do this is right after a good soaking rain. Use several inches of shredded bark, bark chips, peat moss, composted leaves, etc. Keep the mulch an inch or sow away from the stems of your plants. You’ll conserve soil moisture and keep roots cool, too.

Summer can sometimes be almost too hot for gardening! Spring and fall are the best times to do major garden tasks. Go out early in the morning to pull weeds and pick flowers for bouquets. The best gardening activity in summer is to sit in the shade with a glass of lemonade, enjoying the view and planning for your fall gardening!

SPRING-FLOWERING BULBS & PERENNIALS

Look around your entrances to driveway, home, garage, walkways, and in your summer gardens for empty areas where color is needed. Look outside from your home for areas where color would be welcome from the indoor views. Now make some notes about what goes where, and order some spring-flowering bulbs.

SUMMER-PLANTED FLOWERS

Now is a good time to plant seeds of pansies, flowering kale, lunaria, forget me not, Canterbury bells. Also plant perennial flowers from seed: shasta daisy, columbine, purple coneflower, coreopsis, Chinese lantern, viola, poppy, hibiscus, hollyhock, blanketflower and black-eyed susan. The small plants will winter over and bloom next year.

MOON GARDENS

When the evenings are sultry, strolling through the garden can be a cooling and relaxing activity. White flowers show up best in the evening, and many scented flowers are most strongly scented at night. On an evening of moonlight, throw a party for moon and flower viewing. It’s romantic!

SHADE GARDENS

When it’s hot, shade looks and feels cooler. Plan for shade around your home. If trees shade your home from southern and western sun, you’ll save on cooling costs. You can use a computer program such as 3-D Landscape to plan a landscape around your home without lifting a shovel. Watch the sun go around; then watch the trees grow; figure up the costs -- all before lifting a shovel or spending any money on plants! If you plant vigorous trees which are known for their shade properties, you’ll add to your home and its value for now and future. Plant in the shade, too . In shady area, you can grow flowers such as impatiens, coleus, nicotiana, violas, ageratum, and balsam. Also perennials such as hosta and daylilies will thrive, as well as daffodils and other minor bulbs. Plantings of azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias (if far south) and ferns are wonderful in ""understory"" areas where there is dappled shade and sun. Then put out some comfortable lawn chairs and sit a spell in the cool.

LAWNS

Bermuda Grass will give Southern lawns a sure green carpet and stand up to the brutal summer. Plant from seed, or try Take Home Turf. It has seed embedded in an organic mat which makes planting easy. Whatever kind of lawn you plant, make sure to water diligently until the seedlings emerge. Take me to Lawn Seed.

WATER CONSERVATION

Before summer heat and drought take a toll on your plantings of trees, shrubs and perennial flowers, put a mulch down around all planted areas. The best time to do this is right after a good soaking rain. If you don’t get the rain, water well before mulching. Use several inches of shredded bark, bark chips, peat moss, composted leaves, etc. Keep the mulch an inch or sow away from the stems of your plants. Mulch keep roots cool, too.

MULCH

Mulch is such a good idea! Use it everywhere you’ve loosened garden soil. Mulch keeps weeds under control, or at least discourages them. It keeps soil cooler, and it helps with water conservation. Use a thick layer of compost, peat moss, licorice root, cocoa hulls, or small pine bark. If you’re mulching a large area of shrubs, put down several thick layers of black plastic mulch, stake it down well, and use a metal edging to prevent grass from growing into mulch area. Then spread your choice of organic or rock mulch over the plastic. Looks good and saves lots of work.