'Prairie Sun'

This one is an All American Selection. The unusual blooms with central green cones and bright orange petals, radiating back to lemon yellow, make dazzling cut flowers. Plants grow to about 3 feet tall. Uses: borders, annual beds, wild gardens, and mass plantings.

'Indian Summer'

Another AAS winner, this one produces produces huge flowerheads (6-9 inches in diameter) of dark golden-yellow with dark chocolate-brown centers that add bold, stunning color to borders. It multiplies rapidly and grows 1-3 feet tall.

Angelonias in containers make full blooming specimen plants that are great for the patio and yard. Planted in the landscape, Angelonias will WOW gardeners with their beautiful shape and structure and will flower well into the fall. The flower stems also are great for making vase arrangements, providing enjoyment for 10 days or more. Very heat tolerant.

Many homeowners purchase a beautiful Japanese maple in spring only to bring in burnt and damaged leaves in summer, worried that their investment is about to part ways with their yard. The tree isn't dying - it's just suffering from heat stress. A common misconception is that Japanese maples can't tolerate a full sun location. But this is not true. All Japanese maples can adapt to a full sun location and, in fact, tend to color up better when they are in one. What most people experience is summer heat stress due to infrequent (or lack of) water when the tree needs it, especially during a heat wave.

Most Japanese maples will burn a little on the leaf tips in the first year while acclimating to a sunny location. But after that, they should not experience more stress. The reason maple leaves turn brown on the edges in summer is that the tree is unable to replenish the moisture the foliage loses through natural transpiration. As moisture leaves a plant, the tree draws moisture up from the ground to keep the cells in the leaves healthy and robust. If the tree has no moisture to draw from, the cells burst and die, which leads to the burning one sees on the leaf edges.

This condition can also be caused by salt burn from the use or overuse of strong chemical fertilizers containing high amounts of nitrogen, especially ammoniacal nitrogen. Even if the soil is moist around the trees, the tree can burn because the moist soil actually activates the fertilizer and the tree cannot control the amount of fertilizer it draws up. Organic fertilizers such as Dr.Earth Organic 4 are preferable because they are not activated by moisture but rather soil temperature; they also contain soil microbes and other beneficial organisms.

What Japanese maples do need is a consistently moist, well-drained environment and, preferably, the use of an organic fertilizer. The term "well-drained" is key because regular watering in a poorly drained area will lead to root-rot and, ultimately, death. So never plant a Japanese maple in a low spot or next to a downspout or gutter. The amount of watering it takes to maintain a consistently moist condition will vary with soil type and location but on average Japanese maples should be checked for watering every 2-3 days.

Another way to cut down on heat stress and leaf damage is to spray the tree with an anti-transpirant that coats the leaves to hold in moisture and reduce stress caused by temperature extremes and a dry environment. We recommend Cloud Cover®.

Golf course superintendents often use a soil probe to determine if water is getting to the correct depth. Proper watering depth not only makes the grass healthier- it also saves water.

Since few homeowners have soil probes, the next best thing is to take a shovel and carefully cut a square plug out of your lawn. A square-bladed shovel works well for this, and makes it easier to replace the plug accurately.

The soil should be moist at the ends of the roots and slightly below them. If it is moist too deep or not deep enough, adjust your watering accordingly. Take more samples a week or so later to see if you need to make further watering adjustments.

This Week's Trivia Question:   Some flowers grown as annuals are actually biennials.  What is a biennial?

This Week's Prize:  5 gallon white Mandevilla

Insecticide - Dust - Permethrin 0.125%

Sophisticated "less is more" technology brings us this odorless, ready to use plant pest control product. This is an outstanding vegetable garden insecticide - killing and repelling virtually any insect pest common to home gardens. Also great for Japanese beetles on roses and flowers. Colored green to blend with foliage! Short days-to-harvest intervals.