Dolce™ series: From Dan Heims comes this exclusive new series. Vigorous, cold-hardy, and with a range of unique colors, Dolce varieties are equally at home in containers and in the landscape. 'Key Lime Pie' and 'Peach Melba' are our favorites. Full sun to partial shade; height 12-16".

Green and silver leaves sport purple veins for a totally unique look. Remarkably vigorous, and in bloom from April until June or longer with soft pink flowers. Full sun to partial shade; height 14-18".

Without good soil, plants won't thrive. The plant roots support the top, absorb and transport water and nutrients. They also need air. Healthy roots grow healthy plants!

Soil contains particles (minerals), water, air, and organic matter (living and dead). A good balance of these will make a good soil for your plants. Without getting into a technical discussion, if you take about 50% amendment material, (Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost is one of our favorites) and mix it in well (as if you were making a cake), your soil should be fine. Clay soil tends to be hard, sandy tends to be loose — both types will benefit. Always mix in your amendments (no layers) or you will have watering problems later. Caution: do not add sand to adobe (clay) soil — you will be making bricks!

If your gardening budget is limited, invest in amending your soil. A small plant in good soil will outgrow a large plant in poor soil!

Mix amendment into the top 2 inches for small plants...Let's get planting!

We'll use the example of small plants such as annuals and perennials. The same rule applies for most plants (examples of exceptions would be tomatoes and clematis).

• Don't bury deeper than it is already growing; the soil level should end up the same as it is in the nursery container. (That is, do not dig a deeper hole and bury the stem.)
• Always water your plant first; gently remove from the container by pushing up from the bottom.
• Check the roots. If they are matted or growing in circles, gently spread them so they will grow down and out (exceptions are azaleas, camellias, and bougainvilleas).
• Dig your hole (remember, no deeper than it is already growing!), place the plant in the hole, and gently fill in soil around it. Water again gently; we're working with nature to nurture our gardens. Think of a gentle rain — not a downpour.
• How often to water depends on your conditions. Small plants should be checked daily at first. Keep soil moist, not soggy, until established (when new leaves form and it appears to be growing).
• That's it! So dig in and enjoy! Remember — how do you know it won't grow if you don't plant it?

To Review:
-Amend your soil
-Water plants before planting
-Dig proper size hole, don't plant too deep
-Keep moist

We will talk about fertilizing next month (with good soil your plants won't need as much supplemental feeding!)

Getting to Know Garden Terms
Amendment: organic material used to improve soil aeration and water-holding capacities (improves clay soil and also sandy soil).

Rootbound: condition when plant roots become entangled or encircled while in a container. Gently spread before planting.

Thanks to all you faithful subscribers there were, as always, many good answers last week.  We chose a long one because the details are so interesting--but this week's answer will be short!

This Week's Question:   According to the Guinness World Records, what were the most leaves ever found on a clover stem?

This Week's Prize:  1 gallon heuchera of the winner's choice (see the Featured Plants photos)

There's plenty to do in the garden at this time of year.

Continue to water.
Trees may be showing signs of salt burn (brown tips on leaves) due to lack of deep watering.

To water deeply: Lay your garden hose about 18' from the trunk, turn on hose so it just dribbles out — as if someone didn't turn it off tightly. Let it run for several hours, or all night. This will 'cleanse' the soil of accumulated salts and give a deep soak. This is also helpful for newly planted trees — to soak deeply into the root ball.

A lot of bugs are busy now!
Continue to hose off plants — keep them clean! Watch for Giant Whitefly (look for fuzz on the back of leaves) and aphids. Insect populations tend to 'peak' during hot weather. It will get better as the weather cools! If you have to, use an insecticide such as Green Light Neem Spray.

Get rid of those weeds!
So... maybe the weeds have already taken over. Don't give up! Remove them now or they will be twice as bad in the spring. Patches of bare soil invite weeds, so plant a cover crop that you can work back into the soil in early spring, or cover the bare soil with mulch.

Fall is a great time to plant shrubs and trees.
They won't have to put energy into flowers or fruits, and can devote their resources to growing healthy root systems. As long as the soil is around 40 degrees or above, roots will continue to grow.