It's not really a sage, but this plant has many of its desirable features. The lush green foliage forms a dense, uniform shrub that thrives on the reflected heat along roadways, driveways, and in parking lots. A tough low-maintenance informal shrub or hedge that blooms repeatedly with lavender blue flowers.

We also have Texas Ranger 'Cimarron,' smaller (3 feet tall and wide) with grey-green foliage and blue flowers. Sometimes called 'Blue Ranger.' Care is the same as for 'Rio Bravo.'

Type: evergreen shrub
Size: 5 feet tall and wide.
Exposure: full sun, well-drained soil
Water: regularly during first growing season. Once established, water deeply and infrequently during summer months.
Maintenance: easy
Feed: Liquid Gro-Power once per season

Type: annual in most zones, but perennial in zones 9-11 (That's us!)
Size: 6-10 inches
Exposure: sun or partial sun
Water: normal
Maintenance: easy
Feed: seasonally with Liquid Gro-Power

In the summertime, when the weather is hot, heat-loving annuals will dazzle your gardens with vibrant colors. They are the sun-bathing beauties of any garden. With so many different flower forms, colors, sizes and foliage shapes, every gardener will have a dozen or two favorite annuals blooming in the garden to brag about.

Versatility is their name; garden pizzazz is your gain. Annuals make themselves at home in your garden beds, intermingled with your trees and shrubs, patio containers, window boxes and/or hanging baskets Some annuals are groundcovers, some are perfect for the "middle and marvelous" group, and of course some will stand "tall and sassy" in the rear of the garden bed.

For a huge colorful impact, plant in swaths or waves. For example, many people planted their gardens in red, white and blue for July 4th. Perhaps they used 6 packs of blue lobelia in the front row, zinnias (red of course) in the next row, and in the back, lots and lots of white cosmos. The same concept applies to other color schemes.

Plant your annuals using Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost planting mix. Most of these annuals need regular water. Fertilize with Gro-Power Flower & Bloom 3-12-12 to encourage continuous blooms. Also, to keep your annuals blooming all summer long, deadhead (which means pluck off the spent flowers). This will keep the plant from thinking that it is time to spend all of its energy developing seeds for the next season. Remember that annuals are plants that grow and bloom within one season.

Whatever your garden style or colors, we have annuals for you! Hurry in and pick your favorites. Get them in your gardens for a spectacular summer flower color show!

Click here to view sample pictures of annuals.

We were pleased with the big turnout last week. And our eeny, meeny, miny, mo system produced another masculine winner. You guys are on a streak.!

This Week's Question: Which two trees are also herbs?

This Week's Prize: 5 gallon fruit tree of the winner's choice
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Wives' tale, myth or fact? What really works to make cut flowers last longer?

Aspirin, vitamins, vinegar, 7-Up, Sprite, pennies and sugar. Some say they work, some say that they don't. There are many folklore additives, and we have a few other tips that will help as well.

• Remove all foliage from the stems below the water line; this minimizes bacterial growth in the water.
• Cut at least an inch from the bottom of each stem. Some say to then crush the bottom of the stem.
• Keep the water fresh.
• Add this homemade recipe: 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. bleach, 2 Tbs. lemon or lime juice to a quart of water.
• Check the water level and replenish as needed.

Did you know that flowers in bud form will open if placed into warm water? Yes, indeed. Conversely, flowers kept in cool water will last longer and buds will be slow to open.

If you have a tip that works, please let us know and we'll be happy to share it with everyone! Who knows? You might even become famous!

You squish them and flick them, yet still they keep coming back. What is it with all these ants?

Knowing the type of ant pest you're dealing with will help you decide if you want to continue to allow these insects to thrive in your landscaping or not. As ants typically collect pieces of dead, or almost dead, insects, and loose or old vegetation, they might be more beneficial than you think.

On the other hand, fire ants and other species will bite when they feel threatened. The bite of biting ants is very painful, and can be a great danger to those who are allergic. Not as serious, but still a nuisance, some species will farm aphids on your plants, as the aphid secretes a sugary liquid called honeydew that ants crave.

Killing ants is not difficult if the proper method is used. As ants breathe oxygen through tiny passages in their exoskeleton, a product containing boric acid, such as Grants Ant & Spider Killer can be used to clog these holes and suffocate the ant. It may take a few days but this method is very effective and safe. If you don't want to wait that long, you can also kill the ants by using Bayer Powerforce Multi Insect Spray.

Do not squash ants unless you wish to attract them, as the scent released when they die will attract other ants to come and take them back to the colony as food.

Take advantage of the warm summer days to plant frost-tender shrubs and trees, such as palms, bananas, bougainvilleas and hibiscus.

These are great additions to the garden as long as they are properly placed. Select a location that receives half to full day sun. A bit of frost protection, such as a wall or a corner by a fence, is best to help prevent frost kill next winter. Almost all of these subtropical plants love as much heat as possible.

Plant using equal amounts of a high-quality planting mix like Gardner & Bloome Planting Mix and native soil. Blending the mix with some soil is much better than replacing the total volume of soil. This blending provides a gradient to allow the roots to acclimate and grow easily into the native soil. Plant so that the root ball is 1" above the surrounding soil.

Cover this exposed soil with compost or planting mix. In a short amount of time, the hole will settle to the correct depth. Keep moist for the first 6 to 8 weeks. Your new plant will need more frequent watering than the existing ones until it becomes established.