Type: Nearly evergreen and deciduous shrubs or trees (May lose leaves in cool weather.)

Size: Shrub or small tree

Exposure: Full sun; partial shade in hottest climates

Soil type: Likes well-draining soil

Feed: Gro-Power Flower and Palm

Planting: Cactus Mix

Type: Perennial shrub

Exposure: Full sun

Water: Regular

Feed: Gro-Power Flower and Palm

They prefer to be out in the open, not close to house walls where the nighttime temperatures can cool off more.

Gardenias need acid soil, good drainage, adequate moisture, full sun in cooler areas and part shade in warmer areas. They also need regular fertilizing for growth and flowers, with an acid-type product that contains trace elements to prevent chlorosis, such as Gro-Power Azalea, Gardenia & Camellia Fertilizer.

Gardenias come in all types of shapes and sizes, making them versatile for many garden locations. If you are tight on space, consider the miniature 'Radicans' (6"-12" H, 2'-3' W) or 'White Gem' (1'-2' H, 2'-3' W). If you have more space, 'Veitchii' makes a great selection, growing 3'-4' high and wide. For screening, you can use 'August Beauty,' 'First Love' and 'Mystery,' which grow 4'-5' high and 3'-4' wide.

There are also two great cold-hardy selections for more difficult climates. Both 'Klein's Hardy' (2'-3' high and wide) and 'Chuck Hayes' (3'-4' high and wide) can tolerate occasional winter temperatures of 0-10 degrees.

We stock a great selection of gardenias that will make a perfect addition to your garden, and our staff of nursery professionals will be happy to help you. So what are you waiting for? Come in and add some fragrance to your garden today!

As a kid, the arrival of Indian summer was the last summer hurrah! It was still light enough to play outside after dinner, and warm enough to wear shorts. Even though school had begun, you still had a couple of weeks of warm summertime fun. Well, now I realize that it was also a couple more weeks of summertime flower color for my parents to enjoy in their gardens! Somehow, I think they must have planned ahead to ensure that the gardens were beautiful.

That's right. Now is the time to tuck into your garden beds and patio paradise containers some of your favorite late summer and fall blooming perennials and shrubs. This list of flowering plants includes just about every flower color that you can imagine. You may be the type of gardener who has a complete plan of colors, sizes and shapes in mind. Or you might be a gardener that loves just to collect plants of all colors, sizes and forms. You know who you are and what your style is.

There are plenty of late summer and autumn bloomers to choose from. Check our gallery here for some examples. Our plant selection is a veritable treasure chest of Indian Summer colors. Come into the garden center and begin choosing today. Don't forget to pick up some Gardner & Bloome Planting Mix to amend your native soil. Oh yes, and to promote the non-stop blooms, feed with Gro-Power Flower & Bloom 3-12-12 .

Then sit back on that Adirondack chair, chaise lounge, or hammock--and enjoy your Indian Summer garden in full bloom!

Jennifer was born and raised in Whittier. As the granddaughter of the founders of Blue Hills Nursery, Frank and Asaye Nakamura, and daughter of their son Stan, she's been a nursery person all her life. After starting to work at the nursery at age 16, she followed up with a horticulture major at Cal Poly Pomona. She's currently in charge of bedding plants, specializing in pelargoniums, begonias, and fuchsias.

When she's not at work or in her own garden, she loves being around animals. According to Stan, she's a "dog rescuer." When she was too young to drive, she coaxed lost dogs to follow her bicycle home. If she couldn't locate the owner, she found a good home for the rescued animal. She once found a beautiful Golden Retriever, Nitro, which turned out to be a show dog. She hated giving him up, but the owners were thrilled to get him back.

Although she still picks up lost dogs, she now has only Bella, an Australian shepherd. Jennifer and her husband Brett also own two Paint horses, and the mare is due to foal in April.

Jennifer invites you to come in and visit. If you come at the right time, you might meet the "Canine Squad" (on the left) out for a little exercise.

Thanks, Sharanne, for your creative answer. And for all the rest of you, this week we're returning to an easily searchable question.

This Week's Question: Plumeria is also known as Frangipani. Give us the source of both names.

This Week's Prize: 1 gallon hibiscus

There are several things you can do to ease your plants through a dry summer and even improve your landscape at the same time. While installing and using a drip system is a no-brainer, there are other steps you can take if you find yourself in a real pinch. Here’s how to make every drop of water count.

First of all, irrigate slowly, deeply and less frequently. Slow soaking limits runoff and encourages plants to develop deep root systems that are better able to tolerate drought. To minimize evaporation, irrigate in the early morning or evening. If you have to use a hose for watering, build soil berms around young trees and shrubs such as roses to concentrate water on the root zones. Fill the basin so the water soaks in.

It's also important to check the soil moisture occasionally between waterings to make sure the plants actually need to be watered as frequently as they are. Dig down one foot with a trowel or spade and feel a handful of soil. Another way to test moisture is to use a metal sampling tube to "read " the soil. Simply push it into the ground and twist it back out. It will show a 10-12" cross section of soil, showing how wet or dry the soil actually is. If the top 2 inches of the soil sample are dry, it's time to water.

If you don't have a drip irrigation system, consider using soaker hoses or root irrigators to concentrate water in specific areas. You can also be water-wise with pots by using glazed, foam or plastic pots, which are less porous and hold moisture better. Nesting smaller pots inside of larger ones will also create extra insulation.

If you have a grass lawn, raise your mower height. Taller grass shades the soil and will help reduce evaporation. Instead of high-nitrogen lawn food, apply a low-nitrogen iron product like Dr. Earth Super Natural Lawn Fertilizer to help prevent excessive growth and improve the lawn's tolerance to heat stress.

Consider applying mulch to your garden. It helps reduce evaporation, insulates the roots from hot temperatures, helps prevent weeds and just plain makes a garden look better. We recommend applying a 2" layer of Gardner & Bloom Soil Building Compost for best results.

If you face a real pinch in water availability, survey your landscape and give the highest priority to established trees and foundation shrubs, because they would be the hardest to replace. With just a little extra diligence, most gardens will make it through a drought period just fine.

There's no sure way to protect your home from a raging fire, but there are some things you can do to minimize the risk. If you live near the woods, next to native brush, take these steps to protect your property.

• Keep the landscape close to your home well-watered. Don't grow flammable plants such as pine trees close to your home or allow them to overhang your roof. (Shrubs and trees with lush green leaves are recommended for green belts.)
• Don't mound shrubbery close to your house. Shrubs should be spaced apart from each other and kept low. For safety from fire when houses are close together, it's best to have no shrubbery between them.
• Create a buffer zone. A well-watered green area of low-growing plants or grass lawn can act as a firebreak between you and wilderness. The buffer zone should be at least 30 feet wide on flat ground and progressively wider as slopes get steeper. Walls, rocks, patios, rustic seats, and wandering paths can be part of the landscaping. Use plant materials that have proven their ability to withstand some fires. (Ask your local state Cooperative Extension Office or Department of Forestry for additional information and plant lists.)
• Manage the existing brush. Remove the fuel load from inside the plant. The buildup of dead leaves, twigs, branches and weeds in the understory is what makes the hottest fires. Cut out and haul away or chip and compost all of the dead stuff that builds up inside native shrubs. Leave all the green growth on the outside. When you're finished, you'll have a wonderland of usable space for birds and other wildlife that inhabit the local countryside.