The heat is on

As I'm writing this, we're enjoying a couple of perfect summer days with highs of about 80 degrees. Tomorrow the heat returns, with temps in the 90s. This will be a real test of our dedication to watering. Those hanging baskets may need it twice a day. By the time this reaches print, the current heat wave may be over. We can only hope.

One of my favorite plants to use in big planters is creeping jenny. It has such pretty chartreuse foliage which sets off most flower colors, especially purples. Jenny has small yellow flowers but they don't last long, mostly its just the nice rounded leaves. One thing you never want to do with this guy is to plant it into the ground. It really lives up to its ability as a ground cover as it will literally take over!

Creeping jenny is hardy and will live over winter in large pots. All you need to do in spring is add a few colorful annuals. I do the same thing with various varieties of heuchera, (fancy leaved coral bells). With my pots, I check every once in a while to see if any of the long creeping jenny stems have reached the ground. If so they need to be trimmed back a bit. Otherwise, they will take root and take off.

I hope you have some Oriental lilies in your yard. These are easy to grow and just gorgeous to look at. The scent is fabulous too. One thing to remember is to be careful about the pollen as it can stain your clothing.

I have many different varieties and colors. The tallest one is called Conca d Or. It is yellow and white and has reached a height of about 5 feet. At last count it had 24 large blossoms on it. This is what I call "soul food."

I am diligently digging, dividing and replanting irises. One bed has 16 varieties, each having spread into a huge clump and all needing to be divided now. I usually save 3 pieces of each type to replant, but decided to just do 2 this time. That should stave off their need to be divided for an extra year or two. At least that's my plan. The rest I give away.

Keep on fertilizing those annuals, but no more for the trees, shrubs and perennials. The lawns will need at least one more dose before the season ends. Be sure to set your lawnmower so that the grass won't be cut too short. Longer grass does much better during hot weather.

We also need to keep in mind that watering during the middle of the day is a big waste as most of it is lost to evaporation. Besides that, some cities and towns have ordinances against it. Post Falls is one of those. Set those automatic timers to go off in the early morning or late evening. We are so lucky here to have such an abundant water supply especially when you see news of the drought the central U.S. states are currently experiencing.

Keep an eye out for sales at your favorite nurseries. Most are having them about now. As you know, most perennials have a short bloom time of a couple of weeks. If you have space, you might want to try some that are known for their ability to flower for months at a time. Some of my favorites are:

• Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)

• Pin Cushion (Scabiosa)

• Coreopsis

• Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)

• Coneflower (Echinacea)

With dead heading, these will all bloom for a long period. Most of them have sturdy stems and even though they get fairly tall, they won't need staking.

The ants finally found my hummingbird feeders. I knew they would. The thing that works best for me as a deterrent is a product called Tree Tanglefoot. This product is mainly aimed at stopping the destructive crawling insects that attack trees. Since it is so very sticky, bugs aren't able to crawl across it. I apply a liberal amount to the hanger above my hummingbird feeders and that does the trick.

The other nuisance is wasps. They love the sugar water in the feeders too and are pretty good at chasing the hummers off. Hanging a wasp trap nearby with the same sugar water mixture works well. Also be sure to walk around your house occasionally with one of those spray cans that can shoot a stream up under the eaves. A good dose usually takes care of each nest.

If your hummers suddenly stop showing up, you probably need to clean the feeder and add fresh sugar water. The solution goes rancid quickly during hot weather.

One of my friends has a cute garden sign which says, "Only God can make flowers and trees. He put me in charge of flowers and seeds." Sometimes I wonder if he meant weeds.

Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. Since then, she has always kept a garden of some sort, growing everything from fruits and vegetables to flowers and house plants. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is an active member of the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.