Hot dogs and hot people

This summer has flown by and now we're in the infamous "Dog days of summer." The name has never made sense to me as no dog I know of likes hot days. That may be because they can only sweat through the bottoms of their feet and pant. My little dog has a double coat of black fur and prefers the A/C to outdoors these days.

You may want to walk around your yard and check for blocked sprinklers. Plants may have grown up and are stopping the water from spraying where intended. I just did this and found several plants that had overstepped their boundaries.

Wise homeowners adjust their lawnmowers at this time of year so that the grass isn't cut so short. This helps the lawn to survive the hot weather. Most all lawn grasses are cool-weather types and are not happy with all the 90-degree days we've had this summer.

Now is the time to cut down some of the perennial stalks that are done blooming. Delphiniums will usually bloom again in fall if this is done. Most bleeding heart plants get to looking pretty ratty and may turn yellow. Don't worry, they aren't dying. This is normal for bleeding hearts. Just yank off the dying stems and forget about them. They'll take a rest and come back next spring.

Oriental poppies usually need to be cut down too as they go into a dormant state for the rest of the summer. This is the best time to dig and divide or move them.

If you're growing tall dahlias or tuberous begonias and are disappointed in the size of the blossoms, there is a trick to growing bigger flowers. Carefully take off all the sidebuds and leave only the central one to continue to grow. These plants need a lot of food to produce these big blossoms so be faithful with the fertilizer.

Vegetable gardens are producing like mad right now. There are several veggies that need to be closely monitored. If these are left on the plant too long, they are practically inedible. Three of these are green beans, cucumbers and zucchini. All are good when small, but woody when allowed to get big.

Roses need to be fertilized between bloom cycles as they are also heavy feeders. Be sure to use a fertilizer which has a larger middle number as too much nitrogen will result in lovely foliage, but few flowers.

Petunias may be getting leggy by now. Don't be afraid to cut off half the length of each stem. Dig in fertilizer and they will be off and running with new growth and lots of flowers.

Other plants needing a dose of fertilizer are the acid lovers such as rhododendrons and azaleas. Blue flowered hydrangeas also need this in order to stay blue. If their soil is allowed to return to an alkaline state, the flowers will range from a sickly lavender to pink.

I'll bet you all agree with me when I say that "Gardeners Know The Best Dirt."

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 currently secretary for the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.