Make Your Own Early Summer Garden Calendar©

Again we welcome any spare time we have to continue the job of weeding. I think many people love gardens and probably love gardening if it were not for the chore of constant weeding.

We keep on mowing and do not remove more than one third of the grass at any one mowing or the sun will quickly burn your lawn even if you are getting lots of rain.

This is the time to trim any evergreens you have that you want trimmed. Don't forget to continue watering especially those new plants, trees and shrubs because they really will get a grand good start if you keep up the daily watering each evening when necessary for at least three months.

As your plants grow and especially your vegetables this is the time of year to check for bugs, pests and plant damage or diseases and take whatever organic necessary steps you usually do to control any damage or impede any bugs or pests.

Once the Lilacs and Rhododendrons have finished blooming take your self out with a good sharp set of pruners and dead head them all to encourage more growth and flowers for next year.

This is the time of year to dead head your roses in order to have continual blooming all summer. The same goes for any other perennials you have growing in your garden including pinching back any mums and asters to encourage a nice rounded plant.

I like to spray my roses every week with a mixture of baking soda solution to protect them against black spot disease. I make a spray by dissolving 2 teaspoons of baking soda with a ¼ tsp of liquid dish washing soap in half a gallon of water and spraying it on them.

By now your bulbs have flowered and gone and the leaves and stems are looking droopy. Do not braid them, do not cut them back as they need the energy in the leaves and stems to go back down into the bulbs in order to reflower next spring. Just leave them alone.

This is the time to fill in those bare spots with bulbs such as lilies, iris or glads.