Don’t put that Shovel Down - So, you haven’t planted your summer flowers and veggie’s yet. You are not too late; you are actually smarter than you give yourself credit for. This year June will be a better month to plant new flowers, trees and shrubs. Local nurseries and garden centers still have a wonderful assortment of plants to choose from. Remember you can continue planting as long as the ground is not frozen.

Lawn Update - Keep mowing your grass at 3” tall. All the rain we’ve had has caused grass blade roots to remain shallow in the soil. You’ll be tempted - but no heavy feeding of lawn food until the fall. You might notice parts of your lawn develop small brown areas. This could be brown patch or some other lawn diseases. These are all weather related and go away as

• Apply another application of Dimension to your plant beds.
  
• Evergreen needle drop is normal; the oldest needles are being discarded as new ones appear.
  
• Feed all your plants with a time-release fertilizer that will slowly feed your plants all season. Two great ones are Osmocote and Start N’ Gro.
  
• If you used shredded hardwood mulch, keep loosening the mulch every month with a cultivator.
  
• You will notice big leaf hydrangeas and impatiens wilt on sunny, hot days. Heat wilt can occur even when there’s good moisture in the soil. Don’t just assume you need to water. Always check the soil for moisture before bringing out the hose.
  
• For just one week, pinch off all the bloom buds on your newly planted annuals, as they appear. If you do this - you’ ll have the best looking color in your neighborhood.