Summer is here and so are Mother Nature's best flowers for your garden. One of my favorite flowers is the snapdragon because of its hardiness in the garden, along with the amount of time the plant stays in bloom. Snapdragons love the cool weather and are planted earlier than most annual flowers in the garden for early flowers during the summer that will continue to bloom well into the fall. I plant snapdragons early in the spring, about the same time as the cold weather crops such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. Most other summer annuals will not tolerate the cold soil and air temperatures but snapdragons love it, so plant them early when time in the garden is less demanding. Also in the fall when most annual flowers are falling apart with the shorter days and cooler temperatures, the snapdragons come alive after the heat of summer with more flowers, and the plant will tolerate some frost.

     Snapdragons have glossy dark green to chocolate colored foliage in the shape of an elongated oval coming to a point. The leaves grow in a whirl around the stems from the ground right up to the flower spikes. The individual flowers grow on a tall stem or spike in a whirl so individual flowers are visible all around the spike. The flowers resemble the head of an animal, and if you pull down the bottom half to view the inside of the flower it will snap back to its original position in a snap. The flower is tubular in shape almost like an open-throat and hummingbirds love it as well as butterflies.

     Plant them in a garden that receives full sun most of the day--and the more organic matter in the soil the better. Slightly acid soil that is well drained and fertile is best. Snapdragons love fertilizer so be sure to feed them often with a liquid fertilizer such as Miracle Grow or the new Plant Thrive for more flowers. If you are growing the taller growing varieties, extra fertilizer will help produce stronger and thicker stems to support all the flowers. Tall-growing varieties will grow best when grown out of the wind and near a fence or building for protection; you may have to stake them in a more open garden. For the first 4 to 6 weeks water the plants by hand to keep moisture off the plant when possible, as fungus disease can cause the plant to wilt and die. Avoid overhead watering young plants from sprinklers, but once the plant develops and matures, overhead watering is O.K.

     When you plant seedlings, it is best to pinch every shoot on the plant back on the tip to promote the plant to bush out and produce multiple stems rather than a quick single tall stem with flowers. This pinch will delay the bloom by 2 to 3 weeks but the plant will develop multiple flower spikes and much more color in your garden. The flower spike with its many individual flowers will open from the bottom first, making them look better as the flower matures. You can remove the faded flowers to keep the flower spike clean looking. Snapdragons make a wonderful cut flower and will last for a long time on your kitchen table.

     Snapdragons come in all heights from the 'Floral Carpet' variety that is 6 to 8 inches tall to the 'Rocket' variety (my favorite) that can reach up to three feet tall. Some varieties have flowers that are more open and tubular looking, some are single or double flowering but all will cause excitement in your garden. No Insect problems and few disease problems make them easy to grow and trouble-free. Snapdragons come in every color in the rainbow and many multi-colored flowers are available, so plant some and enjoy.

     During the summer, we spend a lot of time outside enjoying our yard and gardens around our homes. Make your enjoyment more colorful with a family of plants knows as the Spireas. Summer-flowering spireas will flower all summer and well into the fall, if you remember one thing: "deadhead" the flowers when the flowers fade! When you remove the faded flower, new flowers will develop and cover the plant again in just three weeks. It is possible to have three blooming periods--almost continuous blooms on the plant--if you keep the faded flowers off the plant.

     The flowers are clusters of small individual blooms that can grow 2 to 6 inches wide on strong short or long stems, depending on the variety you choose. When removing the faded flowers from the plant it is best if you remove one to three inches of the stem with the flower. Side shoots will quickly develop from those cut stems and the flowers will form in just a couple of weeks. The flower clusters will last for 3 weeks or more on the plant. This pruning also keeps the plant more compact and encourages more foliage on the plant. In the early spring, before it starts to grow prune it back by as much as 1/3 to keep the plants under control so it does not outgrow its space in your flower or garden bed.

     Spirea will grow best in full sun all day but will also tolerate a bit of shade late in the day. Spirea will look beautiful in foundation plantings around your home, in perennial flower borders and wonderful in groups or in mass plantings. Some of the low growing varieties are also be used as ground covers on embankments. Plant in a garden and condition the soil with organic matter such as compost or animal manure. A loose, well-drained soil is best. The plant will not tolerate a heavy clay soil that stays wet for long periods. If the summer should be hot and dry, watering the plants regularly will help to keep them flowering. As with many plants, heat and dry weather can put them into dormancy for a short period of time, so water them as needed. To help the plants get off to a good start, add Bio-Tone fertilizer or the new Plant Thrive food with mycorrhizae to stimulate the roots and produce more flowers.

     Spirea varieties will differ in height and will grow as short as 6 to 12 inches tall and as high as varieties growing 4 to 6 feet tall. Most varieties will spread from 4 to 6 feet wide but both height and width can be controlled with annual pruning in the spring. Fall pruning is not recommended, as harsh winter weather can cause plant dieback. Spirea can grow in climates with winter weather that gets down to 30 below zero without hurting the flower buds. No special protection is needed like with some other summer flowering plants.

     The foliage is oval, 1 to 4 inches long and narrow, with smooth or tiny teeth on the margins of the leaf. The leaf color is traditionally green, kelly green to dark green, and some of the new varieties are gold to yellow. If the weather is cool, the color will be more intense. Some of the varieties have new growth that begins as russet-orange to bronze red before turning green. In the fall, the foliage turns red to copper in color, making the plant stand out in your garden. Insects and disease are not a problem with this plant--another reason to plant spirea in your gardens. I like to fertilize in the spring to help get the plant off to a good start and make a lot of foliage. The flowers begin to develop in early June. Remember if you keep the faded flower off the plant; the flowers keep coming all summer long ,well into the fall. Fertilize with Plant-Tone fertilizer or Dr Earth shrub and tree food for slow continuous feed all spring and summer long.