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Enjoying Summer
Greetings!
 Ahhh. It's that lovely part of summer when the garden chores ease off a bit. I'm almost done mulching--I wait until after bulb foliage fades so I can cover that along with tiny weeds--so now it's basically a routine of weeding and deadheading. My family will be thrilled. The giant mulch pile in the driveway has been blocking cars from the garage, but such are the trials of living with a garden geek.
Meanwhile, I'm doing a good job of "disciplining" myself to do a daily walk around the garden, cup of coffee in hand. I've noticed--have you?--that this year there are hardly any flowers on many of my favorite perennials, such as irises and peonies. (There's a good discussion going on about this at The Iowa Gardener Facebook page.)
On these strolls, I don't allow myself to do any work or weeding (well, maybe yank out a few weeds). Instead, it's a moment to check and assess and just simply enjoy the morning and my flowers.
Yours in garden contentment,
Veronica Lorson Fowler
P.S. This issue marks our 100th The Iowa Gardener newsletter. A big thanks to you for subscribing and making it all possible!
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Plant of the Week: 
Tuberous Begonia
Tuberous begonias are some of the showiest shade flowers around. Just check out these gorgeous double tuberous begonias in my window box! Others are single (more flat) or have other interesting flower forms.
There are many different kinds of begonias, but I love the big, more rugged leaves and huge flowers of tuberous begonias.
I bought mine already blooming in 4-inch pots, though you can grow them directly from tubers--bulb-like things about the size of a walnut or so. But it takes time to get them to blooming size. For a bit more money, I'd rather have the instant gratification established plants. They're often carried in garden centers throughout the summer, so call around and you might find some plants still available for planting.
Tuberous begonias do best in light to medium shade--they don't like much direct sun. They also need excellent drainage, so they're not a great candidate for planting directly in the soil. Instead, use them in containers.
Click here for more info on these shade-loving beauties.
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Evil Purslane
 With the onset of summer's heat, we also have the onset of purslane. This pernicious weed likes hot, dry conditions. It has a nasty habit of propagating itself from even little bits of leaves or roots left in the soil, so if you chop at it with a hoe, it's just like the Greek hydra monster and sprouts back with many more plants.
It's quite edible and can be used in salads, but there are not enough salads on the planet to use up all the purslane in my garden.
The only solution is to be diligent in pulling it up--never with a hoe or other chopping tool. Also, for this beast, I bring out the Roundup. Be sure to use it only on a warm, dry day and be prepared for repeat applications. Also be careful not to spray surrounding plants.
Organic gardeners may want to use spray straight vinegar instead. It's not nearly as effective, but it does act as mild herbicide and slows purslane down. Same caveat: Use on a warm dry day; don't hit other plants, repeat applications.
Mulching on top of tiny purslane plants is helpful, but the more persistent ones will still poke through, so nail those with pulling and spraying once they emerge.
Click here for 7 Tips for Less Weeding.
Click here for Controlling Creeping Charlie.
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The Bloodsuckers are Back
 My arms are covered with mosquito bites, testimony that theyrrree back!
Continuing rain the past few weeks stirred up water enough to prevent the still water they need to breed.
To prevent mosquitoes from bothering you in the garden, ISU Extension Entomology offers these tips:
* Avoid gardening at dawn or dusk, their favorite feeding times.
* Wear loose light-colored clothing rather than dark, tight clothing. They'll bite right through it.
* Work in the sun rather than the shade mosquitoes prefer.
* Mosquitoes hate wind, so try to time gardening for when there's a good breeze. On patios and decks, set up a fan to keep them at bay.
* Don't waste your money on citronella candles, herb sprays, Skin-So-Soft, and just about any other deterrent except repellents containing DEET. Lotions and sprays containing DEET are the only such products that are proven by university research to deter mosquitoes.
However, you don't have to go for the high concentrations of DEET. The lowest concentrations are fine if you're going to be outside for shorter periods of time. Higher concentrations simply last longer.
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Monthly To-Do
 Don't let the onset of the hot weather of summer get you discouraged. Heat and dry conditions can make a garden start to get ratty-looking and fewer things are in flower. But even 15 or 20 minutes of weeding, cutting back, deadheading, mulching, and watering can make a huge difference.
Harvest early and often for the most tender, sweetest produce and to keep plants producing well. Tip: You can harvest tomatoes when they're about halfway red. Bring them indoors (away from insects) to finish ripening indoors on a countertop. They'll still have that great, full home-grown tomato flavor! Click here for a plant-by-plant breakdown on how to tell when produce is ready to harvest.
Annual flowers are at their peak now--a great reason to plant them in the first place. They're one of the few things that look fresh this time of year. Keep them well watered, deadheaded, and well fertilized (apply a granular or liquid all-purpose fertilizer according to package directions).
Deadhead flowers on annuals, perennials, and some shrubs. It keeps your garden more attractive and in many cases, it will encourage more flowers. Check out our videos on deadheading flowers by clicking here.
Avoid planting, transplanting, or dividing anything other than a tree or shrub right now. The heat of summer will make smaller plants will struggle when transplanted. It's best to wait for cooler weather.
Water, water, water! Many containers will need a daily soaking this time of year. Annuals, new plantings of perennials and trees and shrubs, and new grass plantings also need special attention.
Weed, weed, weed! Get them now while they're small and prevent big problems later. Click here for tips on how to wipe out max weeds in minimum time.
After weeding, continue to finish off your work with a nice layer of wood bark mulch (never fresh wood chips.) It conserves moisture, prevents weed, and eventually breaks down and feeds the soil.
Go ahead and buy plants on clearance, but buy only those plants that look healthy. Avoid runty, dried out, or otherwise tired-looking plants. They're unlikely to rally.
Practice tough love in the garden. If a tree or shrub is still struggling with winter damage or overall sickness, with significant amounts of dead wood, it's almost certainly time to dig it up or cut it down.
Check out the bulb catalogs and on-line sources. Ordering now assures the type and quantity you want this fall, when supplies run low.
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Editor's Choice
Garden Events
Saturday, July 12
9:00-10:00 a.m. Learn to identify common trees of Iowa and explore the many leaf shapes of the Arboretum! Free for members; $5 for non-members.
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Garden Quote
"The trouble with gardening is that it does not remain an avocation. It becomes an obsession."
-- Phyllis McGinley,
American children's book author and poet
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