Greetings! 
There are all sorts of opposites: Democrats and Republicans, morning larks and night owls, liver lovers and haters. And every summer in Iowa, I am reminded of another set of opposites: Those who adore summer heat and those who loathe it.
Me, I love it. My ex-husband (hmmm--a hate heater. Go figure!) would watch me bask in full sun in 90-plus degrees and determine that surely I was part lizard.
Enjoying heat is an asset when gardening, of course. I'm out digging and weeding long after more sensible types have gone in for a shower. But I find another advantage. When it's hot and humid and I want to be left alone to enjoy a book or gin and tonic, far from any household demands or ruckus, all I have to do is step out onto my back porch and shut the door.
No one fussing inside in the cool and dark wants to come out to pester me. I get to have the porch, the garden, and half the neighborhood all to my heat-seeking self. How cool is that?
Yours in steamy gardening,
Veronica Lorson Fowler
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Gentlemen Start Your Sprinklers
 The forecast is for hot, dry weather for the next few days. I haven't really had to pull out the hose or sprinkler much, but now it's time. Also check out this clever planting tip for astilbe, ligularia, hydrangeas, hibiscus, and other plants that need lots of water.
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Garden Star:
'Ballerina' Hardy Geranium
 There are some plants in your garden that you take for granted--they're so pretty and so easy. One of those for me is ' Ballerina' hardy geranium. For years, this perennial has thrived and spread (politely, not invasively) wherever I plant it with pleasant medium-green foliage. It even does well on this rather dry, slightly shady front slope of mine, shown in the photo.
Best of all, 'Ballerina' hardy geranium covers itself thickly with pretty pink flowers for about 4 weeks in late spring. I have it planted in around my German bearded iris, where it covers up their bumpy, tuberous roots and fills in gaps between plants nicely. As a bonus, the leaves turn an attractive russet in fall.
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Plant Some Rescue Flowers
 About this time of year, I like to plant a row or two of seeds of annual flowers in my vegetable garden that will later in the summer serve as "rescue flowers." That's because in another couple months, I'll have bare or ugly spots in my flower beds. By then, the flower seedlings I planted in my veggie garden will be a few inches tall, a perfect size to transplant into the problem spots, where they'll finish growing and blooming. Good candidates for rescue flowers must transplant well. They include sunflowers, cosmos, marigolds, and zinnias. For tips on how to sow seeds directly in the sow with best results, click here.
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Editor's Choice Garden Events
Saturday, June 11
2:00-4:00 p.m. Come join myself and another local author, Norm Judi, as we talk about how and why we write. $25 admission, book signing to follow. If you are a reader of this newsletter, please introduce yourself. I'd love to meet you!
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Garden Quote
"The serene philosophy of the pink rose is steadying. Its fragrant, delicate petals open fully and are ready to fall, without regret or disillusion, after only a day in the sun.It is so every summer. One can almost hear their pink, fragrant murmur as they settle down upon the grass: 'Summer, summer, it will always be summer.' "
- Indiana author Rachel Peden
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Monthly To-Do
 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 weeds, and eventually breaks down and feeds the soil.
Grass is growing quickly right now. To maintain it, mow often enough that you never need to remove more than one-third of the grass blade.
You can still plant seeds of squash, cucumbers, corn, beans, and other seeds that need warmer soil (usually 2 weeks past the last average frost date).
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.
Avoid buying bare-root roses at this point in the season, no matter how cheap they are. It's just too hot and most bare-root roses are way past their prime in containers at this time of year.
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.
Continue to plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees, shrubs, and roses now. However, avoid planting bare-root roses and other bare-root plants. This late in the year, they'll struggle to get established and may well die.
Time to practice tough love. 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.
Remove the browning foliage of tulips and daffodils once it pulls away easily. Until then, the plant is using it to rejuvenate for next year.
Pinch mum buds until the 4th of July. This helps them produce larger, bigger flowers on stronger stems.
Harvest early and often for the most tender, sweetest produce and to keep plants producing well. Pick zucchini, for example, with the yellow flower still attached.
Check out 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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