Too Good, Wolfie! This topic keeps all the stuff I am collecting in the proper place. Thanks! However, it might be Tuesday before I get any new stuff...

thought it would cover it!!

How Close To Plant With Rotation If your vegetable garden is small, you're probably wondering how far apart they need to be planted year to year. On a three-year plan, where you plant your "crop" should form the corner points of a triangle within your garden plot. As an example, your garden plot is a 10 foot by 10 foot square. This year, maybe, your tomatoes will go in the south-west corner. Next year, plant them due east of the center of the garden. The year after, you can plant them in the north-west corner, and then back to the south-west corner the following year.

***CALENDULA AND BORAGE: Herbs for Summer Color*** Calendula and borage add color to your herb garden throughout summer with a succession of long-lasting blooms. These are two of the prettiest herbs you can grow, and they are relatively carefree. Both are annuals, but once they are established in your garden they are eager reseeders. BORAGE I bought my first packet of borage seeds many years ago, and grew the plants as a companion to tomatoes. Borage actually helps to improve the flavor of tomatoes when grown nearby. I was mislead by an error on the seed packet that said that the plant should not be consumed because it is poisonous, and grew the plant only for it's properties as a companion and it's appearance. In truth, borage is not poisonous. The leaves have a refreshing cucumber taste, and can be used in salads and chopped up for herb butters and dips. Borage greens are a little too plain-tasting when cooked alone, but when combined with other greens, particularly cabbage, they add a unique flavor. The flowers can be used as a garnish or candied to decorate pastries. CALENDULA Calendula is also called pot marigold, but don't confuse this plant with the marigolds grown in your annual bed (Tagetes). Pot marigolds are smaller and more delicate in appearance than the more familiar Tagetes, and they have a number of medicinal uses. Calendula is said to encourage healing, aid digestion, fight fungal infections and cure diaper rash. These properties alone are enough to make the plant an essential addition to your herb garden, but it also has a number of cosmetic uses. Calendula petals can be used to make a nourishing skin cream or cleanser (see recipe below,) and a strong infusion made from marigold petals can be used to lighten hair. CREAMY MARIGOLD CLEANSER 4 tablespoons olive or almond oil 2 tablespoons dried pot marigold flowers few drops of violet, orange blossom or rose water Warm the oil in a bowl placed over a saucepan of hot water. Stir in the dried flowers and continue to heat gently for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool, and stir in the flower water. Find out more about growing: Borage http://www.gardenguides.com/herbs/borage.htm AOL: BORAGE Calendula http://www.gardenguides.com/herbs/marigold.htm AOL: CALENDULA

Floppy Plants If you have a plant which is long on stem but short on greenery, it may need a good whacking. You can encourage a denser, shorter plant by cutting the new growth back before flower buds form. This works well with plants like baby's breath and many others. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Don't Be Stingy With New Plantings If you're planting a new bed, making a border or planting containers, it's best to ignore the fact sheet on the plant's probable mature size. The plant very well may never reach that size. It's visually more appealing to plant generously in a new bed. The "just-planted" look will disappear more quickly. And should some plants outgrow their surroundings, you can always prune or transplant them later.

C O L E U S Coleus are wonderful container plants. Be sure to plant them in large pots that won't quickly dry out. Use coleus in hanging baskets (there are trailing varieties) paired with other coleus, or a multitude of different annuals/perennials. You can also plant coleus into a garden bed. The best way to use coleus in the perennial border is to make use of their vibrant foliage as a bridge between like-colored perennial plants. An example: A 'Goldmound' spirea (with green-yellow foliage) and an astilbe with wine-colored stems would be smashing with the addition of coleus 'Brilliancy' in their vicinity. 'Brilliancy' has lance-shaped wine-colored leaves with a wide margin of chartreuse. Another example: 'Purple Palace' heuchera (Coral Bells) with it's dusky purple-bronze foliage is wonderful paired with any number of coleus whose green leaves are shot-through with specks, stripes, or splotches of burgundy. Add in a lobed variety of coleus like 'Purple Duckfoot' (looks like a burgundy colored chrysanthemum leaf with a thin edge of chartreuse) and you've got an eye-popping combination.

I R I S Iris are heavy feeders. When dividing and replanting iris after a period of several years, the soil should be renovated. You can incorporate manure, compost, fresh soil, or fertilizer. Remember that air pockets kill roots. The top of the rhizome should be no more than one inch below the soil surface. The new plantings should be watered frequently for a few weeks following the replanting.

Add Some Shade Even sun-loving plants appreciate some shade during the hottest part of the day. There are many varieties of small trees which are perfect for providing a little shade without adversely affecting the flower bed. Dappled shade will benefit the flower bed by reducing the amount of water required and flower colors will be less likely to fade. The tree will add interest to your bed and, depending on the species, its foliage will add bonus color to your garden.

Tent Caterpillars If you've been inundated with caterpillars creeping up the side of your house, your fence, and on your trees, you're probably seeing the Eastern Tent caterpillar making it's presence known. Tent caterpillars live in groups within a silken tent, produced by glands in the heads of the caterpillars. This tent affords the group protection from enemies (parasitic flies/wasps). The larvae (small caterpillars) leave the tent to consume nearby foliage, and return to the tent after feeding. The tent becomes larger as the caterpillars continue to feed. Eastern tent caterpillars prefer wild cherry, apple, and crabapple trees, but will also feed on ash, birch, blackgum, redgum, willow, witch-hazel, maple, oak, poplar, peach, and plum. Once the caterpillars (generally black with a white stripe down the back) develop to about 1 1/2 inches long, they leave the nest for good, in search of a place to pupate. White silky cocoons can usually be found on vertical surfaces; the side of a building, fence, or tree trunk. In late June-early July, reddish-colored moths emerge from the cocoons. These moths fly, mate, and then lay eggs in a circular pattern around a branch on a desirable tree. The egg masses look like they are varnished, and are 3/4 inch long. When homeowners usually notice them, they are crawling all over everything!

New Versions Of Old-Fashioned Flowers Many of the old-fashioned flowers--beautiful as they are--are prone to problems with insects and disease. The prettiest flower displays can be ruined by spotted, infected, or infested foliage. There are many new cultivars available which have been bred to be disease and/or insect resistant. Garden catalogs are a good source for more specific information.

another idea for adding shade to the garden is to put in underplants to shade the roots of larger plants like roses. this helps reduce the amount of moisture lost during the heat of the day as well as hide those bare legs roses get during the hottest part of the summer. i've used zinnias in a planting with my climbing rose and they complement each other well. zinnias don't fade during the heat and as long as you dead head, new blooms will appear. they grow just tall enough to shade the roots of the roses and just short enough so as not to overpower the rose in the process.

Pruning Pines And Spruce (Conifers) Pines and spruce generally form large, broad-pyramidal trees, and when they are sited too close to a structure, driveway, walkway, etc. problems will arise. Pruning of pines and spruce can be very tricky, because these trees seldom produce new buds or shoots along existing branches. Cuts made into old wood will not stimulate growth below the cuts. So how do you keep conifers in shape? Start by situating pines and spruce away from your house in an area where they can grow unhindered. This minimizes the amount of pruning you will have to do down the road. Can you imagine trying to prune a 50-foot spruce? Since new growth is produced each year from buds that set on the branches last year, the basic rule for pruning conifers is to remove (pinch off) a part of the new growth (candle) after it has formed in the spring. June is a good month to shorten the new growth of pines and spruce. At this time, the candles have elongated but not hardened off yet. Pinch off a portion (1/2 to 2/3) of the candle growth using your fingers or pruning shears. Reduce the central leader (if you can reach it) to about 12 inches. The terminal growth of the topmost lateral branches should be cut to about 8 inches and the rest of the branches pinched to produce a pleasant shape.

Peonies And Blight A fairly common problem with peonies is "botrytis blight." It can cause wilting, blackened leaves and withered buds. At the first sign of unhealthy foliage, remove the affected leaves and stems, place them in plastic bags, and have them hauled away by the trash man. Never compost such infected plant parts. The disease has a way of coming back to haunt you. And don't forget to disinfect any tool you've used as well as your gloves. A fungicide may help prevent the disease's spread, as will a thorough removal of dead foliage at the end of the growing season.

Guarden Guide for June 13 Fragrance is key to setting the mood in the garden, but if you only use flowers to provide fragrance, your are limiting yourself. Aromatic foliage can provide interest over a much longer season. As a bonus, many plants with scented foliage have silvery or grey leaves, which adds dimension when planted near the dark green foliage of your flowering plants. Most plants with fragrant foliage love a long day of hot summer sun, and they release their fragrance during the heat of mid-day. They also release a burst of fragrance when handled or bruised slightly. To increase their effect, plant low-growing foliage such as creeping thyme between stepping stones where they will be kicked and scuffed, and plant taller plants near doors and walkways where they will be brushed from time to time. Fragrant Foliage Favorites: Alpine Mint Bush (Prostanthera cuneata) 24 inches tall This little evergreen shrub combines the fragrances of mint and incense. It's not suitable for very cold sites. French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) 24 inches tall This evergreen shrub has silvery foliage and a rich aroma. Flowers are dusky rose-pink. Shelter the plants from cold winds. Incense Plant (Calomeria amaranthoides) 5 feet tall This biennial has a strong scent of incense. It produces clusters of tiny, red-brown flowers in its second year. Save the seeds to propagate. Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla) 3 feet tall This shrub is vigorous, but will only withstand a light frost. The small, white flowers are not very spectacular. It is primarily grown for its light green, heavily scented foliage. Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) 36 inches tall This evergreen shrub has bright scarlet flowers in late summer and fall. It will need winter protection. ------------------ ***Get More from your Potato Crop*** As your potato plants begin to grow, pull the soil up around them to encourage more tuber formation. You can cover all but the top six inches of the plant. ***Prune Oleanders*** Once your oleanders have finished blooming, go ahead and prune them. Remove any dead or disfigured branches, and cut the plant back to the desired size. They can tolerate a severe pruning, and will regrow quickly.

More On Pruning Conifers Remember that once a pine or spruce has become overgrown, it is too late to start corrective pruning. Pruning needs to be done annually, from the beginning, to become an effective size control for your trees. When removing entire branches due to death or disease, be sure to avoid leaving a stub. Cut back fairly flush to the trunk. Stubs, jagged cuts, and mangled stems are a thoroughfare for disease pathogens and insect thugs. Choose your plant and it's site wisely!

***Subtropicals*** Now that the soil is warm through and through, it's a good time to plant subtropicals. Here are a couple of suggestions: Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) The bright, six-inch flowers that appear in summer and fall are shaped like a tropical bird's head. The plants can grow up to six feet tall. To keep them healthy, give them at least four hours of sunlight a day, and water them only when the soil is completely dry. It takes 2-3 years for divisions to reach flowering size, so divide them only when necessary. Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea glabra and B. spectabilis) Bougainvillea is noted for its bright, colorful blooms which are actually modified leaves (called bracts) similar to those found on the familiar poinsettia. They are only hardy in zones 9-10, so most of us have to grow these beauties in containers. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings, and fertilize once a month with half-strength liquid fertilizer. You will probably want to cut them back in late spring or after flowering to control the size.

hummingbirds like bougainviellea (as i saw one nibbling on mine). oh, and they really like the full blown heat and dry conditions. i've nursed one back (was on the 50% shelf at a local home store looking yucky) and she's already bloomed.

I have bougies here about 10 feet high and cascading brilliant red bracts - hundreds of them in a floral eruption. Incredible sight.. All we do here is poke a broken-off piece of someone's bush in to a pot or the ground and forget about it. Shortly it grows new leaves and flowers are not far behing. The problem with them here is keeping them beaten back to something like handleable size. What color is your little orphan one? I have all sorts of lovely ones.

well, it's tag says purple, but they were really a pale lilac/pink.

Ooh, I have some like that. Had it pruned into a little tree in a big blue glazed pot. One of the idiot's friends came and cut off all but one branch. It died. Nearly sought justifiable homicide charges. I need to gather a new cutting from the University bush from whence the first one came.

you know, i'd love to take cuttings from old rosebushes i find but with trespassing laws and such, i'm really scared to try it.