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"One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation evermore!" ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes This is the month that not only do we celebrate the Fourth of July, but July brings long, warm days that continue late into the evening — perfect for puttering in the garden, hosting barbecues, and enjoying your beds and borders as they reach their peak. And the Dog Days of summer begin in July-they are from July 3 through Aug. 11. The earth is bursting with flowers and plants, the birds are singing, the butterflies are winging, and don't you feel like Mr. Bluebird's on your shoulder? However, summer can still throw out a few surprises for the garden: it's time to make sure tall plants and climbers are well supported in case of bad weather. Water at dusk to reduce evaporation and use mulch to retain moisture around plants. Terracotta pots are prone to evaporation so dampen the pot to keep roots inside cool and damp. Regularly deadhead bedding and perennial plants to encourage new blooms for as long as possible. Cut back faded perennial plants to keep borders tidy. As peustemon flowers fade, cut them back to just below the bud to encourage more flowers. Cutting back growth on hanging baskets can encourage flowers and foliage. Cut back your geraniums and delphiniums after the first flush of flowers to encourage new growth. Now is the time to prune your wisteria, just remove the wispy side shoots from the main branch framework (about five leaves from the main stem). Divide your bearded Iris now so they have time to form roots and flower buds for next year before the cold weather arrives. Look out for clematis wilt, symptoms include wilting leaves and black discoloration on the leaves and stems. Cut out all affected material and dispose of in your household waste. Keep an eye out for pests on plants, early treatment is best. Whatever you do, remember that summer means happy times with lots of sunshine, and with it comes the long anticipated stretch of lazy lingering days of fun in the sun! So now is the time you really get to enjoy that garden. After all, isn't that really the trick to summer gardening? Spend more time enjoying it and less time sweating over it. The general meeting is held in the Main Clubhouse Ballroom, on the second Wednesday of the month. The July meeting is July 10, at 10 am. The speaker is Betty Warnell, of Angel Farm Fresh. Her fresh produce stand is located on Brookside, in Cherry Valley. Remember, you don't have to be a gardener to join! Come and visit anytime and see what we are about. For membership contact: Sherry Case at (951) 533-3584 or Linda Powers at (951) 769-3101. For general information contact: President, Pam Mikkelsen at (951) 797-3080. Please support the Garden Club by purchasing See's Candy gift certificates from: Maureen Keeney at (951) 797-0011 or Janie Haughn at (909) 556-0577 Happy gardening. 42 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | JULY 2019 | Garden Club

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