As I garden in USDA Hardiness Zone 6, the Timely Tips for each month are prepared with my gardening tasks in mind. Iris beds which are 3 or more years old may be divided and replanted after late July.
Extra divisions make great gifts for gardening friends and neighbors.
Encourage continued bloom of summer-flowering annuals, like petunias, marigolds and zinnias, by pinching off spent blossoms before seed formation. Dark-colored containers on the patio need protection from direct sun. The sun's rays generate heat, causing quicker drying of the soil and over-heating of the root system. Shade the pots from the sun's rays or wrap them with a light-colored material that will reflect sunlight. Container roses and other patio plants benefit from the use of mulch over the surface of the soil surface, just as we use in the garden.