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| Watermelon-Pineapple Cooler Cut 6 lbs watermelon in chunks, seed, then liquefy in blender or food processor. Pour into punch bowl or pot. Stir in two 12-oz. cans frozen pineapple juice concentrate and 6 juice cans cold water; chill. Stir before serving. Makes 18 cups. |
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| For an easy flower garden trellis, use a tomato cage! Set a cage in the middle of an island bed or at the back of a border. Then plant seeds of fast-growing vines, such as morning glory or black-eyed Susan vine, at the base, one or two seeds evenly spaced in quarters around the cage. The vines will make a colorful display, covering the cage completely. Tapered cages may get to-heavy, so use cages with top and bottom openings of equal size. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| You can be sure summer's here when you see brilliant dragonflies zipping over ponds, streams, and lakes. The dragonfly nymphs, which live in water, prey on mosquito larvae and other small aquatic inhabitants, while adult dragonflies eat mosquitoes, gnats, flies, moths, and other insects. Did you know that as they fly, adult dragonflies form a basket with their legs to capture prey in? Pretty handy, huh? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seeds have clever ways of getting around. Some, like maples and lettuce, have "wings" or "parachutes" built in to allow the wind to carry them. Others are designed to journey by water, like coconuts, or cling to animals, like burdocks. Some even get a boost from the parent plant, which ejects the seeds when they're ripe. Panises and witch hazels both throw their seeds. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A study by the University of Georgia reveals that planting your bell pepper seedlings deeper - either up to the cotyledons (the seed leaves) or the first true leaves - increases yields and plant growth. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| When the heat is on, keep watering your tomatoes. No, this isn't one of those sayings, but it is a way to avoid blossom-end rot. Lack of steady water during drought periods may create a calcium deficiency in tomatoes. If this happens, fruits develop large, dry, brown or black sunken areas on the bottom. To keep this from happening, water regularly and deeply through the season, and mulch well. If rot begins to appear, apply a kelp spray to leaves and fruits. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A nighttime garden makes summer evenings even more enjoyable. As dusk approaches, you can watch your flowers open, relish the intensifying fragrance, and admire the pale petals that glow in the fading light. Plants like showy moonflower vine, fragrant evening stock, colorful four-o'clocks, and night-blooming evening primroses are sure to delight you and your guests. You can also try nocturnal varieties of daylilies, such as "Moon Frolic" or "Puddin." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Beans love warm soil. In fact, bean seeds planted outside too early, when the soil is still cold, will probably rot. Instead, wait until the outdoor soil temperature averages at least 60 F. Then, soak your bean seeds overnight in compost tea. In the morning, drain off the liquid and apply a legume inoculant powder to the seeds according to directions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Avoid fertilizing your perennials once they've stopped actively growing in late summer. The tender leaves and stems produced from fertilizer-induced growth could easily freeze when winter arrives. Instead, let the plants focus their energy on preparing for the colder months ahead. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To give your tomatoes a boost, try this tip from Nottingham University. When you are ready to sow seeds, mash one red chili pepper. Measure the volume of mush and add 24 times as much distilled water. Soak your tomato seeds in this mixture for 2 to 3 hours, dry them off with paper towels, then plant them immediately. Germination should increase as much a 15 percent, and plants are sturdier, set fruit earlier, and give slightly higher yields. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Warm summer weather often means parched plants. Tend to your plants' needs while saving water by installing drip irrigation or soaker hoses for efficient watering and using a moisture sensor to determine when more water is needed. Collect rainwater for your garden by placing a barrel under a downspout. Apply mulch to keep the soil moist, and routinely get rid of water-slurping weeds. And make sure you choose drought-tolerant plants if summers are usually dry. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| For a striking plant combination, grow a few clumps of little quaking grass in front of a plant or two of tall flame grass. Choose goldmoss stonecrop and Kamschatka sedum as groundcovers. In summer, you'll have a sea of different greens, with the groundcovers in bloom. In fall, the graceful flame grass seedheads top reddish leaves that echo the red tint of the groundcovers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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