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Beat the Four hot tips to keep your garden looking fresh this summer BY DOROTHY GEBERT It's hot out there. The weather report says it's going to stay in the upper temperatures for another week with no rain clouds in sight. As you sit in front of a fan to cool off, you look towards your garden. The impatiens flowers are hanging their heads, the daisies are looking spindly, and the tomatoes are turning black. What to do? Here are some tips from local horticultural and landscape experts to help you and your garden survive the heat and look good throughout the summer.
Give your plants a drink "To keep a garden looking fresh, the main ingredient is water," says Jim Stinson of Canadale Nurseries in St. Thomas. "Most plants can take the heat, but they can't take the dryness. So you have to keep on top of the watering." He recommends running the hose or sprinkler early in the morning so the water will last the plants the rest of the day. Soak the ground and the roots as opposed to the leaves for the moisture to get to where it will do the most good. And leave the
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water running for a long time so the liquid goes deep. Light watering only affects the surface and produces weak growth. If you're not available in the morning, the next best time is early evening. This gives plants time to replenish after the hot afternoon sun, and they won't go into the night totally damp and wet, which can sometimes foster mold and disease. But, if your plants are wilting and stressed, it doesn't matter what time of day it is. "You don't leave a dying man in the desert," Jim says. "You give him water, and your plants are the same. If they're dry, they need water immediately, not six hours from now."
Provide a balanced menu "One of the biggest things for plants to look healthy is to keep the fertilizer going throughout the summer," says Annette Weesjes of Family Flowers in St. Thomas. Plants can pull nutrients out of the soil, but you still need to give them something extra to encourage strong roots. When they lack fertilizer, plants become
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