KUSA — Focus on performance and beauty. This is the time for great maintenance in the garden.
Keep flowers deadheaded.
Pick vegetables on a timely basis to keep them performing, as well as keeping them irrigated.
Containers, in particular, need care with watering right now. They're essentially one big root ball. Soak them well to keep them in tip-top shape.
Use your own good judgement about whether plants need to be fed. Some plants may have stalled out because they've exhausted the nutrients in their pots.
If some of your container plantings have petered out, rehab the pots. Add seasonal plants such as gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia hirta), burgundy fountain grass, ornamental peppers and mums. Mums add a big splash of color. Buy them in bud, not fully open.
They will open over the course of several weeks and smother the leaves with flowers. Never allow them to dry out or the display will be ruined.
