• Summer is here and it's a great time to add a water feature to your landscape. Local nurseries, Will give advise and you can find many items and inexpensive small water pumps and filters, all will help you as you design and build a creative water feature that will allow you to enjoy the soothing sights and sounds of water. Creative pools, fountains and waterfalls are on display at many garden centre locations. Stop by and speak with a water garden experts and pick up informational literature about proper pond care. The library is full of books on design and construction.
  
  
• Plants and trees that provide colour in the month of July include Crape Myrtles, Spirea, Hydrangeas, Summersweet, Hypericum, Butterfly Bush, and Golden Rain Tree. Visit your nursery and see these beautiful plants in bloom.
  
  
• Perennials that provide interest in the month of July include Daylilies, Rudbeckia, Phlox, Veronica, Ligularia, Tickseed and much more.
  
  
• Check all plants, especially newly planted ones, for water on a regular basis. Water deeply and thoroughly as needed.
  
  
• Gator bags provide a great way to keep trees watered during hot and dry months. These bags, which can hold up to 20 gallons of water, are secured to the trunk of the tree, where they release the water slowly to the root ball over the course of 15-20 hours.
  
  
• Spruce up your summer landscape with beautiful colour in containers and hanging baskets. Be sure to use potting or multi-purpose compost mix when planting and a water-grabbing polymer such as Soil Moist to reduce the frequency of watering.
   
• Stop pinching Chrysanthemums by July 16th.
  
  
• Do not prune Azaleas and Rhododendrons after the second week of July for they soon will begin setting their buds for next year's blooms.

Water Gardens

• Clear pond water can be achieved with proper plant balance. If the pond is in full sun, 50-70% of its surface must be covered with foliage such as Floating Heart, Water Hyacinth, Water Poppy, Water Lily, or Lotus.
  
• Underwater grasses are essential to maintaining water clarity as they utilize the oxygen in the water, which helps prevent algae from accumulating in the pond. Following are some easy guidelines to know when trying to figure out how many grasses are needed:
  
  
• 1 clump of grass per 1 sq. ft. of surface area for ponds less than 25 sq. ft.
   
• 1 clump of grass per 2 sq. ft. of surface area for ponds greater than 25 sq. ft.
  
  
• Time to fertilize all Water Lilies and Lotus once a month to keep the plant blooming continuously throughout the season.
  
  
• Lotus are great plants for container water gardens on a deck or patio. Whiskey barrels (if you can fid them) make a perfect container for these types of water gardens.
   
  
• Tropical Water Lilies make a spectacular show of colour for any water garden. Whereas hardy Water Lilies bloom only during the day, tropical varieties, include day and night bloomers. This makes it possible to enjoy the bloom in the late afternoon and evening. Day blooming tropical Water Lilies bloom heavier than hardy lilies. The flowers stay open longer each day and they bloom much later into the season. Night blooming tropical water lilies open their flowers at approximately 5 pm and do not close until the following morning around 9 am. This is perfect timing for those evening barbecues and parties.
  
  
• Time to switch from spring fish food to summer fish food since water temperatures have risen above 70 degrees. At higher temperatures, fish metabolize at a faster rate, thus creating a need for a diet higher in protein, which the summer food contains.

Pest Controls

• Various pest problems can occur in July. If you have plants that you suspect may be facing a pest problem, contact your local garden centre for their recommendations of pest control. If using chemicals, follow the directions EXACTLY. Listed below are some of the problems that can appear this month along with the proper controls.
  
  
• Use powders such as Gamma bhc, Derris dust ant killer and slug pellets to control crawling insects such as ants, slugs, silverfish, earwigs, fleas, spiders, millipedes, centipedes, and Vine weevil.
  
• Use chemicals as directed on the container.
  
• Time to control aphids, lace bugs, rhododendron borer, apple tree borer, spider mites.
   
  
• Use Round-Up or Path clear to kill weeds and grasses in brick patios and walks.
  
  
• Spray roses with Rose Spray to keep black spot and other problems under control. Many people are starting to use compost tea to keep pest and funguses under control.
  
  
• Fruit trees should be on a regular spray program.
  
  
• Control slugs and snails on hosta and other delicate plants with slug pellets.

Fruit and Vegetable Gardens

• Fertilize fruits and vegetables as needed with a good quality, slow-release vegetable food such as Growmore.
  
  
• Stake tomato plants.
  
  
• If necessary, spray tomato plants and other vegetables to control diseases.
  
  
• Start seeds for Autumn vegetables this month. This includes broccoli, cabbage.
  
•  cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and many others.

Lawns

• Apply a fungicide to the lawn to control turf diseases such as brown patch and others.
  
  
• Fertilize lawns now with a proprietary lawn fertilizer.
  
  
• If needed, apply a weed control to the lawn to kill actively growing weeds. Use a Lawn Weed Killer.

• Do not apply weed controls on newly seeded areas.
• Do not apply weed controls on windy days.
• Do not apply weed controls near or on the edge of waterways.
• Do not allow children or pets to play on lawns freshly applied with weed controls. It is best to wait one week.
• Do not apply weed controls when temperatures are above 85 degrees F.
• Always follow the directions on the label.

House Plants