Summer is here and that means crunchy cucumbers, sweet green peppers and one of our all time favorites, tomatoes. No matter how you slice it nearly every body loves tomatoes. So here are a few tips on How To Grow Tomatoes

Giving her a garden for Mother's Day is easier with 1-800 Flowers.

Water gently splashing into a pond. Water lilies lazily floating on the surface and gold fish flashing in the summer sun. If you have a pond, or water feature, with fish and plants make sure you have the necessary supplies on hand. Summer means algae bloom and you have to act quickly before it takes over your pond. Take stock of those left from the previous year checking the dates and order what you need.

Remove from 10 to 15% of the pond water every week or so and add fresh water. That helps get rid of some of the ammonia in the water and keeps the fish and plants happier. You don't have to treat tap water to remove chlorine if you're only replacing 10 to 15%. If you add any more than that do use a treatment to neutralize the chlorine.

New homes come with barren lots and a miniscule landscaping budget from the builder, perhaps one tree and five bushes. Older homes often could use some freshening up with the landscape. When landscaping don't forget to include outdoor rooms in the plan. Garden Furniture stands up to wear and tear and weather.

Preparation for sowing

Digging: beds and borders should be dug and composted at least 3 weeks before you plan to use them. Start digging as soon as you can. Raised beds have a number of advantages. Use Fill Dirt to get the beds off the ground by about six inches and then add good Topsoil to a depth of another six inches. It's better if you dig the bed once, add compost, or organic matter and then turn over the soil again.

Mulching can begin as soon as the soil is in good condition. Mulching is important for several reasons, it adds some nutrients to the soil as it decomposes, crowds out weeds, and keeps moisture in the soil. Gravel pathways between the beds look pretty and keep the mud off of your boots.

You don't have to have acres of land and hours of time every day. Here's how to grow your own food.

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Extend your indoor living space by treating your backyard as a series of garden rooms. Don't limit yourself to the patio. Summer means barbecue. Find grilling tips for the tastiest steaks, fish and chicken yet.

Place your grill on your deck or patio where it will be convenient to both preparing the food and serving it. Designate an outdoor dining room with a table and comfortable chairs. Give the area a sense of intimacy by surrounding it with potted plants, flowers, even Garden Ornaments. Include lighting such as candles, low voltages or solar powered lamps so you can use your garden rooms in the evenings.

Sowing

Frost has long gone and summer means fresh tomatoes, corn, squash, and green beans. In about a month think about planting root vegetables for a fall crop. Most root vegetables including beets, turnips, carrots and parsnips can go in, plus garlic, as well as onions, early lettuces, leeks, cabbage, cauliflowers spinach and celery. Fall crops can withstand a light frost without a problem.

Most flowers can be planted all summer long with the exception of perhaps mid July when the heat shrivels seedlings. Check the seed packets for directions on how to start them and when to plant out.

One of the nicest experiences about summer is having dinner on our deck. We're lucky to have a deck that has a view of fabulous mountains. It's private on the one side where our neighbors are close because of the trees we planted there a few years ago. The trees add a bit of shade during the hot afternoons.

Other tasks

Don't forget to continue to check plants for signs of disease and pests. Lay your slug traps and barriers as soon as you plant, and keep a close eye on plants in the garden and greenhouse for eggs and other signs of insect pests. Stock up ahead of time with any biological pest control agents that you know you are likely to need. Most bugs can be blasted off plants with the garden hose and the plant appreciates the cooling shower.

Summer is display time for roses so don't prune them except for deadwood. If you remove the spent blossoms the rose will continue to put on a show. Roses don't like wet feet so don't be tempted to over water. Summer I also when flowers are running riot through the garden with color everywhere. If you're like me you love cutting them and bringing them into the house.

Don't put off the weeding! Even if you can hardly see the weeds right now, it's best to get back into your routine of regular hand weeding and hoeing before the weeds get a hold this year.

If you are someone who likes to weed the whole garden at once and see it all looking perfect at the end, set aside one 'shift' in the garden per week for weeding. If you prefer little and often, then schedule one area every 2 days, or whatever works for your size of garden. Sometimes rain or other events will stop you, so it's better to plan to weed more often than necessary.

Contact Dee Power at theauthors at brianhillanddeepower .com copyright 2008-2010 all rights reserved.