VEGETABLES FROM TRANSPLANTS

VEGETABLES FROM SEEDS OR TRANSPLANTS

2008 DAY LILY WINNER

Summer Valentine won this year's award from the All-American Daylily Selection Council. Summer Valentine is a real beauty with 5-inch pink blooms and a magenta eye and flower edges. Check it out at allamericandaylily.com.

2008 HEIRLOOM TOMATO FESTIVAL

If you're planning a visit to the Northern California wine country in early September, you might want to work the 2008 Kendall-Jackson Winery's 12th annual Heirloom Tomato Festival into your plans. You can sample over 175 heirloom tomatoes at the festival Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. All tomatoes have been grown in the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center Culinary Gardens at 5007 Fulton Road, Fulton, CA 95439. In addition to sampling as many heirloom tomatoes as you like, you can sample food prepared by top chefs from the wine region and many gourmet food purveyors, as well as taste many different wines. Food and wine seminars and garden tours will be featured. Proceeds from the Festival benefit the School Garden Network of Sonoma County. Tickets are $65 per person. This event sells out in advance every year. To order tickets go to kj.com or phone (800) 769-3649.

HARVESTING WINTER SQUASH

Winter squash such as acorn, butternut, Hubbard, Cushaw and buttercup are ready for harvest when the rind turns hard; test for maturity by trying to puncture the rind with your thumbnail. If you can't, the squash is ready to pick. After harvest, the squash may be stored in a cool, dry area for up to six months.

SOAKER HOSES AND HOT WEATHER

Soaker hoses are most beneficial during hot, dry weather. These hoses apply water at a slow rate and therefore greatly reduce evaporation and runoff. Stretch the hose along rows of vegetables or through a flower border. The hose may also be coiled around the base of a tree or shrub. Soaker hoses are quite inexpensive and are widely available at nurseries and garden centers.

MULCH HERB GARDEN

Mulch your herb garden this month to conserve soil moisture and control weed growth; continue to make regular harvests of herbs for fresh use, drying or freezing.

WORK SOIL AROUND TREES

Hard, crusty soils should always be gently cultivated around trees before irrigation; otherwise water will run off instead of soaking in.

BLOSSOM DROP

Hot weather may cause blossom drop on tomatoes and peppers; be patient, as the weather cools, the plants will resume their production. You can lessen the effects of heat on these plants by applying mulch around them to conserve moisture and cool the roots.

PLANT SNOW PEAS

Edible-podded snow peas, also called sugar peas, are a delicacy and a prime ingredient in Asian dishes. Seeds for snow peas may be planted late this month if the seed bed is kept moist; they will reach harvest stage in mid-November. Oregon Sugar Pod is a good variety for our area.

PLANT OF THE MONTH – COSMOS

Cosmos plants are the ideal solution if you need some summer color to fill in empty spots in the landscape or garden where you have removed other flowers after their bloom cycles are over.

Cosmos is a spectacular summer flower that will provide gorgeous color for the rest of the summer and into late fall. Although cosmos is easy to grow from seeds it is much too late in the season to start the plants from seeds. Local nurseries should still have a good supply of the plants.

Cosmos features large blooms in a variety of colors. Depending upon variety, the plants range in height from about 2 feet for the dwarf varieties to over 6 feet for the taller types. The dwarfs are good for containers or for use in front of a border. The tall varieties are good for background plants. All types are good for cut flowers.

There are a number of striking cosmos varieties available to the home gardener. Here are some particularly pretty selections:

Seashells Mix – Medium-size plants (3 feet) produce unusual trumpet-shaped blooms in various colors.

Sensation Series – Produces large plants (3 to 5 feet) that are ideal for background plants. The series comes in various colors.

Sonata Series – Features small 2-foot plants that are ideal for containers or borders. The flower colors include red, white and pink.

Psyche Mix – Tall plants (4 feet) bear large double and semi-double flowers in shades of white, crimson and lavender.

Cosmos plants are easy to care for. They are strictly warm weather flowers and need an area of full sun. The plants aren't picky about soil types, but they require regular watering.