A lot of garden tasks are continuous, like weeding, watering, and pest control, but many forms of garden maintenance or performed once a year, or once every few years, and aren't done by force of habit. These are the things that often slip by me. I'm thinking of things like dividing Daffodils and pruning blooming shrubs, tasks that must be timed just right, that I'm likely to forget till it's too late. Reading what other gardeners are doing is often just the reminder I need!

I did manage to divide most of the Daffodils I meant to this year, but missed a few. The leaves are gone now, so I won't worry with it this year, as I know I'm likely to slice into several bulbs if I try it now. I did miss my window of opportunity in pruning some of the spring flowering shrubs though; spring is such a hectic time, it's hard to remember it all! Those shrubs aren't in bad shape, so I won't worry with pruning till next year- I'd rather see them a little over grown than sacrifice next year's blooms.

As various Irises have finished blooming, I've been dividing and moving some of those. Summer is a good time to divide bearded varieties, and I like to do it early before weather gets too hot and dry. I feel it helps them to get established quicker and they're more likely to bloom next spring.

Please share what you're working on, and let's remind each other what it's time to get done!

We divide bearded iris in July which is ok for moving seedlings, but will have to wait until the end of the month for dividing for our iris club sale. Bees put pods all over the irises this year so will really have to watch their maturing so I can send the seeds to the british Iris society & SIGNA (species iris group of NA.) for their seed sales. Otherwise constant weeding because we are way behind.

The bearded Iris show was so wonderful here this spring, I'm being really good about showing them some love this year. Been keeping their neighbors from encroaching on their space, and working to keep plenty of air circulation around them (I'm really bad about crowding). I used to think of bearded Irises as iron clad perennials that can take lots of abuse, and really took advantage of that, but nowadays I'm seeing how well they respond to some attention, and am all about showing them some extra TLC

Lucy, when do you fertilize your bearded Irises, and what kind of fertilizer do you use?

besides weeding, I'm trying to remind myself to divide my irises. Some clumps are very large.

I've got some clumps of old blue heirlooms that got so crowded the 2nd year that they stopped blooming. I guess that's what the problem is, there are other bearded Irises in the same bed performing beautifully. I'm kinda thinking I gave them conditions that are too good- it's a bed that started as a lasagna garden. I filled it with every 1/2 off, broken bag of compost, topsoil, mulch, and manure I could find, and by the 2nd year noticed any bearded Iris in there went nuts. Lately I've been using it as a bed for small, weak, or special varieties to give them a good chance at establishment. Considering I've seen these heirlooms growing and blooming along roadsides, I guess it's no wonder- they prefer some adversity.

I'm just weeding and dividing irises right now. In between raindrops.

fertilizer question: We use our own homemade compost & 5-10-10. Always use the lowest nitrogen fertilizer you can as higher # produces leaves, not bloomstalks. Remember bearded irises are rhizomes not bulbs & should not be treated as such. The little early I. reticulatas are bulbs and can be planted & cared for in that manner.

Thanks Lucy.

Weeding, weeding, watering and weeding. Oh and did I mention wee...
Also some summer pruning. I do this with the dwarf Japanese Maples to remove both suckers and shape them for the rest of the year. It's just been too hot to divide or move things around.

Well I am doing what I promised myself when I was working so hard from February through June. I am sitting back and enjoying my garden. To hot to garden but I have NEVER just sat back and enjoyed all my hard work.

But to be honest, I am usually in San Diego this time of year but DH is not well. He is getting better but well enough to travel. So the children and grandchildren went without us.

I think I will do this again next year.

I have Hardy Hibiscus 'Moy Grande', Fantasia. Moy Grander is 6 feet tall and blooming at 8 blooms every day. I have many cannas behind them so I will have to redo the total bed. Day lilies are still blooming and reaching for the skies because of the height of the hardy hibiscus.

Photo is Moy Grande. Las Vegas is 105 today. Pray tropical disturbance makes it's way to the SW without causing problems for Mexico or US. We just want and need the moisture.

Big news announcement deciding to move water from Missouri River and Mississippi River to the Colorado. Should happen within 25 years. Oh well, I will be about 94.(69 + 25). But if I live to 100, that will be good. Love to you all. Sharon

Should weed, but not in over 100° weather.

It takes me about an hour just to water all the containers, so that's all that is getting done. It's so irritating to keep having to wipe sweat out of my eyes and off my glasses, I finally just started hosing myself about every 5 minutes.

I empathize Neal. A hat doesn't help, neither does a head band. I learned one more lesson, in this kind of heat pots in sun need watering every day. My spotted leaf Z. aethiopica, the ones with very thick leaf substance, had the latest leaves fried.

Evan, Z.aethiopica likes so much water it's hard to keep them happy in this weather. I finally started sitting the pot in a tray of water. Still have to water daily, but they stay consistently moist till the next day.

If I have a pot anywhere, it is hooked to a automatic drip line. I learned years ago, if they were not, I just slowly missed one or two and then they were dead.

I had a separate valve installed just for pot drips and the line circles the perimeter of the landscape.

I wear a sweat band in cooler weather.I hate digging holes for planting and having sweat drop into the inside of my glasses.
Sure you can wipe them but then you have smear.
There is no winning.
I will definarly use moisture crystals next year. The daily watering is growing thin.
Mine isnt an hour ,just seems that way.

The garden tasks I switch to now are planning for next year.
Ordering Lily, Daffodil, tulip bulbs, etc for Fall planting.
Also getting new stone paths and beds ready for planting.

I am fortunate to have front-yard shade for most of the day after about 12:00. Lets me water containers every three days or so, even in this grinding heat.

Digging irises for club sale. Plants have to come out before new ones go in.

I know the temps are high but either I am getting used to it or the humidity is down..
I have spent a few mornings and evenings lately cleaning up some beds..
My incentive is to be able to take pictures and post on some of the threads here.
I do love ATP and especially Cottage Gardening forum..