Plant a fruit tree together. We suggest giving Dad a cool one in his easy chair and letting him see you sweat for a change, while you install a wonderful fruit tree. We recommend fertilizing monthly and spraying as needed with organic pesticides. Dad will be able to enjoy your tree and its fruit year after year.

Be sure to interview your father and/or grandfather. Ask questions about his birth, childhood, and what he did when he was a teenager. Find out favorite subjects in school, how he met your mother or grandmother. Inquire about his favorite job. End the interview by expressing your love for him.

Get together with a few other families and play the Father/Child Game. Divide into four father/child teams. Ask the fathers to leave the room while the children sit in chairs. Ask the same four or five questions to each child about their fathers. Bring in the fathers and ask them the same questions. Will the father and child have the same answers? Switch places and see how well the fathers know the children. Award a red rose to the winning father/child team.

Question Ideas: Favorite color, movie, candy bar, color of toothbrush, memorable moment with you, best friend, hobby, talent, food, animal, cartoon, pizza topping, ice cream topping, restaurant. Most embarrassing moment. Favorite holiday.

Have a Father's Day BBQ or picnic in your garden. Make a crown for dad and let him know he's "King" for the day. This can be a family activity--or extend an invitation to a few other families also. Make sure all the dads are given "The Royal Treatment."

Few plants can match the tropical appeal and intense color of canna lilies. Their regal beauty can add a spectacular presence to any garden.

Native to South America and the West Indies, these blooming beauties offer color from May until late fall, with a color range that includes all your favorite reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, corals and salmon. New hybridizing efforts have also produced a number of varieties that also feature attractive striped, variegated, bronze and burgundy foliage.

Canna lilies grow from 2-6, tall, depending on the variety, and are amazingly trouble-free when it comes to insects and disease. They are incredibly versatile and can be successfully mixed in borders, massed in garden beds by themselves or tucked between other small-to-medium shrubs. They also tolerate wet soils better than most plants. For those of you with limited space, they make a great addition to a container garden.

Canna lilies do go dormant each season and simply need to be pruned back to the ground once the foliage starts to fade. They do best in moist soils and show their colors more intensely when fed every two months during the growing season. Whether you choose them for their vibrant blooms or bold patterned leaves, make room for some easy-to-please cannas in your garden this year.

One of the most beautiful summer blooming shrubs is the Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). Also called Althea, it actually isn’t a rose at all, but rather a hardy deciduous type of hibiscus. From June until mid-autumn it produces large, colorful blooms in shades including blue, pink, purple, red and white. It blooms so prolifically it's no wonder it is the national flower of Korea and prized throughout the world.

Left alone, it grows into a natural vase shaped shrub or tree 6-12 ft. tall and half as wide, but with a small amount of pruning each season, can easily be shaped into a rounded shrub or tree. Its leaves don’t come out until late spring, causing false alarms in gardeners who think their plants may have died.

But make no mistake about it, the Rose of Sharon is one hardy plant, capable of handling temperatures as low as -10° once it has been established a few years. Lush green foliage provides the perfect backdrop for the blooms which may be single or double by nature. Many of the blooms come in a combination of colors so bright that they are a perfect magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds.

Roses of Sharon are fairly easy to take care of. They prefer full sun locations but also do well in partial shade. They are fairly fast growing and do enjoy regular watering and fertilizing throughout the growing season. In cold climates, all that is needed is to add a layer of mulch over the roots the first two winters; after that no protection is necessary.

We have a great selection of beautiful Rose of Sharon in both shrub and tree form and invite you to stop by and see them in all of their blooming glory. This delightful plant will give you years of charming flowers just when other plants blooms are starting to wane.

By Tamara Galbraith

When it's summertime and you're working on a tan, your plants may begin to take on a pale, pasty look. What gives? Say hello to the fungus disease known as powdery mildew.

A common condition found on plant life throughout North America, powdery mildew is characterized by spots or patches of white to grayish talcum-powder-like growth. Fortunately, it is usually more of an effect than a problem itself. In other words, in addition to treating the plant, you'll probably want to take a look at the surrounding conditions and make some adjustments.

The primary way to keep powdery mildew (and other fungi) from attacking your plants is prevention. Start now.

First and foremost, make sure you give plants plenty of room. Good air circulation goes a long way. Trim plants that get crowded or bushy. Avoid overhead watering and do your watering in the morning so any water that does get on leaves has a chance to dry. If your plants are getting spray from a lawn sprinkler system, try moving the sprinkler a bit further away. If that's not possible, you might consider replacing your plants with more mildew-resistant plants or varieties.

If you do get powdery mildew, to halt it in its tracks, spray the affected plants with a good fungicide, such as Worryfree Copper Soap Fungicide.

How often should I cut my lawn?

Answer:
The easy answer would be once per week in the growing season. A good rule-of-thumb is to remove no more than one-third of the grass height at any one mowing. For example, if you are maintaining your lawn at 2 inches, mow the lawn when it is about 3 inches high. Cutting off more than one-third at one time can stop the roots from growing and will require more frequent watering during the heat of summer to keep the grass alive and healthy.

Following the one-third rule will produce smaller clippings that will disappear quickly by filtering down to the soil surface. If the grass becomes too tall between mowings, raise the mowing height and then gradually reduce it until the recommended height is reached. For the best appearance, mow and maintain your lawn at the best height for growth as determined by the type of grass you have.

You can usually mow a grass that spreads horizontally shorter than an upright-growing bunch-type grass. Grasses with narrow blades can generally be mowed closer than grasses with wide blades. If your lawn is under stress--such as heat, drought or shade--mow at a higher level of cut. Proper mowing is important in maintaining a healthy lawn because it encourages a dense stand of grass plants. A dense turf keeps out weeds through competition for sunlight and nutrients. A weak, thin turf allows weed seeds to germinate and grow.

Mowing practices can also affect the occurrence of disease. Many times an increase in disease can occur when turf is cut too low or is mowed when the foliage is wet.

One final tip: Don't mow in the same direction each time. Alternate your mowing direction and you'll have more upright grass growth and a smoother-looking lawn.