Everyone wants to increase the bloom time in their landscape. With Fall right around the corner there are ways to squeeze more color out of your annuals.

Annuals at Peak

This is the month when the annuals are at the height of their flowering performance. To keep them flowering remove spent flowers before they go to seed. Seed production will terminate the flowering; preventing seed formation will extend it.

Weather conditions in late summer favor mildew, a common disease of roses, zinnias and phlox. A fungicide sprayed or dusted on plants will protect them. Black spot of roses also is more prevalent at this time of the year. Captan will control this disease.

Delphiniums are sending forth their second crop of flower stalks. Give them a side dressing of complete plant food, a handful to a plant. Scatter it uniformly around the plant, scratch it in and water down.

Lily-of-the-valley pIantings that failed to flower last spring or flowered poorly because they have grown into crowded clumps, should be dug and divided in August. They multiply very rapidly when grown in good soil and given good care and will need dividing about every five years.

The blossoming period of this lovely and fragrant flower can be extended considerably by planting them in several locations where they will come into flower at different times, For example, peace lily plants grown in a south or east exposure will start growing earlier in spring (consequently they will flower sooner) than those in a west or north exposure. Those on the west or north will come into flower just about the time when the peace lily brown tips start to show or when others have come to the end of their flowering period.

Hardy perennial phlox (Phlox paniculata) now commands attention with its colorful blooms. Get acquainted with the many varieties and colors of this spectacular plant. Plants can be purchased and transplanted when they are in bloom without noticeable setback if moved carefully with a ball of earth holding the roots firmly intact.