AUGUST-THE "TWEEN MONTH"

By Bob Chapman

The weather is still very warm, the flowers planted last spring are nearing maturity and an avid gardeners thoughts turn to planning what to plant in the fall. So here we are, the flowers in full bloom, the lawn has stopped growing so vigorously and the impression is that there is little that needs be done when you are 'tween the end of summer and the beginning of fall. But there are a few tasks that need attending to even during the hottest month of the year.

• Bearded irises that have been growing in the ground for five years or so should be dug up, pruned and transplanted. They are fully dormant now.
• Cut off the dead or spent flowers (called "deadheading") and clipping the wayward shoots on shrubs will keep the groomed look in the garden.
• Remove the seedpods ripening on your Agapanthus. These seeds readily sprout, becoming weeds later on.
• Monitor the watering. Check the soil for dryness, increasing the amount of water if needed to compensate for the increased heat and drying winds.
• "Naked Ladies" (Amaryllis belladonna) can be moved while in full bloom. The bulbs are dormant and their last efforts are to produce those beautiful lavender blooms on solitary stalks.
• Plant seeds of sweet peas now for scads of glorious cut flowers this winter.
• Start planting seeds of fall-growing annuals in the house. They'll be ready for transplanting in late September.

Bob Chapman is a well-known professional gardener and landscape contractor. Currently retired, Bob now spends his time contributing many free-lance garden articles and columns, and is a much sought after lecturer and horticultural consultant.

Since 1987, Bob has appeared as a regular columnist for the San Jose Mercury News. Besides the Mercury, his writings have appeared in the San Diego Tribune, Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee and the Times Newspaper Group. He is the 1991 winner of the Quill and Trowel Award of the Garden Writers Association of America for the best newspaper gardening article in North America.

Bob majored in Ornamental Horticulture at Cal-Poly, San Luis Obispo. He also served as a member of the Professional Gardeners Association.