Dear $$firstname$$,

The “dog days” of summer are approaching and that means yards are thirsty for attention. The Garden Club is here to help you enjoy the rest of your summer with easy tips for watering, plant picks for hot weather and an easy project to cool you down.

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Happy Gardening!
—From the editors of Backyard Living and Birds and Blooms

READ ON TO DISCOVER...

• Plant of the Month
• Gardening Question of the Month
• Water-Wise Ideas
• Plants That Beat the Heat
• Trees & Shrubs for Hot Conditions
• Easy Project: Cool Down with Drink Holders

Submit Your Story

Plant of the Month

‘Raspberry Tart’ Coneflower

Botanical name: Echinacea purpurea, ‘Raspberry Tart.’

Featuring: Flowers are an especially deep raspberry-magenta color. Plus, the blooms are sweetly scented!

Mature size (h x w): 18” x 24”

Hardiness: Zones 4-9.

Growing tip: Full sun and good, well-drained soil are ideal. Because this plant is not as large as some other coneflowers, you can grow it in a container.

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Gardening Question of the Month

Tending Hollyhocks
Q: I started growing hollyhocks which bloom for 6 weeks. How do I care for them once the blooms fade? –Lela PItts, Porum, Oklahoma

Melinda: With their dramatic blooms and ability to attract hummingbirds, hollyhocks are a favorite with gardeners.

Hollyhocks are biennials or short-lived perennials. They reseed easily, so continue growing the plants once the blooms fade. This guarantees that the seed will drop. Also, by allowing the leaves to grow, this channels energy to the roots. This helps sustain the plant if it is to come back next year.

Either way, wait until the tops turn brown to prune back. Remove the dried-up stems back to the green rosette of leaves at the base of the plant.

See more of Melinda’s answers

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Water-Wise Ideas

In the heat of summer, it’s important to conserve water when you can. Try xeriscaping, a water conservation technique used in landscaping in arid climates.

And cut back on your watering chores with drip-irrigation. It’s simple and won’t dry up your wallet.

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Plants That Beat the Heat

Preserve water by using plants that can take the heat. Click here for some of our favorites.

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Trees & Shrubs for Hot Conditions

You might think bigger plants would suffer without an abundant supply of water, but a surprising number of trees and shrubs hold up just fine during drought conditions. See the list.

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EASY Project: Cool Down with Drink Holders

Cool down with this easy project for holding your favorite backyard beverage. This project requires only simple cutting and drilling, so almost anyone can do it. The fun is in sketching, sawing and painting the designs. Click here for details.

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More from your favorite gardening/birding magazines:

• --Plants you DON’T want to plant
• --Easy care roses
• --Simple project: Plant Markers
• --Birds & Blooms: A perfect pair
• --Flying flowers
• --The life of a plant hunter

Enter to Win this $13,000 Massey Ferguson Tractor

Want a chance to win this ultimate garden tractor? Then go ahead…take some photos of your yard and enter our Backyard Makeover Contest. The Grand Prize winner of this year’s contest receives a Massey Ferguson Sub-Compact tractor, valued at nearly $13,000.00! Click here for details

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What’s going on in your backyard? Check out our solutions for common gardening problems. Or click here to submit your story to the editors.

What do you rely on to dress up your yard in autumn? Take our survey.