Summer heat may have you seeking comfort from a nearby shade tree. You immediately experience as much as a 15-20 degree drop in temperature and enjoy the relief it provides. Bring this shady relief home by looking for ways to include trees in your landscape. First, monitor patterns of sun and shade on and around your home throughout the day and throughout the year as the angle and position of the sun changes.

Every gardener has personal reasons for gardening, whether it be the hope that their garden brings joy, productivity, beauty or peace throughout the growing season. Embrace what makes you happy as you tend, view and enjoy every aspect of your garden. Weather, busy schedules and life in general can interfere with the best laid plans for any garden and landscape.

The recent heat wave that swept across much of the country is a good reminder to take extra care of our plants and ourselves as temperatures climb. Extreme temperatures can take their toll even on plants normally suited to the growing conditions. Many plants suffer when short- or long-term temperatures exceed 86 degrees Fahrenheir. You will see withering, leaf and flower drop, stunting and more on heat stressed plants.

Make the most of every square inch of garden space and containers with succession planting. As you harvest your first crop of the season, consider replanting the space with a vegetable that will mature and can be harvested before the end of the growing season. Start by calculating the number of frost-free days remaining in your growing season. Next, review the plant tags and seed packets for the number of days from planting to harvest.

Sunflowers are one of those happy plants many gardeners can’t resist planting. Kids love to watch the plants reach for the sky, and everyone enjoys all the visitors. You are likely to see hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators on the flowers, songbirds munching on the seeds, and squirrels practicing acrobatic contortions as they try to gain their fair share of the harvest. What we call the “flower” is made of 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers.