Summer's flowers are the brightest and the boldest in the garden, as radiant as the sun itself. Most need heat (the two most popular, marigolds and zinnias, come from sunny Mexico), and they shouldn't be planted until the weather promises to stay warm.

Two of the brightest summer annuals--marigold and gloriosa daisies--come in many forms. There are small-flowered French marigolds, big American hybrids, and just about every size between them. Summer's flowers aren't quite as easy to grow as those of spring. Warm weather brings out bugs and disease that may bother them, and regular watering becomes more critical, but they are a tough lot--born to grow in the sun. The following is a list of some of the best annuals for summer.

Ageratum: Flat, fuzzy clusters of violet-blue flowers cover this foot-tall plant throughout the summer. Good as a filler, or in the front row. Best planted from packs or pots.

Sweet Alyssum: As good in the summer as it is in the winter and spring, it grows in low mounds of white or purplish flowers. 'Midnight,' a dark purple variety and 'Wonderland,' a pinkish purple one, are less likely to fade in summer's heat. Dwarf kinds are dense, stay under four inches. Best grown from seed.

Cosmos: Bushy plants with vivid, daisy-like flowers on long, thin stems. There are two distinct kinds, one with brilliant yellow or orange flowers and one with flowers in shades of pink, mulberry, and white. Both have the same airy effect in the garden, growing to three feet tall or more. Easy to grow from seed, packs or pots.

Gloriosa Daisy: Huge daisy flowers on tall but graceful plants growing to four feet. Flowers usually golden, often with dark mahogany markings, though some are completely mahogany in color. 'Irish Eyes' has a bright green center. Easily grown from seed, packs or pots.

Lobelia: Six-inch-tall plants, often with dark reddish foliage and bright blue to violet flowers. A good filler that contrasts nicely with summer's many golden flowers. Best grown from packs or pots.

Marigold: Summer's favorite flower hardly needs describing. They come in many shapes, sizes and colors. Marigolds are easily grown from seed, packs or pots.

Portulaca: Low-spreading succulent plants with shimmering flowers almost too brilliant for the garden, in shades of yellow, orange, red, cerise, coral, and white. Loves hot weather. Easy to grow from seed or packs.

Verbena: Usually planted as annuals, except in warm climates. The kinds sold as bedding plants have rounded clusters of white, pink, red, or violet flowers, grow under a foot tall, and should be planted two feet apart. They are seldom out of bloom. Very useful in the foreground of the garden. Best grown from packs or pots.

Vinca: The best annual for really hot weather, it is also long lasting, well into cool weather. A foot tall with neatly growing white flowers with red eyes or rosy pink flowers. Best grown from packs or pots.

Zinnia: The brightest of summer flowers, zinnias come in many sizes, forms and colors. All come in brilliant shades of yellow, orange, pink, rose, scarlet, cream, and violet. Prettiest when planted as a mix of colors. Easy to grow from seed or packs. Will become root-bound in pots.

Some gardens can be pretty, some can be manicured and some can look wild and woolly, but there's nothing like a fragrance garden to tickle the nose and stimulate the senses. Fragrance gardens can be created using many different garden design themes; the only requirements are using plants with flowers or foliage that are pleasingly fragrant.

You can go Cottage, Mediterranean, Victorian, Woodland or something in between, since all can benefit from the use of fragrant plants and flowers. A fragrance garden doesn't have to be just sweet and perfumed. It can also be soothingly aromatic, with both delicate and bold scents. You can even select when you want your garden to emit its fragrance, be it morning, mid-day or night time!

Plant your garden using a good quality soil amendment like Kellogg Gromulch and feed in the summer with E B Stone Organics All Purpose Fertilizer to ensure healthy growth. Most plants get their fragrance from essential oils in various parts of the plant foliage or flowers. Foliage fragrance is often released by touch, while flowers don't need an extra nudge to share their delights. Position foliage-fragrant plants along pathways borders or overhead on an arbor or trellis where their aroma will be released when you brush past them.

Some flowers can be enjoyed from far away, while others might require you to get close to inhale their sweet perfume. We have created a list of our favorite fragrant plants. Simply click on this link to discover more about them. Then stop by and give them the nose test in person. We're sure you'll find some scents you love among our selection.

One of the most versatile blooming plants one can put in the garden is the weigela. And the new varieties that have been introduced in the past few years are very different from the original single blooming specimens of the past. Today's weigelas come in an array of different foliage colors, bloom shades, and growth habits to please even the most finicky gardener.

If you're a bird lover, then this deciduous flowering plant is the perfect one for you. The one-inch funnel-shaped flowers are especially attractive to hummingbirds, who love the extended blooming season (spring-fall) of most of the new varieties. The flowers are also great for cut flower arrangements.

These outstanding shrubs make a charming addition to any garden and are especially suited to withstand city conditions. The size of the plants ranges from 2 ft. high and wide up to the 5-6 ft. range. They are superb as a solo specimen or a garden background plant, or they can be combined together to create a colorful hedge.

Weigelas are extremely hardy as well as pest and disease resistant. They require only a minimum of care to provide you years of beauty and enjoyment in the garden. A light pruning in mid-spring after initial blooming in spring will usually reward you with a second bloom. A slight trim in winter when they go dormant will shape them up for the following year.

Weigelas prefer full sun locations but will perform fine in partial shade in warmer locations. They require regular water the first year to get established, but become quite drought tolerant after that. We recommend planting them in a 50/50 mix of native soil and a soil amendment like Kellogg Amend to create the perfect growing environment for them. They look their best when fed every two months with Gro-Power Plus during the growing season.

Are you considering a new landscape for next year? If you're tired of your old garden look or have a brand new yard that needs landscaping, consider our team for all of your design and installation needs.

Green Arrow Nursery Consultants are experts in landscape design. We know which plants grow well in our area, and our design team is knowledgeable in all of the latest plant introductions and landscape techniques.

We work with you to design and create a look that is unique for you and truly reflects your needs and desires. But many people make the mistake of contacting us in late spring when we are already booked up for most of the year. It takes time to design a landscape plan for your home, and we invite you to plan ahead and let us design your landscape plan now so we can add you to our work schedule.

Give us a call today at (818)894-8306. We're here to make sure all of your garden dreams come true!

There is just not much good one can say about thrips. They attack ornamental landscape plants, spread viruses, and simply make the foliage ugly and your plant sicker than it was. Many pests "move in" and make themselves at home when the health of a plant is poor. Thrips are no exception. In fact, they are most likely to attack a plant that is too dried out--especially if the foliage is dirty.

Thrips are microscopic and look like elongated black flies. They may be tiny, but the damage that they cause is not. And that damage is quite characteristic, and easily identified. The foliage becomes silvery or bronze and stippled, because thrips are both chewers and suckers. There can be a blackish deposit from their presence, and often the plant will develop sooty mold as well.

The natural predators to thrips include parasitoid wasps, soldier beetles, and green lacewings and their larvae. Spraying with insecticidal soaps can also help. If their presence is minimal, cut, remove, and destroy the infested foliage.

In severe cases, other insecticides can be used to treat an infected plant. Talk to one of our salespeople to determine not only the right product but also the right time in the season for treatment.

Remember--during hot, dry weather, one of your best protections is to make sure your plants have the appropriate amount of water and fertilizers to keep them healthy.