There are several things you can do to ease your plants through a dry summer and even improve your landscape at the same time. While installing and using a drip system is a no-brainer, there are other steps you can take if you find yourself in a real pinch. Here’s how to make every drop of water count.

First of all, irrigate slowly, deeply and less frequently. Slow soaking limits runoff and encourages plants to develop deep root systems that are better able to tolerate drought. To minimize evaporation, irrigate in the early morning or evening. If you have to use a hose for watering, build soil berms around young trees and shrubs such as roses to concentrate water on the root zones. Fill the basin so the water soaks in.

It's also important to check the soil moisture occasionally between waterings to make sure the plants actually need to be watered as frequently as they are. Dig down one foot with a trowel or spade and feel a handful of soil. Another way to test moisture is to use a metal sampling tube to "read " the soil. Simply push it into the ground and twist it back out. It will show a 10-12" cross section of soil, showing how wet or dry the soil actually is. If the top 2 inches of the soil sample are dry, it's time to water.

If you don't have a drip irrigation system, consider using soaker hoses or root irrigators to concentrate water in specific areas. You can also be water-wise with pots by using glazed, foam or plastic pots, which are less porous and hold moisture better. Nesting smaller pots inside of larger ones will also create extra insulation.

If you have a grass lawn, raise your mower height. Taller grass shades the soil and will help reduce evaporation. Instead of high-nitrogen lawn food, apply a low-nitrogen iron product to help prevent excessive growth and improve the lawn's tolerance to heat stress.

Consider applying mulch to your garden. It helps reduce evaporation, insulates the roots from hot temperatures, helps prevent weeds and just plain makes a garden look better. We recommend applying a 2" layer of for best results.

If you face a real pinch in water availability, survey your landscape and give the highest priority to established trees and foundation shrubs, because they would be the hardest to replace. With just a little extra diligence, most gardens will make it through a drought period just fine.

Many homeowners revel in the glory of their garden in spring, only to be disappointed when plants start to dry out and look stressed in the heat of summer. The natural reaction is to pour more water into the garden to "moisturize" the plants. This in turn can lead to root rot and/or the continuous lowering of soil temperature to the point that plants aren't stimulated to grow--or just plain die (overwatering is one of the main causes of plant death). But these problems can be greatly reduced or, in many cases, prevented by summer mulching.

The goal of summer mulching is not only to reduce summer heat stress on plants, but to create an environment for plants that will be conducive to good growth. Mulch is to a garden what a roof is to your home. We couldn't heat or air condition the home without the roof. The same seasonal temperature variance occurs in your garden. A 2" layer of mulch not only retains moisture in the soil but it maintains a cooler temperature in the summer and a warmer temperature in the winter.

Mulching also brings many other benefits to the garden. It gives the garden a tidier appearance and greatly improves the growing conditions for plants. Mulch helps suppress weeds and helps to conserve moisture. It creates an environment where earthworms can thrive and enhance the soil's condition. Nature provides this for us in natural settings; when we apply mulch to our garden, we mimic what is naturally done on the forest floor.

The strategy is to stimulate the growth of good soil bacteria, which in turn digest plant foods that the plant will recognize as nutrients and absorb. By keeping moisture in the soil you will attract earthworms and beneficial microbes and bacteria. The earthworms loosen up the soil, easing compaction, while the beneficial microbes help digest nutrients more efficiently, making them more readily available to the plants. Maintaining "moist" soil as opposed to "wet" soil keeps the temperature of the soil at a more consistent level for optimum growth. Mulch also provides a blanket to the soil that protects against soil crusting, as it decomposes and adds humus to the soil.

We recommend spreading a 2" inch layer of mulch or bark over the top of the native soil. There are many mulching materials available. Color, particle size, and nutrient exchange are considerations when choosing your material. We recommend Kellogg's Xerimulch, Kellogg's Gromulch, or Cocoa Mulch. Non-organic decorative mulches such as rock or gravel may be an attractive addition in gardens but give nothing back to the soil. Note: make sure not to place mulch right up against plant stems or tree trunks.

When mulching is incorporated with a good organic fertilizing program, the plants in your garden will not only survive the stress of summer and winter, but will thrive in it. Mulch will also give your garden a more "finished" look, adding to its overall beauty.

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We know it's a bit early to think about Halloween parties. But if you want some Halloween pumpkins, you need to plant NOW. The giant, prize-winning 500 pound monsters are usually started in late May, as they take 130-160 days to grow. But there are lots of pumpkin varieties that grow faster--and it's not yet too late to plant those.

You might want to consider those that are particularly tasty for pies or edible seeds. And keep in mind that the petite ones are great for decorations for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

With all varieties, it is best to plant 3 to 5 seeds in a mound. Space the mounds 2' to 3' apart. The small-fruited varieties will grow well on a fence or trellis. The larger varieties need ground space or individual support for each pumpkin.

Keep the soil evenly moist and feed every 2 weeks. If you are growing them on the ground, place straw or cardboard under the fruit as the pumpkin matures, to help prevent rot and insect damage. Pick them when the stems start to dry. Be sure to leave a 3" or longer stem for that perfect jack-o'-lantern top!

White grubs are damaging pests that begin invading lawns in early spring and again in summer. Grubs do their damage below ground, so the problem often goes undetected until too late. Beetle grubs can turn a fine looking lawn into a patchwork quilt of yellow spots. In addition, birds and other animals will often start digging up your lawn looking for the tasty grubs to feed on.

The grubs are actually larvae of beetles and other insects; most are C-shaped and off-white with a dark head.

There are several types of grubs that are capable of damaging lawns, with two life cycles in a year. When you have grubs, the damaged areas of grass can be easily lifted and many times the grubs can be seen feeding on the edge of the healthy grass in the damaged area.

Natural controls include beneficial nematodes or milky spore (a disease that specifically attacks Japanese beetle grubs), although it takes a number of applications for milky spore to become established in lawns. It's an excellent long-term solution, but doesn't help much right now.

There are chemical products that are very effective for a grub problem, but only at certain times of year. We recommend Bayer Advanced Grub Control for this time of year.

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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, so 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!

No doubt you're seeing these riotous shrubs and small trees in bloom right now! Sunny and hot will continue to be the forecast over the next couple months.

Some plants (and people!) grow weary and stressed when high temperatures persist day after day. Crape myrtles, on the other hand, thrive under these conditions, making them valuable flowering shrubs or small trees in the landscape. Whether trained as standard or multi-trunk trees, Crape myrtles make beautiful specimen or accent plants. Showy crinkled flowers are abundant throughout summer, with colors ranging from the reds to pinks, purples, and white. These gorgeous shrubs are wonderful in any sunny spot where summer color is needed.

For desired size and shape, prune in early spring. Don't worry too much about your pruning skills, as crape myrtles bloom on new wood. However, it is important to deadhead as blossoms fade in order to encourage continuous bloom. Crape myrtles are long-lived, drought tolerant and relatively pest free, although sometimes aphids and powdery mildew can be a problem. The handsome bark and fall leaf color just add to an already stunning plant!

Enjoy the show!

Our lawns and gardens are put under a good deal of stress this time of year. Any weakness in water coverage, soil nutrition or weed control shows up immediately in the heat of summer.

Now is an excellent time to double-check your sprinkler system. Plugged or broken heads should be fixed or replaced.

Brown-patterned circles in your lawn around a sprinkler head indicate it has been plugged by dirt or has become a victim of the dreaded lawn mower attack.

The irrigation system in flower beds should also be carefully checked. Many times we plant in front of a sprinkler. This isn't a problem when the plant is a 6" tall seedling, but can result in disaster for others in the bed as that tiny plant grows to a couple of feet in height--and blocks the water to other plants.

Make the necessary adjustments--and watch your plants flourish!