Well we have another holiday behind us. I can hardly believe it is July 4th weekend. It is kind of nice with it falling on Friday because now we have the whole weekend to do what we want. Our kids are usually out of town for this holiday so we kind of lay low.

I have a great suggestion for those of you who are looking for something interesting to do on either of these two days. Possibly you are staying closer to home because of the fuel prices or just because you what to. A trip out to the Master Gardeners' Idea Garden located at the west entrance of Sarah Bush would be a learning trip for you.

The 8 gardens out there are in full bloom. There are "fact sheets" located at each of the gardens to help you identify the various plants. Our new sign that Justin Grady made for the Idea Garden looks great! The cottage garden is blooming beautifully with the Rose Campion and the pink larkspur. These two plants tend to wonder thru the gardens –but I kind of like that casual look.

My favorite is the "Heliopsis" (false sunflower). This plant starts blooming in the middle of June and keeps on blooming till frost. You do want to keep the "spent blooms' cut off in order for this plant to keep on blooming. These are just a few suggestions of the many, many plants that we have in the gardens. So, just wander on out there and get a little more inspired.

If you can't stop by in person to see the fantastic blooms, consider taking a virtual tour on the Coles County Extension website by going to the homepage at: http://coles.extension.uiuc.edu/. Click on 2008 Idea Garden under photo galleries. The photos were taken earlier this week to show you what is blooming.

What a fantastic day Master Gardener's had at the UM Church's "Gathering at the Gardens" walk last Saturday. I really enjoyed visiting with those of you who came. We are very fortunate to have so many beautiful gardens in our area. It was very nice to have the Master Gardeners stationed at the various gardens to answer some of your questions.

One question that seems to keep coming up frequently pertains to pruning. Most deciduous flowering shrubs need regular pruning to stay shapely and blossom-laden. No one wants to prevent this year's flowers in order to ensure next year's, so it is important to do the job at the proper time.

Fortunately, there is an easy rule. All you have to remember is that "prune comes after bloom". Although there are exceptions (such as rhododendron), most shrubs don't set buds for next year until this year's show is over.

Spring bloomers, including forsythia, beauty bush, lilac, mock orange, viburnums, and weigela, build their buds for next year during the summer. The buds then wait through the winter, ready to burst forth from the "old wood" as soon as the season starts. Prune this group in late spring or early summer, as soon as the flowers fade.

Summers bloomers like the butterfly bush, crape myrtle, peegee hydrangea, beautyberry, Japanese spirea, and rose bushes, on the other hand bloom on "new wood", the growth on the current year. You want them to make lots of new wood, so they should be pruned in early spring, after the danger of heavy frost is past but before new growth had started.

If by chance you did not prune your summer bloomers yet—you could try pruning maybe half of the bush. Then next year get an early start by pruning them clear back. You will be rewarded for your extra work.

GARDEN QUESTIONS FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Q) I was told that rabbits will not eat peppers, tomatoes, carrots, garlic or shallots, so these vegetables do not need to be protected. Now I see rabbits eating tomatoes. A) There is one exception to what you were told. Rabbits will eat ripened tomatoes for the moisture they provide. Keep rabbits out of tomatoes by leaving a pan of water in or near the garden for rabbits to drink from.

Q) Could you give me a time table for planting a fall vegetable garden? A) Suggested planting dates for a number of fall vegetable crops for Central Illinois are July 24th to August 5th for beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, endive, snap beans and summer squash. For lettuce, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, mustard, turnip, winter radish, plant August 15-24. Keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings are up and growing; the upper two inches of the soil must be moist at all times to ensure germination. Seedlings should be protected from the sun until they are well established. Boxes placed over the plants or boards placed alongside the rows will provide temporary shade.

Q) Should I mulch my vegetable garden? A) Yes. Using a light mulch such as straw reduces watering and cuts down on weeds. Begin mulching once the soil has warmed up in the garden. You can also mulch by hilling up soil around the base of a vegetable plant. Vegetables such as corn, potatoes, and tomatoes appreciate this treatment.

Q) Should I fertilize my vegetable garden? A) Preparing the soil carefully at the beginning of the season by digging in compost and other organic matter will get you off to a good start. Quick-growing crops such as lettuce and bush beans probably won't need additional fertilization. Longer-season vegetables like tomatoes and peppers should receive an additional boost of compost or manure tea once they've flowered.

GARDENING GUIDE FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS

GENERAL: To reduce weeding next year, remove weeds before flowering. Water trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, lawns, vegetables if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. Check plants for insects' damage. FLOWERS: Divide Oriental poppies as foliage withers. Early July—prune climbing roses and ramblers after bloom. Use nitrogen fertilizer for the last time on roses before August 1st. Remove diseased leaves from roses. Do not compost leaves. Fertilize pots of annuals every 10-14 days for maximum bloom, and deadhead for continued bloom.

If you have any horticulture questions, call the U of I Extension office 345-7034. Volunteer

Master Gardeners are in the office on: Monday—2 to 4 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday—9-11 a.m.

This column is based on information and materials at the University of Illinois Extension office, located at 707 Windsor Road, Suite A., Charleston, 61920; phone 345-7034; or web site: www.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/