Summer typically includes family vacations on the agenda. Being away from home for a week or two often brings concerns about yard and garden care. There are some ways to help avoid plant problems while out of town.

Vegetable gardens are probably the one type of planting that can suffer the most when not given care in mid-summer. Mulching plants can help them survive longer without water, in addition to keeping weeds at bay. Insect pests are difficult to control for an extended period of time unless a neighbor or friend is able to check on the garden. In addition, it is important to harvest crops as they mature, which also could be done by neighbors. Also, plan short-term crop planting accordingly, so harvest is not needed in your absence.

Don't forget about window boxes, patio planters and hanging baskets. All of these are very prone to drying out in the summer heat. Make arrangements to have these watered on a regular basis while you are gone. The same holds true for houseplants.

There are a few tips to have annual flower plantings looking great when you return from a vacation. First, mulching benefits flowers the same as vegetables. Also, before leaving town pinch off flowers and well-developed flower buds, so when you return the plants are likely to be loaded with flower buds jut starting to open.

Other than mowing, vacation lawn care is very simple. If the lawn is growing at a fairly rapid rate, it may need mowing before you're back from vacation, so make arrangements to have it done. On the other hand, if the lawn has slowed down in growth, mowing right before you leave will probably be sufficient until you get back. Remember, however, that an unkempt lawn is one of the first signs you are away, so have a plan for mowing in your absence.

Finally, fruit trees, apples in particular, are prone to insect pests over the next several weeks. Apple maggot and codling moth are a concern. Plan cover sprays, either insecticide or multipurpose fruit spray, accordingly. Usually making an application right before leaving town should carry through until you get back. Apple maggot may also be controlled to some extent using red spheres covered with sticky material and hung in the trees.

Source: Bruce Spangenberg, Extension Educator, Horticulture

Periodical cicadas will emerge this year throughout most of the southern two-thirds of the state. Emergence should begin in early June and last about three weeks. Outside Illinois, this emergence of the Great Southern Brood will cover most of Missouri, western Kentucky and much of the southeastern United States, north of Florida and south of Kentucky and Virginia. Very small trees may be subject to heavy damage by this insect's egg-laying activities.

Periodical cicadas occur in most areas of the eastern half of the United States. In the northern half of the country, these insects have a 17-year life cycle; those in the southern half have a 13-year life cycle. Rumors floating around the state suggests that 13- and 17-year emergences will coincide this year, which would cause very heavy damage. Let's set the record straight. First, only a single brood of 13-year cicadas is expected to emerge this year. Also, there is apparently only one region in North America where 13 and 17 year broods emerge in the same area and this is in a small area near Clinton, Illinois.

Nymphs that hatch from eggs inserted into stems drop to the ground, burrow into the soil and find a root to feed upon. The nymphs suck sap from the roots until the last year of their life cycle, when they emerge from the soil in the late spring, climb a tree and emerge as adults. The adults are black, about 1 1/4 inches long and have red eyes. They have clear wings with orange veins. The adults do little feeding, spending most of the daylight hours involved in reproductive activities. Male cicadas sing during the day to attract females. Mated females select twigs and branches up to one inch or more in diameter and insert their eggs into slits made with their ovipositors. Very little egg-laying occurs in the first ten days after emergence. Eggs are laid mostly during the last ten days of the female cicada's adult life.

We anticipate emergence of the 13 year cicadas this year from Hancock and eastern McDonough counties south to Morgan, Sangamon and Macon counties and also from Ford, southern Livingston and western Iroquois counties south. The rest of southern Illinois is included in this 13 year brood emergence, except Iroquois, Vermilion, Edgar, Clark, Crawford, Lawrence and Wabash counties on the east and Alexander, Pulaski, Massac, Union, Jackson, Perry and southern Randolph counties in southern Illinois.

Periodical cicadas are a threat to small trees with trunk diameters of two inches and smaller. Their egg-laying may cause trunks and branches to snap off in windy conditions. Avoid planting very small trees before an emergence in areas where cicadas are likely to appear. Realize, though, that even in the regions listed above, some areas will have few cicadas or none at all. If an area has been cleared of trees and shrubs within the last few hundred years or was originally prairie, periodical cicadas are unlikely to be present. These insects do not fly very far from where they emerge. That fact, combined with their long generation times, means that the spread of periodical cicadas is very slow.

Insecticides are only marginally effective against cicada. Young trees with small trunks should be protected with hardware cloth, screening or tree wrap during the few weeks that the adult periodical cicadas are present.

Next month, from about July 15th to the 25th is egg laying time for grubs in Northern Illinois. Egg hatch will follow about two weeks later.

The grub population and damage appearing in August depends on the number of adults present to lay eggs and on favorable soil conditions in sod areas. Adult grubs, which prefer moist soil, lay most of their eggs between 9:30 p.m. and 1 a.m., with a peak period at about 10:30 p.m. Female beetles bury the eggs beneath the soil surface. They prefer open lawn areas but usually deposit more eggs along sidewalks and driveways. The soil in these areas may be wetter, and the concrete or asphalt is probably still warm at night from the day's sun.

If you want to scout for annual white grub activity, walk along some streets in your community after 10pm and observe the grubs' egg laying activity in the oncoming car lights. The wings of the adult beetles will be long and filamentous. There may be as many as 10 or more per square foot flying slowly just above the sod and dropping down into the grass to lay eggs. This activity can also be observed on the fairways of golf courses and other areas of high quality turf.

The first grub damage of the season usually appears about 5 to 6 weeks after peak egg laying. In northern Illinois this would be August to early September. The only damage these grubs do is prune off the roots of bluegrass. It normally requires 10 to 12 grubs per square foot to cause visible damage. It is not uncommon to detect 40 to 50 grubs per square foot in favorable egg laying sites where heavy populations of tan beetles were observed in July. In next month's newsletter I will discuss control strategies.

June

Postemergence broadleaf weed control (avoid hot weather)

Light fertilization (with irrigation); controlled release nitrogen suggested

July

Irrigation (as needed or allow lawn to go dormant)

Monitoring for pests/problems (sod webworm)

Watch Your Garden Grow
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/
Get the most from your garden with this guide to growing, preparing and preserving vegetables.

Anthracnose

Anthracnose continues to worry homeowners. The amount of leafdrop due to anthracnose on ash has visibly increased. Infected sycamores look like they won't survive the summer. The disease has begun to show on maples in central Illinois as well. Don't panic. Just remove fallen leaves (to make you feel better) and keep the trees watered in periods of drought stress later in the summer. They will begin to look better in a few weeks.

Halloween Pumpkins

Want pumpkins to ripen around Halloween? Plant seed around June 10th. They take about 110- 125 days to mature.

Lilac Pruning

Lilac should be pruned after blooming each spring. Remove one-fourth (1/4) of the plant starting the fifth year after planting to encourage new basal shoots. Remove old wood at ground level.

Pruning encourages better flowering and reduces insect problems such as lilac borers which attack thicker, older wood. Pruning also allows for better air circulation, limiting the amount of powdery mildew.

Maple Seeds

Heavy maple seed production can cause a silver, red or sugar maple to appear thin and sparse. Seed formation takes precedence over growth and until the seed falls, the amount of leaves on a tree can be small. When seeds fall, the trees should resume additional growth and eventually fill in by mid-summer. Fall fertilization of maples can limit the sparseness of leaves. No chemical control is registered in Illinois for homeowner use to prevent seeds from forming or causing seeds to abort after pollination.

Sawdust

Sawdust is often used as a mulch material around herbaceous perennials and woody ornamentals. Problems can occur as sawdust starts decomposing. Soil bacteria may tie up or "borrow temporarily" some available nitrogen. The constant addition of sawdust may cause plants to appear stunted and yellowish. As the sawdust finishes decomposing, nitrogen will be returned to the soil. A handful of a complete fertilizer scattered over the sawdust should limit any temporary nitrogen depletion.

Aging Woodchips

Fresh woodchips should be allowed to age a month before application to landscape material, though little damage will occur if used immediately. If chipped material is from dead trees, shrubs or evergreens, there is no need to allow the material to age. Fresh chips can temporarily deplete the soil of some available nitrogen, resulting in slow growth or yellowish foliage. Scattering a handful of fertilizer on new chips would reduce the tie-up of soil nitrogen.

Charcoal Ashes

Ashes from charcoal grills should not be added to garden or yard soils due to the chemicals used in the briquette bonding. Ashes should be discarded properly in landfills or driveways.

June - Outdoors

Plant pumpkins in early June.

Stake tomato plants.

In late June stop harvesting asparagus and fertilize.

Harvest peas when pods are plump. After harvesting replant the area.

Water the garden with one inch of water per week.

Apply mulch to garden to help keep down weeds and conserve moisture. Different colored mulch materials reflect different wave lengths of light and have produced noticeable results. Tomato harvest increased significantly in both size and quality when plants were grown over red plastic. Gardeners Supply, 128 Intervale Road, Burlington, VT 05401, offers red plastic mulch for tomatoes.

Use for plastic milk jugs - seep irrigation. Simply use a large nail to punch holes in the sides of a jug, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bury the jug, leaving the neck protruding from the soil. Fill the jug with water (solutions of liquid fertilizer may be used to water and fertilize at the same time) and screw the cap on firmly. The water will gradually seep out, providing a slow, deep irrigation for surrounding plants.

Cabbage loopers and imported cabbage worms are green worms that eat large holes in the leaves of plants in the cabbage family. They are difficult to see, but the holes and green "frass" or excrement on the plants are tell-tale signs. For control, caterpillars may be hand-picked or sprayed with BT (Bacillus thuringiensis),a natural non-toxic preparation available by various trade names.

Slugs love cool, moist weather and succulent, leafy crops, especially lettuce and cabbage. Debris in the garden provides them with a place to hide and should be removed promptly. To see if your garden is under attack, put out a board or invert a flower pot in the garden. The next morning, see if there are any slugs clinging underneath. If so, begin removing them by hand every few days to decrease their population.

Plant beans, cucumbers, squash, sweet corn and late tomatoes.

Harvest strawberries.

Do not worry about fruit drop on fruit trees. It is a natural occurrence.

To protect bees that pollinate many of our crop plants, spray pesticides in the evening after bees have returned to their hives.

Although it is among the leading vegetables worldwide, the sweet potato has been underused in the United States since it was established in Virginia in the mid-17th century. However, sweet potato French fries may soon move this root vegetable from its traditional place at holiday meals to restaurant menus alongside the more popular white potato. Sweet potato fries have a texture somewhat like traditional French fries and taste good with vinegar, salt, sugar or other seasonings, as well as being a good source of nutrients. Your body converts the orange-colored beta carotene of the sweet potato into vitamin A, an essential nutrient for vision; growth; and development of bones, teeth and skin.

Apply mulches to roses, annuals and perennials.

Stake perennials as needed before they become broken or damaged.

Shrubs and perennials look nice as foundation plantings, but rain may not reach under the eaves, so you may need to water frequently.

Odd flower formations on rose bushes may be due to cold temperatures during bud formation. Buds so damaged do not open completely, giving rise to a lop-sided flower.

Climbing roses don't really climb - they have long canes that require support. You'll need to loosely tie the canes to trellises with broad strips of material. Do not use wire, it can damage the cane.

When you buy container grown nursery stock, check the root ball and make sure it is not bound too tightly. A mass of circling roots will stay that way even after it is in the ground.

The best time to harvest most herbs is just before flowering, when the leaves contain the maximum essential oils. Cut herbs early on a sunny day.

If you don't have much landscaping space, consider using some dwarf varieties. These are plants that have slow growth and stay small. There are numerous dwarf evergreens, flowering trees and shrubs from which to choose.

Leftover vegetable and flower seeds may be stored in a cool, dry location for planting next year. One method is to place seed packets in a jar or plastic bag and store the containers in the refrigerator.

Bronze-leaved varieties of begonia do particularly well in full sun. Keep the foliage dry and provide good air circulation around the plants.

For hanging baskets in cool, shady locations, use trailing tuberous begonias, ferns, impatiens, or fibrous rooted begonias in combination with trailing plants, such as English ivy.

Remove old flower heads from bedding plants to prolong the period of bloom.

When selecting a window box, it is best to choose a wooden box. Metal ones are more likely to overheat if sitting in the hot, summer sun. Also, wooden boxes allow for drainage, whereas metal or plastic ones often do not. The color of the box should also be considered - dark ones get warmer than light colored boxes.

Do not allow children to ride on or drive riding lawn mowers. Such mowers are more dangerous than they appear. Always disengage the mower blades and set the brake, or turn off the engine before getting off for any reason.

A mailbox mounted on a post in the garden can hold plant ties, labels, small tools and other necessities often forgotten when out in the garden.

Identify garden pests before you attempt to control them. If you decide to use a chemical control, read the label carefully to be sure the chemical is compatible with the plant. Make sure you apply the proper amount at the proper time. Consult your local Extension agent if you have questions about pesticides. Remember that all insects in the garden are not necessarily pests.

June - Indoors

If you keep your houseplant indoors all summer, keep them out of the draft of the air conditioners. Plants react to an air conditioner's cool air in various ways. Some drop their leaves, others don't bloom well and some fail to bloom all together.

Peat pellets that swell up to form both pot and growing medium for seedlings can be used for air layering. After the pot has soaked and expanded to full size, slit it vertically on one side so it will fit over the plant's stem. Next, wound the plant stem by cutting two fine rings around the stem a half inch apart in the bark or skin with a sharp knife. Peel off the area between the cuts and slip the pellet over the stem. Cover the wound with a plastic bag tied at both ends to conserve moisture. When roots appear in the bag, remove the plastic, sever the new plant and pot it up.

According to studies conducted by NASA, plants can function as biological, air-purification systems. Spider plants are highly efficient in absorbing toxic substances. In tests, these plants absorbed toxins, such as formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, known to be present in homes and offices. To purify the air in an average-size, well-insulated home, 8 to 15 mature spider plants would be required. Other plants that also lowered pollutant levels, but to a lesser degree, were Chinese evergreen, golden pothos and peace lily.

Houseplants can be kept in good condition for several weeks while one is on vacation by using clear, plastic bags as miniature greenhouses. Simply soak the soil thoroughly, allow to drain, then place the potted plant into a plastic bag and tie the opening tightly. Two or more sticks in the soil will support the plastic tent and prevent it from resting on the plants. Plants such as African violets, that are apt to develop mildew should have a few air holes cut for air circulation.

July - Outdoors

Continue to plant beets, beans, sweet corn and cucumbers.

Misting tomato and pepper plants during hot weather can help the blossoms set fruit.

Pick cucumbers every day. Peak quality only lasts a day on the vine.

Don't peel cucumbers. The vitamin A is in the skin.

Water vegetables in the morning. Watering in the evening will make them more susceptible to diseases.

Look for blackened twigs and branches on apple trees. This could be fireblight. For a free factsheet call 773-233-0476.

"Pick Your Own" fresh vegetables at area Pick Your Own Farms. For a listing of farms call 773-233-0476.

Wilting tomato leaves may indicate verticillium or fusarium wilt diseases. Give us a call for the factsheet.

Reduce bitterness in cucumbers by watering during dry weather.

Seed collards, mustard and rutabagas for fall harvest.

Shake tomato plants gently to help insure pollination and fruit set.

Do not refrigerate just picked tomatoes. Quality deteriorates in the cold.

Harvest early potatoes when they are golf ball size.

Write your child's name on a pumpkin when they are softball size. Use a ballpoint pen, just breaking the skin. The names will expand as the pumpkins grow.

Grow a cucumber in a bottle. Find a tiny cucumber and put it into a small necked bottle. Shade the bottle with cloth or leaves. Harvest the cucumber when it grows to the bottom of the bottle. Prepare a brine and fill the bottle. Vola! Your own pickle in a bottle.

Sunken or black areas on tomatoes and peppers is blossom end rot. Factsheet available.

Plan a family outing to one of the following county fairs:

• DuPage - July 22nd - 26th - for more information call 630-668-6636
• Kane - July 14th - 19th - for more information call 630-584-6926
• Kankakee - July 29th - August 2nd - for more information call 815-932-6714
• Kendall - July 31st - August 2nd - for more information call 630-553-2860
• Lake - July 28th - August 2nd - for more information call 847-223-2204
• McHenry - August 5th - August 9th - for more information call 815-338-5315

To locate a city of Chicago's Farmers' Market in your neighborhood, call 312-744-9187. They will mail you a printed schedule.

Keep the main stems of dahlias free of side shoots. Allow only the terminal bud to develop. This will help to produce a larger flower.

Cut back faded annuals to half their height and fertilize. This will help to promote a second bloom.

Stop pinching back mums in mid-July so they will develop flower buds for fall.

Order autumn crocus and colchicum.

Divide and transplant bearded iris after blooming.

Buying ladybugs to control aphids is a good idea only if there are aphids in your garden. No aphids....ladybugs will fly away.

Buying praying mantis for insect control may not be a good idea. Praying mantis are not selective in their eating habits. They will eat both "good" and "bad" insects.

Make an instant trellis by removing the plastic or cloth from an old umbrella; open it and stick the handle into the soil near a plant.

Cut roses late in the day. They will last longer.

Check container grown flowers and vegetables two times a day during hot weather to see if they need watering.

Did you know that over a fifty year lifetime a tree can generate $31,250 worth of oxygen and recycle $37,500 worth of water?

Make a final fertilization of roses. Do not fertilize after August 1st. New growth will not harden off before winter.

Cut back straggly looking petunias in mid-July. This will promote new and vigorous growth.

July - Indoors

Protect indoor plants from strong summer sun. Close curtains and partially pull blinds.

Let tap water stand until it reaches room temperature before watering houseplants.

Root cuttings of coleus, geraniums, Swedish ivy and Wandering Jew. Factsheet available.

Keep houseplants away from cold drafts from air conditioners.

Picnics, Barbecues & Outdoor Eating

Ants are not the only pests that can invade a picnic. As the temperature increases so do the reports of foodborne illness caused by bacterial pests. Common sense goes a long way in packing foods safely for outdoor dining. Whether you are packing up to go to the lakefront, the park or to the backyard the same principles apply.

Many misconceptions about summertime food handling often cloud the truth. People become confused about the conflicting stories they hear about how to handle food safely. People with good intentions often pass along information that is no longer true or only half true.

Safe food handling is always important. During the summertime more meals are consumed and prepared outdoors and there is an increased need for awareness of safe food handling practices. What are the basics of summertime food handling? Keep hot food hot, cold food cold, cook all foods thoroughly and keep everything clean.

Before you head for the picnic site, prepare all foods under scrupulously clean conditions. Wash hands, containers and utensils before preparing each dish. If you plan to take cooked foods, be sure to cook them thoroughly, especially meat, poultry, fish and egg products that are more susceptible to bacterial contamination.

In case there are no hand washing facilities at your picnic site, take along moist towelettes, a spray bottle of soapy water and anti-bacterial hand gel. Your first line of defense against illness is clean hands. Also, spread clean newspaper over picnic tables before topping with a plastic tablecloth or other covering.

Perishable foods that are to be eaten cold should be stored below 40°F. Even an hour in high temperatures can be long enough for microorganisms to multiply on cooked foods and cause illness. Keep foods cold inside an insulated cooler with crushed ice, freezer "gel" packs or containers of ice. You can make your own ice packs by filling clean, empty, plastic milk jugs with water and freezing. Jugs of ice last longer than bags of ice cubes.

You can freeze meat and bread for sandwiches and pack mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and other condiments separately. It is a good idea to freeze meats that you plan to cook at the picnic site. Partially frozen hamburgers, hotdogs and chicken parts will thaw in one hour in the ice chest and will be ready to cook safely when you arrive at the cookout site.

For grilling, the coals should be very hot before placing meat onto the grill. Sometimes it can take 30 minutes or longer before coals are ready. Give yourself plenty of time so that all meat is cooked thoroughly.

Do not eat raw or undercooked hamburgers made from ground beef or ground poultry since harmful bacteria such as E. coli could be present. It is always a good idea to take an "exploratory" cut into any patties, poultry, meat or fish to check doneness. On the grill, often the outside looks done, but the inside is not. Juices should run clear and meat should not be pink. The USDA recommends cooking ground meat to 165°F. Serve hot, grilled foods immediately. Put cooked foods on clean plates that weren't used to hold raw meat or poultry.

Perishable foods should be consumed within two hours after cooking, one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees or above. All leftovers should go back into the cooler where there is plenty of ice. Some people leave picnic food out on the table after the meal and this is asking for trouble. Cooked food can spoil as quickly as raw food, especially on a hot summer day.

The bacteria that cause food poisoning do not cause food to look, taste or smell bad. So don't try to justify eating food that sits out for hours just because it doesn't smell or taste bad. E. coli, Salmonella and other bacteria are tasteless and odorless. Sometimes you do not get sick until hours or even days later. By that time most people don't remember what they ate. It is important to handle food properly at all times. When you suspect food has been mishandled, don't eat it anyway just because it doesn't smell bad. "When in doubt, throw it out."

For further information about grilling or other questions about safe handling of foods, call the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555 or http://www.usda.gov/fsis/mphotlin.htm

Have a happy and safe summer!

Much of the burden in keeping food safe falls on the U.S. government and the food industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the food industry has instituted the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system. This program requires the industry to determine the critical points in food processing at which contamination can occur and to set up appropriate safeguards.

The public must also learn to handle and prepare food safely. According to FoodNet, an active site surveillance program, several outbreaks have been linked to food prepared at home. Only a few illnesses were associated with contaminated food on the industry side. Even in the case of last summer's (Hudson) frozen beef patties prepared at home, thorough cooking would have eliminated the danger. It is impossible to legislate all of the bacteria out of the food supply.

The fact is that bacteria live on the planet with us. Bacteria is evolving, changing and behaving in ways we have not seen before, i.e., Salmonella in clean, uncracked eggs. There is reason to believe there are more changes in store for us. Every living thing on the planet must change and adapt to the ever changing environment. Changing the way we handle food at home can help to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria.

The following kitchen precautions may sound excessive, or even ridiculous to some people. But it doesn't matter if you are heating up a slice of pizza or preparing a seven course gourmet meal, practicing sound kitchen habits is essential to good health. The choice is yours. How far do you want to go to keep it safe?

• Always start by washing your hands. Wash them with hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds. Remove your watch and rings and roll up your sleeves. Wash above your wrist, between your fingers, front and back of hands. Use a nail brush to scrub fingernails.

• Wash hands often during meal preparation. After cutting up and handling raw meat, poultry and egg products.

• Prepare a sink of hot, soapy water. Use it to wash utensils and to cleanse the dish cloth as you clean up spills and wipe counter tops. Change the water as needed.

• Use cotton dish clothes instead of bacteria harboring sponges. Launder dish towels often. Use a fresh supply of dish towels daily instead of weekly.

• Maintain separate cutting boards. Use one for vegetables, designate another one for raw meat and a third for cooked meat. Label with an indelible marker if necessary.

• Get in the habit of collecting utensils, seasonings and setting oven temperature before handling raw meats, poultry and egg products. This prevents contamination of the entire kitchen by leaving a trail of meat juices everywhere.

• After meal preparation, wipe salt and pepper shaker, seasoning jars and counter tops using hot soapy water and a clean dishcloth.

For more information on food safety, visit http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic

This is the perfect size herb garden for city dwellers and/or beginners. If you have a balcony, deck or small porch this garden can work for you. It may not have all of the herbs you want, but it certainly will have the important ones to provide the fresh taste of herbs to enhance your summer cooking.

First decide which herbs you want to plant. Purchase small transplants from a nursery. Select plants without blossoms and avoid long, tall, leggy plants. Do not plant mint or dill (they tend to overtake the other plants) unless you use a separate barrel half.

For a pesto garden you may want to plant 8 sweet basil plants and 2 parsley plants. For a grilling garden, plant 1 rosemary plant, 2 parsley plants, 2 lemon thyme plants, 2 chive plants and 1 sweet marjoram plant.

A half barrel will hold 8 to 10 transplants, leave 2 to 3 inches between plants and if it gets too crowded, thin by pulling up entire plants to use for cooking. An all purpose garden should consist of 1 chive plant (perennial), 2 parsley plants, 1 rosemary plant, 2 to 3 basil plants, 2 to 3 thyme plants, 2 sweet marjoram or Greek oregano plants.

This will be a beautiful, fragrant garden, so be sure to place the barrel outside of your kitchen door or on a sunny deck by a window you can open.

You will need:

• 1 half barrel (sometimes referred to as a whiskey barrel)
• 4 bricks
• good quality soil or soilless mix
• 8 to 10 herb transplants

Drill 10 to 12 holes in the bottom of the barrel half. The holes should be one inch in diameter. If you do not have a drill, ask for help at the hardware store or garden supply store. They are often able to drill holes for a small fee.

Set the barrel on bricks, flat side down. This is necessary for good drainage and for air circulation.

Fill the barrel with soil, leaving 3 to 4 inches of top space. Press the soil down slightly.

Form a small hole and pour water into the hole. As you remove the transplants, gently pull the roots apart. Place plant in the hole, cover roots with soil and press the soil firmly around the roots. Plant chives close to the edge of the barrel as it gets pretty large and may drape over the edge by late summer. Plant taller plants like basil and rosemary toward the back of the barrel so they do not shade the shorter plants.

As plants grow, snip the blossoms from the center of the plants to encourage side growth. This will prevent tall leggy plants and you will be able to harvest leaves all summer. Feed and water often to encourage growth. Harvest herb leaves in the early morning before the sun is too hot. Hot sun warms volatile oils in the herbs and diminishes flavor.

Fresh Herb Butter

You may use unsalted butter, margarine or olive oil for this recipe. Spread on thick grilled bread slices or use to season raw, lightly grilled or steamed vegetables. Make small batches and be sure to refrigerate leftovers. Prepare at least a day in advance and use leftovers within 5 to 6 days. 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup olive oil) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh green sweet basil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon finely minced lemon zest 1. Wash herbs leaves under cold running water. Drain slightly and pat dry. 2. Use kitchen shears to snip to fairly fine pieces. 3. Mix herbs with butter or oil. 4. May use a food processor, pulse briefly or the mixture will puree and turn green. 5. Make a day or two in advance so the flavors can blend. Store in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature to use. Makes 1 cup

If you have a garden, chances are you will ultimately spend some time in the summer sun. Protect yourself. Did you know that skin cancers are the most common forms of cancers? More common than breast cancer, lung cancer and all the rest. The sun's ultraviolet light and radiation are by far the most frequent causes of skin cancers. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), about 90% of skin cancers involve those parts of the body exposed to sunlight.

Anyone who watches "Star Trek" knows that a photon torpedo is a powerful weapon. To the television audience it appears to be a blast of light but it is actually a blast of energy. Solar energy rays that strike the earth are measured in units called photons. The most efficient photons are invisible rays of ultraviolet light that are readily absorbed by skin cells causing irreversible damage. Unfortunately most people do not take the AAD warnings seriously. According to the AAD, less than 20% of Americans avoid the harmful rays of the sun.

What happens to overexposed skin?

Ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation are the most dangerous part of the UV spectrum. UVB exposure causes sunburn which creates swollen blood vessels and surface redness on the top layer of skin, the epidermis. UVB photons also affect genetic materials (DNA) of epidermal cells, causing damage that may lead to epidermal cancer. Langerhans cells of the immune system also suffer damage, which hampers the skin's ability to repair itself. WOW!

How do you protect yourself? Wear a wide brim hat, sunglasses and sunscreen when you are out in the sun. The latest research suggests that sunscreen may not prevent melanoma (skin cancer) but it does offer some protection against the sun's damaging rays. The AAD warns that if you have light skin, red hair, freckles, moles or a family history of skin cancer, stay out of the sun as much as possible. These factors will increase risk of melanoma.

The following guidelines may help you avoid danger this summer:

• Limit gardening to the early morning hours or late evening after the sun has gone down.

• Wear protective gear. Sunglasses, a visor and lightweight, white or light colored clothing that reflects the sun rather than absorb it.

• Wear a waterproof sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or greater.

For more information on skin cancer and sun safety visit the AAD website at http://www.aad.org/skinrisk.html