Right now - this very minute - I'm praying for a lovely fall. It can't come fast enough for me. August can go (bleep) itself!

So much for the notion of sowing some late season lettuce, spinach etc. because the days and nights are getting cooler. I did that. Only some seeds germinated and the ones that did got fried. Right now, I'm trying to keep things alive with water. That's it.

I guess the cucumbers like the heat though. I have a fridge full of 'em and am bound and determined to eat them all.

Kevin

Watering. Then I water some more.

I need to divide daylilies, but it's too hot.
I should have divided irises, but it was too hot.
I'm waiting for the late bloomers to show up: the fall blooming asters, boltonias, blue pitcher sage, pink turtleheads....and I am loving the plumes on all the oramental grasses.

People give up on their gardens at the end of July. That isn't necessary. Every year, I get the garden ready for a finale -- the most beautiful show of the season. I cut back "spent" plants for a final bloom in late August through September. But I dopn't know if you have enough of a window to be able to do that in Minneapolis. We're still in Z5, but the garden keeps going until the end of October most years.

I have been cutting back and/or seriously deadheading dozens of big shasta daisies ('Becky'), a few asclepias tuberosas (and leaving the rest for the butterflies, salvia 'May Night', groundcover sedums, and even some Stella d'Oro lilies. Things look a lot neater, but they also grow and rebloom, having enough time to go dormant after their finale. The Knockout roses are even getting light haricuts to remove ugly spent blooms.

Summer in Kansas is very difficult. We moved here from Chicago and I had no idea what I was getting in to. At the moment, all I can do is move sprinklers, hand water as soon as the sun comes up, and stay indoors.

I'm in zone 4 but I'll toss out an answer anyway....

In addition to watering, waiting for the weather to cool down, and harvesting veggies, I am also taking a lot of notes about things to change/add/move for next year. The garden is in a bit of a freeze-frame right now, so it's a good time for evaluation. It's not wise to make changes right now, but it is a good idea to plan them.

I am also thumbing the pages of my bulb catalogs, having a lovely time hemming and hawing over what to get. :)

I'm also standing by to promptly deadhead globe thistle, which is going to seed itself all over town in another week or so.

Oh, and I'm ramping up our armory against the deer. Alllll the fawns have arrived and they are having a delightful time romping through the gardens. They have already defeated deer spray and netting, so I'm redoubling that in the sensitive areas (lettuce and peppers). They are doing a fine job in eating crabapples, which works out well for everyone.

Kevin, do you make pickles? I have ONE cucumber set to harvest and that's it so far. Pathetic! I had to BUY pickles for cryin' out loud!

Sweating! Finally! Also watering, cleaning up hail damage, moving and dividing iris, deadheading, planning, harvesting, putting up, drying things, making notes, buying bulbs and seeds for wintersows, getting things ready for the farmer's market.

I'm deadheading the zinnias, hoping for one more flush of fresh blooms for the Monarchs to enjoy on their way south to Mexico. I'm also collecting and drying seed for trading and wintersowing. I trimmed off the spent blooms from the snapdragons again. I don't know if they have one more flush in them or not. Also planning what to move into more sun and whether to add different annuals to the mix next year, or stick with zinnias. I did summer sow some campanula with excellent results. I don't know if I should pot them up or wait until it's cool and they're root bound. LOL

I'm sure there is more, but I need to get moving. Great thread.

Martha

We're having a dry spell, and it's warm, so I'm watering more than preferable. Mostly the veggies butterfly and hummingbird plants, and a few woody plants that were transplanted in the past year and aren't established enough to tolerate drought. And of course the seedlings and small trees that are in cups or pots, and the 2 hanging baskets of Petunias.

Staked up the tomatoes, picked some basil for pesto, and the first tomatoes and cucumbers (start them from seed in April and June so they mature in mid-August or so).

Still need to plant out the Echinacea and Daylily seedlings in the ground, but they are simply much easier to care for in their little containers than in the droughty ground. Also have an Iris I would like to transplant.

Also raising Black Swallowtail butterflies (haven't seen any Monarchs here this year as yet). Collecting some seed - Ruta graveolens and Asclepias tuberosa the other day.

Trying to tidy up by pruning, trimming and deadheading here and there. And weeding. There's always weeding.

I don't a do too much this time of year. A little deadheading of annuals and some lights weeding. We're replacing the picket fence this fall, so I'm planning on a big revamp of 3 of the garden beds along it. Lots of thinking is going on here right now.

Karin - I have very fond memories of my Mom canning and making dill pickles, but I really have no interest in all that. Plus, I don't have AC, so with the temps INSIDE my house approaching 90, the thought of boiling brine and hot canning jars makes me a bit sick to my stomach. Right now with all the great produce, it has to be eaten raw, frozen or put on the grill. I ain't turning on the stove for anything.

MulchMama - I'm with you. I don't give up on the late season garden. I love it. I know it's going to cool off in a week or so, so it will be possible to be out there again and do some of the other chores needing to be done. Just not right now. Watering is about all I can do.
Kevin

I'm on board with the late season garden too. Generally when I pick out trees and shrubs I take into account more how they look in fall than any other season. Nothing beats a great fall turn with lots if perennials and roses in bloom! And who can forget the purple callicarpa berries?! I can't wait for fall!

I have been dead heading. Pulled spent zucchini plants, replanted cukes in hopes of another crop. Fall lettuce is up. I am in the middle of tomatoes. 4 batches of salsa and a batch of crushed tomatoes put up. Trying to beat the septoria. However we just had rain yesterday and today so not sure if I will win. Hoping to get a few jars of plain sauce. The corn is coming in fast so been freezing that. My green beans are starting to produce and limas are starting to mature. Thank goodness the weeds are under control! I have dried herbs and working on my notes for next year. Lost most of my squash to SVB. I couldnt win against those little devils! Other than that, not much :)

Mostly cutting back, thinning things out, deadheading, removing stakes and some restaking (latter phlox after heavy rain and New England asters).

Main focus, cut out the beginnings of mildew, increase air flow between plants and make sure the perennials have enough water; plus tidy up.

Picture: yesterday.

Transplanting to do and weeds to pull things like that. Waiting for the horrid heat to break. Right now I'm just pulling dead material off, dead heading roses and pulling dried daylily scape's out so moisture doesn't turn to rot in this heat.