I was very timid in my pruning of the Austins (was expecting a possible late frost) so now they are too big and flopping onto each other. I never have done the 'summer pruning' that appears necessary before, so I'm wondering if there is a preferred method for this so that I don't slow down the next bloom cycle. Should I dead-head aggressively, taking a 2-3 feet off of long canes, cut them back by 1/3rd or 1/2 of the total plant size, just size them as I want them, or does it matter? Most appear to be growing vigorously at present but, as I mentioned, I don't want to slow down another bloom, just should have taken off more (which I'd done if I'd known we were already on to summer).

Also, does anyone know whether we should expect the Japanese beetles early or at their regular time (typically starting in late June-early July and on the attack about 4 weeks)? I need to consider when/how I'll need to have a counter-offensive ready. They often time their arrival between flushes, so the flowers aren't such a draw and then life is easy. However, if there are a lot of fragrant, light-colored roses blooming in my yard it proves irresistable unless I treat with something, as I draw beetles from all of the neighbors lawns.

I have no clue about what the JBs are going to do. I don't even want to think about that!

I guess we are still a while from beetle season, even with this weather, but if they hit mid-June last year I'm going to be ready for early June this year. I don't recall having too many problems last year (nothing I couldn't deal with by picking by hand morning and night). But there have been earlier years where it was a very different story...

When that frost hit, it left us with a lot of crispy leaves, but I just left them there and planned to get them off the bushes after the first flush. No need to do the same job twice, I figured.

No more bringing up the dreaded scourge of summer, stlgal!!! If you say it 3 times, they appear.