Get The Jump on Japanese Beetles and Other Pests

Timing is everything when it comes to controlling insect pests such as aphids, borers, scale, leaf-feeding beetles and whiteflies. If you get an early start, before pest populations have a chance to build, control is much easier, not to mention that there will be less damage to your plants. Also, many pests are much more effectively controlled when the control measures are used prior to, or during, a specific stage of their life cycle.

Take Japanese beetles, for example. East of the Rocky Mountains, Japanese beetles are one of the most destructive insects, devouring roses, other flowers, trees shrubs, vines and just about anything else that gets in their way. If that's not enough, their larva, white grubs, also do serious damage to lawns (for help preventing grub problems, click here). Adult beetles begin feeding in late spring to early summer, depending on where you live, so now is the time to protect your plants.

Bayer Advanced™ offers breakthrough, no-spray products to protect your plants from Japanese beetles, but they are most effective when applied prior to when the beetles start feeding. Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Insect Control Concentrate protects plants for up to 12 months with one application. Just mix with water as directed on the label and pour at the base of the plant. No spraying necessary. If you want to protect and feed, use the new Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed Granules. It also protects for up to 12 months and comes in an easy-to-use granular formulation. Again, no spraying necessary. To feed and protect roses and other flowers from both Japanese beetles and diseases like black spot, powdery mildew and rust, use Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Rose & Flower Care Concentrate (for more information, see above).

All these no-spray Bayer Advanced products provide systemic, rainproof protection that won't wash off.

This Year's Best New Flower and Vegetable Varieties

Each year the best new flower and vegetable varieties are recognized as All America Selections (AAS). Three flowers and one vegetable are this year's AAS winners.

'Holy Molé' is the first hybrid pasilla-type pepper, which is used to make the famous molé sauce. 'Holy Molé' showed improved vigor, earliness and considerably higher yield than the comparisons in side-by-side trials. A reason for the higher yield is the virus resistances bred into the variety. 'Holy Molé' is resistant to two common viruses that stunt plants and reduce pepper production. The immature green peppers are 7 to 9 inches long and can be harvested in about 85 days from transplanting. If fruit is left on the plant, they will mature to a dark chocolate color. The pepper flavor is nutty and tangy. Mature plants are 3 feet tall: a perfect size for patio containers. 'Holy Molé' is easily grown in a sunny location and thrives on summer heat.

'Fresh Look Gold' is a new variety of celosia with bright golden plumes that remain colorful all season, not "browning" with maturity. Since the plumes remain attractive, there is no reason to deadhead. Plants grow 12 inches high and wide and are perfect for sunny, summer flower beds or containers.

'Opera Supreme Pink Morn' is a vigorous trailing petunia with iridescent pink blooms. A silvery shine causes blooms to shimmer, capturing an admirer's attention from a distance. The 2.5-inch flowers are pink, shading to creamy white in the center, with a yellow throat. Plants grow 4 to 6 inches high and can spread up to 3 feet wide, perfect for cascading over the sides of pots or in front of flower beds. Plant in full sun.

'Pacifica Burgundy Halo' is the first vinca with a burgundy halo surrounding a large white center. This bicolor bloom is a vivid contrast, exceptionally visible in annual gardens and containers. It grows about 12 inches high, is heat- and drought-tolerant and easy to grow. Plant in full sun.

A Barrel Full of Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs can turn the simplest recipe into something extraordinary. Whether you simply sprinkle thyme over grilled fish or chicken, add oregano to summer salads or use basil to enliven pasta, fresh herbs add bright flavors that can only come directly from the garden. And it doesn't have to be a big garden. Many herbs are perfect for growing in pots. Here's a recipe for creating a beautiful and bountiful herb garden in a wine or whiskey half-barrel.

First, make sure the barrel has drainage holes. If not, drill 10 to 15 1/2-inch holes in the bottom. Next, fill the barrel with a quality potting soil.

Wet the soil and begin planting. Around the outside of the barrel, plant sprawling herbs like lemon or silver thyme, variegated sage or compact oregano. As the plants grow, they'll cascade over the edge of the barrel. Within the perimeter of spreading herbs, plant parsley or basil (for unique color, try purple basil). In the middle of the barrel, plant feathery dill or bronze fennel. For a little more color, throw in a few dwarf marigolds wherever there is space.

All these herbs grow best in full sun, and you'll have to water the barrel regularly, especially during warm weather. Within a month, you'll not only have a beautiful container, you'll also have wonderful fresh flavors at your fingertips.

Caring for Newly Planted Trees

Young trees require special attention if you want them to become long-lived landmarks in your landscape. First, make sure they get proper water. After planting, construct double, concentric watering basins. The first should be just outside the rootball and the second about two feet outside that. Fill the inner basin with water to wet the rootball and use the outer one to wet the surrounding soil. Until the roots of the tree extend into the native soil, the inner circle will have to be filled with water most often, possibly more than once a week in hot weather. The outer circle can be filled less often. After the first year the inner circle can be taken down. When you water, make sure the water penetrates the entire rooting area. This means filling a 6- to 8-inch-high basin two or three times.

Remove any tightly attached stakes that came with the tree from the nursery. If the tree can't stand upright on its own (an unstaked tree develops a stronger trunk) or if it needs protection, pound in two sturdy stakes on opposite sides of the trunk but outside the rootball. Secure the trunk to each post with flexible ties (cloth or plastic). The tree should not be tied so tightly that it can't sway somewhat in the wind.

To protect young trees from insects, including borers and scale, apply Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Insect Control Concentrate. One application protects for up to 12 months. To feed and protect, use Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed Granules.