Rain, heavenly rain…So glad to see you back! Looks like the gardens are ripening. The grass is finally growing… They will all still benefit from a supplemental inch or more of water each week—more in hot, dry summer conditions. Now is the time to dig up the Iris, cut off the tops, and cut out the bad parts of the tuber. Dip in some bleach water to kill all the pests, (1:10), let dry and replant in its new home (for 3–4 years.)  Siberian (etc.) Iris can be dug up, split, and replanted now also.  If you have been pinching out the tops of the asters and mums all summer, you should have nice round, fat plants by now. Just let them grow now, and water weekly. They should fill up with buds in August and begin blooming by early September. Poppies can be transplanted in August or early September. Water them so they will make fresh roots. By the end of the month, you should be able to dig up daffodil and tulip bulbs to divide and spread out. This is the time to find a spot with more sunshine (they need 6–8 hours a day) or well-drained soil. They need to be planted at least 6 inches deep. 

Ants bothering you?  Put 10–15 drops of cinnamon oil in one cup of water. Drop some cotton balls in it. Wipe the countertop or where you are having your ant problem. Or you can mix up one Tablespoon of baking soda and one Tablespoon of powdered sugar, put in a lid, and set it where you are having ant problems. This one can easily be carried in any jar and dumped into the lid when you are picnicking as well.

When picking out a watermelon, pick the one with the yellow patch, lots of webbing, some dark spots, and the heaviest one of the batch. Happy gardening!