TEXAS

Vines for Summer
Brighten the landscape with displays from tropical vines such as allamanda, mandevilla, snail vine (Vigna caracalla), passion vine, moonflower, or Rangoon creeper (Quisqualis indica).

Mandevilla has become a favorite of our gardens with its bright pink, showy flowers that bloom summer through fall. It works well planted in the ground or in a container. Let it travel up a trellis, drape over a fence, or spill out of a hanging basket. Accent the pink blossoms with the black foliage of 'Ace of Spades' sweet potato vine or the chartreuse foliage of 'Margarita' sweet potato vine. --William C. Welch

Panhandle
Vegetables--Set out transplants of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Direct-seed squash, cucumbers, and okra. Plant a few extras to give away, but only as much as you can manage. A small, well-tended vegetable garden is often more productive than a large, poorly cared for one.

Entire State
Houseplants--Dracaenas such as corn plants and 'Warneckii' can be pruned severely and reshaped so they will have good summer growth. The removed parts can be easily rooted by removing leaves from the lower 4 to 6 inches of the stems and placing them in lightweight potting soil. Be sure to firm the mix around the cuttings, and water well. Keep them in a bright part of your home, or set them outside in a shady area of the garden until established.

North and East
Flowering shrub care--Now that they have finished blooming, it's a good time to prune and feed your azaleas and camellias. Trim plants back by only one-third unless they are overgrown. Special fertilizers--such as Schultz Azalea, Camellia, Rhododendron Slow-Release Plant Food 10-6-8 or Miracle-Gro Azalea, Camellia, Rhododendron Plant Food 30-10-10--work well for spring.

Central, West, and South
Grooming and fertilizing roses--Remove spent flowers just above the first five leaflets. Apply organic amendments, such as composted manure, alfalfa, or cottonseed meal, to feed your plants and improve the soil. Climbing roses can be pruned as they complete their spring bloom cycle. Start by removing dead or weak wood. Then select three to five strong canes, and train them onto the structure of your choice.
Herbs--Plant fragrant summer herbs such as basil, lemon verbena, lemon grass, thyme, rosemary, sage, and mint. Choose your favorite type. Tip: To keep mint from overtaking the garden, place it in a pot that is submerged in a fountain or other water feature.

South
Privacy solutions--Plant hedges or build fences and walls to achieve privacy goals. Hedges of evergreen shrubs, such as dwarf Burford hollies, yaupons, ligustrums, wax myrtles, or cenizos (Leucophyllum frutescens), require several years to fill in. Fences and walls offer an instant effect.

"Around Your Garden" is from the May 2007 issue of Southern Living.