A warm April followed by two months of rain have gardens all over Chicago looking like we live in Seatle! Perennials are well ahead of their normal bloom times here. Bee Balm( Monarda didyma spp.) is already bloomed out! Bee Balm doesn't typically start blooming here UNTIL the4th of July! I also have some hardy mums that are getting ready to bloom. I did not stutter, you read that correctly...I have mums getting ready to bloom in my garden in July!!!!
A growing season like this is a true rarity here in Chicago, so enjoy it! Sharpen up your pruners and keep cutting back your perennials after they bloom and before they set seed and you will enjoy another round of flowers this Summer courtesy of Mother Nature.
Remember to keep an eye on your containers and your bedding plants in this heat! Things dry out faster than most people realize when it's this hot. Keep an eye out for Powdery Mildew & Leaf Mold as well as the Japanese Beetles that have recently emerged in force! Here's a page from my playbook. Buy a pump sprayer at your local hardware store and put in a mix of Ortho systemic insect killer and Ortho Rose Pride. It will help protect your plants from both the insect infestations and the powdery mildew and black spot!!!!!
Good Luck & Happy Gardening!
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