Easy Gardener • Pat Howell
	What happened to June and July?

Easy Gardener took some time off to count wildlife in the park, to contemplate rain gardens, to lose track of time, and to visit other gardens.   Refreshed, she is back to haunt your gardens.

I hope you have been watering your trees, but also the City's trees.

In the hierarchy of plants, there are renewables and non-renewables. The media has done a very poor job of informing the public about this hierarchy.   Sound-bites from Maryland residents on the 6 o'clock news indicate they are worried about losing their Impatiens   or Geraniums or lawn (renewables), yet make no mention of large trees (non-renewables).We cannot go out and buy a 50- or 75-year-old tree!

Large trees have widespread root systems to absorb water from a large volume of soil.   A tree's feeder roots grow out, away from the trunk toward the 'dripline' of the tree canopy and beyond. A big tree needs 500-800 gallons of water per day for its needs!

So, remember to water your trees.   The searing heat between the torrential rains means a lot of evaporation is sapping the supply of water for tree roots.

And try to water the street trees.   If too many are lost, the Public Works budget for replacements will not be able to keep up.   We do not need to sacrifice our urban forest to the droughty times.

Note to the files of the resident gardener:   In 2006, remember to cut back by half the Ironweed (Vernonia); the Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum 'Gateway'); the   explosively colorful Helen's Flower/Sneezeweed 'Moorheim Beauty' and 'Bruno'   (Helenium);   the sunflower (Heliopsis 'Prairie Sunset'); the blueish ornamental grass (Panicum 'Heavy Metal'); the goldenrod (Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'); the coneflowers (Echinaceas); and a few other tall perennials.

Remember to do this cutting back by half on/or about both Mothers' Day and the fourth of July.

The reward will be thus:   it will not be necessary to go out in the stifling heat of August to stake and stake and stake the wayward, tree-top-tall creatures that have fallen flat from the torrential rains.   A semblance of order (well, somewhat) will prevail in the sunny garden.

Pat Howell is a Takoma Park gardener and landscape designer/contractor. She is available for hand-holding and answering questions through Deephaven Landscapers.