Cut flowers from shade garden plants to encourage growth

▪ In the shade garden this week: Cut flowers from caladiums to encourage leaf production. Remove spent flower stalks from hosta. Remove old fronds (leaves) from ferns. Prune Japanese maple lightly as needed. Pinch back impatiens to encourage denser growth. Fertilize shade annuals.

▪ Hydrange “Peegee” is a white flowering hydrangea. More stiff and upright, this hydrangea adds midsummer blooms to the shade garden. Cut back after flowering or in the winter months because this shrub blooms on new growth.

▪ Now is the time to prune fading flowers from crape myrtles to encourage a second flush of blooms.

▪ Wow! Have you seen all of the butterflies this year? If not, use these plants in your garden: lantana, clethera, zinnia and nicotina.

▪ Yes, you can plant container-grown plants during the hot summer months. Just remember to water them every two to three days.

This story was originally published July 13, 2016 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Cut flowers from shade garden plants to encourage growth."