Well, I will add a new mystery to the post. One of the few perennial plants that survived the 'lean years' before I bought this place was a huge clump of white summer phlox. Don't know the variety, but these plants got over six feet tall and bloomed solid white. This spring, because of all the construction, I moved them from a southern exposure that was relatively damp and that received shade from mid-afternoon on, to a spot with full southern exposure and that was hotter and drier. This year they were three to four feet tall and bloomed.....PINK. I can understand the lower height, since they received more sun, but the color change???? I was going to post this separately earlier in the summer, but didn't because everyone would think I was crazy. Which I am, but there's no need to belabor the point. narcnh

Yes, you are getting on the late side if you want the plants to size up at all. I have bench grown six-inch potted mums with cuttings starting in July, and I have also done mum hanging belden gardens with a 1st July start........but that's pushing the envelope for my latitude. You'd have to really use only the very late blooming varieties with a late response and long budding time, or light them. Neither of which would make you very competitive with your sales. The early blooming varieties are already setting buds. You know they are photoperiodic, IOW when the bloom is driven by response to day length. When the nights start getting longer (as they will from solstice on) and reach the magic number, the plants will stop their vegetative growth and start budding up. We don't call them plugs, but rooted cuttings. You will also find they should be ordered in early. You'll only get the left-overs from the major suppliers by this date and have to take what varieties you can get. If you can get them at all. Basically, you've missed your window. Both major breeders have websites with schedules on them for garden mums, depending on how you want to grow them. Check them out before you order and get your orders in early. They like a six week lead time before shipping.

Yup, not a mum. The dahlia has spider mites, spray soap water or neem oil especially on the underside of the leaves.

Really enjoying the yard this year. We also treated ourselves to some chokecherry juice. Went from: to to On top of that our yellow squash, planted from seed directly into the garden is now producing. We also have the flat onions you see on the left. Not sure what to do with them. Any suggestions? I'm still getting a few strawberries a day and the raspberries are ripening. I even tried the black currants. For herbs we are enjoying a great crop of chives and cilantro. I did too well at deadheading the dill last year so just a couple of dill. Also a limited amount of oregano. Did find 3 baby basil plants (I think). They are too small to harvest from.