It's been a challenging season for gardening: Don't throw in the towel

It's been a challenging season for gardening. Don't throw in the towel. You can keep your garden healthy and productive,

We've showed you how to cut back petunias to reinvigorate them. By shearing them back and giving them a shot of fertilizer, they'll start to bloom again.

Keep zinnias deadheaded to keep them blooming. Mitigate mildew problems by dusting the leaves with sulphur. I try to keep the unsightly lower leaves cleaned up. The varieties of zinnias I grow in include 'Benary's Giants,' 'Dreamland Red,' and the smaller 'Profusion' zinnias that do indeed bloom profusely. Butterflies love zinnias because they provide a landing pad for them to rest while they feed. Zinnias are also one of the easiest annuals for beginners to grow from seed.

Keep your vegetables watered and picked. Squash, cucumbers, peppers and zucchinis should all be in high gear by now. Tomatoes are slower since their blossom pollen dies when it's over 90 degrees. They should start to set more fruit now as temperatures moderate. Basil is also growing well in the heat and the bees love the flowers.