(For Release On Or After 08/03/07) Our yards and gardens generally look a little frayed around the edges by this time of the year. On top of heat stress, plants also are more vulnerable to insect and disease problems now.

(Audio 07/02/07) Louisiana gardeners grow many plants in containers. This time of the year these plants need plenty of watering, especially if they are in a sunny location. Repotting plants into larger containers can help you cut down on the amount of watering you need to do. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/02/07) There are many beautiful ornamental grasses that can be used as decorative borders. They are drought tolerant and have good insect and disease resistance. Gardeners can find a wide variety of ornamental grasses at gardening centers -- with at least one that will fill their needs. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/02/07) The bald cypress is Louisiana's state tree. It makes a great addition to the landscape, but gardeners can have a problem with cypress knees. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains how to remove knees that might pop up. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/02/07) Palm trees can be grown all over Louisiana. If you want to add a palm to your landscape, now is the time to plant them. Homeowners in North Louisiana should choose hardy palms for their climate. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/02/07) Hydrangeas and gardenias bloom in the early summer. Although most of the summer-flowering shrubs we grow in our landscapes bloom on new growth, hydrangeas and gardenias set their flower buds in late summer. When the plants finish flowering, prune them quickly so as not to cut off next year's flower buds. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(For Release On Or After 07/27/07) If you haven’t paid a lot of attention to sunflowers for your garden lately, you may think only of the gigantic sunflowers that reach for their namesake in the sky – towering to heights of 8 feet or more. You also may think they only come in yellow. But the truth is that today’s gardeners have a lot of choices when selecting sunflowers.

(For Release On Or After 07/20/07) When it comes to vegetable gardening in Louisiana, gardeners should take advantage of our year-round growing season. Yes, even in the torrid depths of summer there are delicious, heat-tolerant vegetables you can plant now to keep your garden productive.

(For Release On Or After 07/13/07) I recently came across some poison ivy as I was working in an out-of-the-way area of my landscape. I keep a sharp eye out for this plant, since I’m quite allergic, and I promptly and ruthlessly deal with any as soon as I see it.

(For Release On Or After 07/06/07) One of the great joys of gardening is discovering new and attractive plants that thrive in our climate. An outstanding summer bedding plant called angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia) falls precisely into this category.