It's Time to ...

Plant kale and zinnias as fillers.

Whether caused by critters or seasonal change, you may have some empty patches in the garden. It's the perfect time to plant kale; it will tolerate cooler fall temperatures and be free from the cabbage worms that are known to munch on mature leaves up until early July. If you start more zinnia seeds now, the younger plants will be ready to replace the zinnias you planted in May that may eventually succumb to powdery mildew. If you don't have any seed or seedlings, then buy, beg or barter to get them.

Get those suckers. Suckers are stems that sprout from the base of a tree and reduce the growth rate. They also detract from the overall form and appearance. Remove each sucker as close to its base as possible, taking care to avoid nicking the trunk. If the stems haven't yet turned woody and are still somewhat soft, break each one off at its base with a quick twist of your fingertips. If it has already hardened, use a sharp pruner for the same result.

Rein in self-seeders. If you're anything like me, you may be tempted to keep every seedling you find while weeding in the garden. However, even favorite plants that self-seed can become burdensome. For instance, I love blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium graminoides), a short grasslike plant that grows in tufts and has tiny, blue, star-shaped flowers on the tips of the foliage. Our first plant thrived where we planted it in our rock garden, and several years later, it's now popping up from one end of the garden to the other. Because hundreds of seed pods are almost ready to disperse, I can't ignore this cute but invasive pest any longer. I'll trim each tuft to about two inches from the ground. Although I'm not sure if they'll fill back in, it's better than being overwhelmed with seedlings that won't quit.