Now that summer is finally here, wouldn't it be nice if the time slowed down - just a little? At the rate it's going, we'll be shopping for Christmas presents in no time.

If you have Asiatic lilies, they're probably blooming now. They are such fast multipliers, it doesn't take more than a couple of years to get a nice big clump. The hybridizers came out a few years ago with a group they call Tango lilies. These come in some nice colors with interesting contrasting centers. Another one I like is called Lollipop. It is white with wide hot pink tips on each petal. Very pretty.

Remember to leave the foliage on each lily plant when you pop off the spent flowers. This is what develops the strength in the bulb to put on a show for you next July. In a few weeks, the Oriental lilies will be blooming. These have fabulous fragrance and are usually taller than the Asiatics.

What we have always called geraniums are now being called pelargoniums. "True geraniums" are a perennial and are very different. These are fabulous plants and come in sizes from very small to whoppers. They also have a much broader color range than the pelargoniums, ranging from lavender, through various shades of pink. Even blue, although that's a stretch as Johnson's Blue is more lavender than blue to my eyes. One of the best is called Rozanne and has good sized single blooms in a nice grape tone with white eye zones.

These plants are very tough but need sun and occasional water. Too much fertilizer or rich soil can make them tall and floppy. If that happens, just cut them back, they'll return shorter and bloom until cut down in late fall by a hard freeze. Most of these plants also develop nice red or yellow fall foliage.

Have you seen the new black petunias? They are really striking. Black Velvet is solid black. Pinstripe is black with a narrow white star design. The third one, named Phantom has a broad yellow star across each petal. So far, they are doing well for me.

Don't cut the foliage on your irises when you cut off the spent flower stalks. The iris plants need these and the flowers you will get next spring are determined by the care they have this summer. They need at least half a day of sunshine and occasional deep watering. No daily sprinkling as rotted roots are a sure way to kill them, in fact, about the only way. They aren't big feeders but appreciate a yearly sprinkle of bone meal. Most types will need to be divided every 3 to 4 years. Wait a month after they bloom to do this. More about that in a few weeks.

Trimming your clematis vines can be tricky. Unless you know for sure what the variety is, its tough to know as they are classified into three groups. The easiest way to figure it out is to go by when they bloom. If they are very early bloomers, do NOT prune at all in the spring. These can be pruned right after blooming. The second group blooms a bit later and will take some pruning in the spring. Just be sure to leave at least 3 feet of growth. The last group can be pruned all the way to the ground in spring as they bloom on new wood. They all enjoy being fertilized with alfalfa meal or pellets.

I'm sure a lot of you enjoy listening to our local gardening expert on Saturday mornings. She often encourages people to call in by saying, "there are no stupid questions." Had to laugh at that as I recently overheard a lady in the grocery store say to her friend, "I've often wondered what kind of plant marshmallows grow on." And she was serious!

Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. Since then, she has always kept a garden of some sort, growing everything from fruits and vegetables to flowers and house plants. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is an active member of the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.