Wasn't it a great feeling to turn the calendar to June? Maybe summer is here NOW. We can only hope. Several local areas set records for the wettest ever March through May. Some also set records for the coldest ever during those months.

I hope you finally have everything planted, gardens, flowers, shrubs, etc. With the warmer weather, hopefully things will soon catch up to where they should be in a normal year. We'd rather not have another bumper crop of green tomatoes.

If you have areas where mushrooms sprout, no doubt there are dead tree roots underground. Once the roots have completely decomposed, the mushrooms will disappear. Don't bother trying to kill them with grass or weed killer. These will only kill plants having chlorophyll and since mushrooms have none, it won't work and will just be wasted. I pick them when they sprout and toss them into the trash.

Gladiolas can go into the ground as early as late May. If you haven't got yours in yet, it isn't too late. In fact, its a good idea to spread out the bloom by planting some every week or two until July. These will need less staking if you plant them at least 4 inches deep. All the other summer flowering bulbs need to go into the ground now too.

The lilacs are certainly gorgeous this year. Those of us who have grown them for years know the trick to keeping them looking good in a vase. For those who don't, it's very simple. After cutting the branches, lay them on a hard surface and pound the ends of each stem with a hammer. This will allow them to draw up water. Otherwise, your pretty bouquet will wilt in no time and be headed for the trash. Like any other vase of fresh flowers, change the water every couple of days. You may add a bit of sugar for "food." Citrus flavor soda works well too. Don't use the diet kind.

Most spring bulbs are finished blooming now. Be sure to "behead" them. Walk around and snap that developing seed pod off the top of the stem. This way the plant's energy will go to building up the flower for next year. Then cut that stem as low as possible while keeping the leaves. These need to stay growing for a few weeks after bloom to make a nice big bulb.

Iris blooming season is finally in full swing. Late, like everything else this year. I have more varieties than I can count but we collectors just keep adding more. If you have miniatures, they bloom first in late May. Having the late type of the tall ones will stretch the season to more than a month of flowers. Can't beat that - with a stick!

Don't let your rhubarb plant go to seed. You want nice thick stalks, not seeds. Most of these did well this year. They liked all that moisture, not so with the succulents.

All of us are happy to see the rainy season letting up. As for me, I think it may be safe to go ahead and cancel that order for those plans to build an ark.

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.