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A.  You want to cut back the spent blooms to the next 5-leaved stem. If the specimen produces hips, this will promote further blooming. For non-hip roses, it keeps them tidy and fends off disease. With shrub roses-modern or antique-you can shear them to bring on more growth and flowers. Fertilize and water after shearing or pruning. A light shear and prune in fall will bring on fall color.

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Pentas (Egyptian Star Cluster) Pentas lanceolata

Pentas (a.k.a. Egyptian Star Clusters) are butterfly magnets. These annuals thrive in a part shade location where they tolerate our hot summers best. They prefer well-drained soil and moderate moisture levels. Few pests or diseases will bother them, but the butterflies will line up for a sip from their beautiful bloom clusters. The variety 'Butterfly Deep Pink' was identified as a superior choice for Texas and has received Texas Superstars honors. It reaches 24 inches in height and width, and is well suited for mass planting or a patio container.

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• Time to get in the summer vegetables! This includes squash, cucumbers, sweet potato slips, black-eyed peas, and winter squash like pumpkins.
• Avoid over-watering the lawn. A lot of people are already bringing in disease samples from their turf. With our recent rains, there's no reason to add water to the lawn-it can go far longer than five days at this time of year. Over-watering also leads to shallow root systems, which makes it harder to handle summer's tough conditions.
• Finally, we're accepting applications for our Fall Master Gardener Class and look forward to hearing from you. -- Call (512) 854-9600, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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