SHOPPING

Begonias Wax begonias make terrific bedding plants, but hundreds of other begonias are ideal for our climate: cane and rhizomatous plants for patio containers, tuberous types for hanging baskets, and shrubby ones for shaded areas of the landscape. To see the whole range, check out the Flower & Begonia Show at Gazebo Plants & Flowers in Montecito (Aug 15–16; free; 1505 E. Valley Rd.; 805/969-4367). The nursery is also a great source for handsome containers and cachepots.

PLANTING

Final summer crops Coastal ( Sunset climate zones 22–24), inland (zones 18–21), and low-desert (zone 13) gardeners can sow a final crop of beans and corn.

Peas Snap peas and snow peas are pricey at the supermarket, but they're surprisingly easy to grow — a plus if you're new to vegetable gardening. Choose a low-growing variety so you can get by with a shorter, ready-made trellis from the nursery instead of rigging up string and poles. 'Cascadia' and 'Sugar Star' snaps, for instance, and 'Oregon Sugar Pod' or 'Oregon Giant' snow peas are good shorter choices. If you can't find these varieties at nurseries, order them by mail from Territorial Seed Company (territorialseed.com or 800/626-0866). Plant seeds immediately in coastal gardens; inland, wait until mid-September.

Quick color To spruce up a few pots for a party, your best bet is a heat-loving tropical foliage plant, such as 'Purple Lady' iresine or 'Marguerite' sweet potato vine, or the combo pictured at right.

South African bulbs Freesias, ixia, and sparaxis are still the easiest bulbs to grow in our climate, and they start showing up late this month in nurseries. Buy them as soon as you find them — they're not as obtainable as they once were. Sperling Nursery in Calabasas (818/591-9111) and Walter Andersen Nursery in San Diego (619/224-8271) and Poway (858/513-4900) are possible sources.

Winter greens and root crops In coastal, inland, and high-desert (zone 11) areas, direct-seed beets and carrots; start germinating broccoli and other brassica seeds in flats to transplant in six to eight weeks.

MAINTENANCE

Dethatch warm-season grasses Late summer is the ideal time to dethatch Bermuda, Kikuyu, St. Augustine, and zoysia grasses because they'll bounce back quickly. If the thatch is a half-inch thick or less, wait another year — the thatch is conserving soil moisture. If it's thicker, the thatch keeps water from penetrating to grass roots. Use a thatching rake for a tiny lawn. Otherwise, rent a dethatching machine.

Feed warm-season growers Continue to feed summer annuals and veggies every two to four weeks, especially if they're in containers. Feed warm-season lawns.

Tend houseplants Spider mites, scale, and thrips are most likely to attack houseplants during warm weather. Mist plants frequently; treat any infestations with insecticidal soap.

photo by Thomas J. Story

Lime foliage and lemon yellow flowers look especially cool together on a hot August day. To refresh a sunny or partly shaded patio, pot up our favorite "lemonade" combo, with the tallest plant (accent) toward the back of an 18-inch container, the filler in the center, and the spillers around the front edges.

Accent Salvia elegans 'Golden Delicious': chartreuse leaves, red blooms in late summer. 1 plant.

Filler Sweet flag ( Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'): golden yellow leaves. 1 plant.

Spillers Superbells 'Yellow Chiffon' calibrachoa: pale yellow blooms. 3 plants. Creeping jenny ( Lysimachia nummularia 'Goldilocks'): light green leaves. 1 plant.

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