Welcome to the drama that is the Florida summer. The major actors for this part of the year in Florida are:

There was a time, not too many years ago, when to be a resident of Florida in the summer meant sweltering during its many long, hot months.  Unless homes were built with wide eaves and windows placed to allow  a cooling breeze to pass through, being indoors during the summer months could be extremely uncomfortable at best.  So uncomfortable that many Florida residents preferred to stay outdoors under the shade of trees or a covered patio. At least until the numerous mosquitoes and thunderstorms chased them back inside.

Now we have what many consider a necessity for living through the Florida summer -- air conditioning.  It is possible to spend the summer in air conditioned comfort, braving the heat and humidity and mosquitoes only to go from the house to the car to the store and home again.  However, this air conditioned comfort comes with a high price tag.  Just wait until your power bill comes in. You had better be sitting down when you open that envelope!

Unfortunately it has been all the rage in Florida to build homes on lots that have been denuded of trees of substantial height and age so that your home bakes in the Florida sun during the day and your air conditioner must work double-time to cool it.

Fortunately properly placed shade trees can lessen the reliance on air conditioning.  Properly placed shade trees provide the following the benefits to the Florida Gardener and home owner:

How to Properly Place Trees in Your Yard

First, study the summer shade patterns of your yard. Shade begins the day on the west side of your home in the morning. It moves to the north during midday then east in the afternoon.  Therefore the most important sites for planting trees in your yard are the southwest and west sides of your home as that is where the sun is the most intense during the afternoon.

Trees, as we all should know, have a great deal of effect on the weather.  The reason for this is that the leaves of trees absorb very little heat.  They feel cool to the touch, thus a breeze passing through the foliage of a tree is cooled.  Additionally, the importance of shade is supported by the research done by the University of California which has shown that the temperature of bare ground ranging from 136º to 152º F dropped an average of 36º in five minutes after the passage of the "shadow line". In other words, a breeze passing through a shadow or the leaves of a tree can be cooled substantially.

When selecting trees to plant near your home be sure to take into consideration:

1. The potential danger certain trees may pose during sever storms and hurricanes.  Ear leaf acacias, Norfolk pines, Australian pines and others may potentially drop on your home in strong winds.

2. Trees with aggressive root systems will seek out your plumbing, septic tank and pool and uplift sidewalks, streets and walls.

3. Be sure to know the height and spread at maturity of any tree you are considering for your yard and plant it accordingly.  In other words, if you know a tree's limbs will have a 25' spread at maturity do not plant it 15' from your house or if the tree can reach a height of 120', do not plant it under power lines.  This may seem like common sense, but many people plant trees in the wrong place in their yard and run into big problems years later.

This month do not forget to fertilize.  Heavy rains in July leach nutrients out of Florida's sandy soil. Be sure to regularly feed your plants, especially heavy feeders such as mangos, palm trees and lychees. 

Insects tend to become more of a problem in the yard and garden this month. Try to keep standing water to a minimum in your yard now as mosquitoes will breed in it.  Watch your lawn for signs of chinch bug damage and apply insecticides as soon as you spot chinch bugs.  Chinch bug control is difficult and often requires the help of a professional exterminator to properly apply insecticides for effective control.

Vegetables, herbs or annuals to plant this month:

Vegetables :  Boniato, Calabaza, Chayote, Cherry Tomatos, Collards, Cowpeas, Dasheen, Okra, Peanuts, Roselle, Seminole Pumpkin, New Zealand Spinach, Southern Peas, Squash, Sweet Cassava, Sweet Potatoes, Yard-long Beans and Yautia.

Herbs:   Basil, Chives, Dill, Ginger, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Sage and Thyme.

Flowers:   Begonias, Caladiums, Cat's Whiskers, Celosia, Coleus, Cosmos, Cockscomb, Dianthus,   Gaillardia, Ginger, Impatiens, Lantanas, Marigolds, Melapodium, Moon Vine, Pentas, Periwinkles, Porterweed, Portulaca, Purslane, Salvia, Strawflowers, Sunflowers, Torenia and Zinnias.

Bulbs:   Achimenes, African Iris, Caladiums, Cannas, Crinums, Daylilies, Eucharis Lily, Gladioli, Gloriosa Lilies, Society Garlic and Zephyranthes (Rain Lilies).

Sources: Florida Home Grown; Florida Gardening Month by Month