Heat wave. These unrelenting temperatures ruined plenty of peony and iris displays this spring, turned lettuce bitter and made spinach bolt. But heat-loving tomatoes, peppers and eggplant got a boost in their growth, and dry sunny days have made our strawberries stunningly sweet. So goes life in the garden.

Cut your losses. You can cut off the browned-out flowers on your peonies, iris and late-spring bulbs, but don't touch the foliage. It needs to die back naturally to make enough energy for next year's blooms. Deadhead spent annuals to keep flowers looking their best. And when your mock orange, spirea, hydrangeas and other late-spring shrubs finish blooming, you can lightly prune them just as the flowers fade.

Fungi are among us, prompted by the steaminess. Powdery mildew has coated peonies with a white dusting, adding insult to the already sacrificed flower display. While you may want to use fungicides on prize plantings, many molds and mildews are cosmetic problems. Practice good sanitation by destroying dying foliage to keep it from reinfecting the plants next year.

Leaves of three. Poison ivy is in full force, winding its way through our flowerbeds and creating weeping welts on our skin. Be especially alert under trees, where birds have spread seeds. Although systemic herbicides are a good control in the fall when the vine's energy is going back to the roots, in the late spring and early summer the plant is focused on growing and herbicides are not as effective.

Instead, pull out the young plants. Newspaper bags or bread bags are ideal. Slide them over your hand and forearm, pull, then carefully slip off the bag with the poison ivy inside and dispose off in the trash.

Prickly pest. The seriously invasive Canada thistle is flowering now, which means you need to pull it to prevent the spread before it can make seeds. Wait for a good soaking rain, put on hand protection and pull them out, trying to get the entire root. This fall, use a systemic herbicide to finish off any leftover sprouts.

Green care. Keep your turf healthy by mowing frequently at your mower's highest setting, ideally above 3 inches. This allows the grass to shade out weed seedlings and keeps it stress free.

Bad biters. Keep West Nile virus at bay and stop mosquitoes before they start by dumping out your birdbaths after rainstorms and cleaning them frequently. Also look for any other areas in your landscape where water may sit and allow for breeding.

Slime makers. Stop slugs in their tracks with a sprinkle of salt. Trap them in saucers of beer. Scrape them off boards you set out overnight. Or skip the homemade versions and try one of the many organic remedies safe for use around food crops, especially since there's nothing worse than picking up a strawberry with a slug still attached.

Iris care. As the flowers fade, iris can be dug up and divided. We recommend leaving two to three fans on each division. As you divide, check for borers. The two-inch-long pink caterpillars make the leaves wilt and eventually feast on the rhizomes. Handpick and destroy them.

EVENTS

• Saturday and Sunday: The 28th annual Demuth garden tour features the décor of homes as well as the creative gardens of unique Lancaster properties. This can't-miss Lancaster garden tour runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, rain or shine. Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 on the day of the tour. Tickets can be purchased online at www.demuth.org, at the Demuth Museum, 120 E. King St., or by phone at 299-9940.

• June 18: The 4th annual Mount Joy Tour of Gardens features a variety of small and medium sized private gardens at a self-guided pace. Features include butterfly and wildlife-friendly gardens as well as rain harvest and water conservation techniques. The tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets benefit the Mount Joy Historical Society and are $8 in advance or $10 on the day of the tour.

• June 21: Looking to help preserve the health of your local stream? A free TreeVitalize streams workshop will be held from 2-5:30 p.m. at the Manheim Township Public Library. The workshop will cover planning and site analysis of riparian buffers as well as hands-on demonstrations of native plantings and maintenance. For more information and to register, use the form on the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay website: https://allianceforthebay.o....

• Ongoing: The annual open-ended Gardens of the Susquehanna Tour includes 60 area gardens, from intimate city courtyards to glorious meadows and grand formal spaces. It's organized by the volunteers of President James Buchanan's Wheatland Garden Club as a fundraiser for the historic estate's landscape. A directory and ticket to the tour is $20, available from members of the club or online at www.LancasterHistory.org/ga....

Plant of the month

When heat waves burn out blossoms and wither gardeners, cool green foliage offers at least a visual respite. Hostas are dependable garden stalwarts that refresh the senses as they add life to the landscape.

Sure, they shoot up some pretty bell-shaped flowers on slender stalks through the season in hues of lavender and white, which make for fragrant cut flowers. But the real pleasure remains the foliage, from deep blue-greens that thrive in shade, to speckled and striped green-and-whites that welcome more sun, to exotic chartreuse that enliven any setting.

The varieties seem endless, leaves oval or round, lance- or heart-shaped, petite-sized for tiny containers or edging to mammoth wonders that command attention.

Whether planting for drama or groundcover, hostas can be relatively carefree. Slugs will chew some holes, deer will dine, but they persevere enough to expand and be ready for dividing and sharing with friends each spring. A favorite for hiding dying daffodil foliage under deciduous trees, they pair nicely with ferns, astilbe, heuchera, solomon's seal and Siberian iris.

Visit the American Hosta Society website (americanhostasociety.org) for growing tips and favorite varieties.