Sow seeds of cool-season vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, lettuce and other greens and edible-pod peas. Plant radishes, carrots and beets directly into the garden.

Sow seeds of cool-season annuals. This includes calendula, cineraria, dianthus, delphiniums, Iceland poppies, nemesia, pansies, snapdragon, stock, sweet peas, and many others.

Sow seeds of biennials now for blooms next spring. Try foxglove (Digitalis), Canterbury bells (Campanula), and hollyhocks (Alcea).

Tip for seed germination in hot weather: Keep seed flats in semi-shade and cover with plastic till seeds germinate. Remove plastic and gradually move into increasing light over a two to three week period until they're in full sun.

Plant bearded iris rhizomes in areas that get at least a half-day of sun. In hot inland areas, lightly bury rhizome tops to prevent sunburn. Closer to the coast, plant rhizomes so the tops show slightly above the soil surface.

Cymbidiums This is still the cymbidium rapid growth period. As in July, continue to feed with a high nitrogen fertilizer.

Daylilies. Clean up daylilies now by removing stems that have bloomed. The stems on most daylilies go brown after flowering; simply yank these off. However, on some varieties, the stems stay green and continue to grow; don't try to yank these off. After these green stems have finished flowering, they sprout leaves and form plantlets. Once these pups have formed one or two short roots, cut off the stems. Gently snap off the pups for planting.

Fuchsias. Most fuchsias look bloomed out and shabby by August. Cut them back lightly, pinch the tips for a week or two and you'll get another flush of blooms that will last till the cold weather sets in. Cuttings from this new growth will root quickly.

Roses. Remove spent flowers and hips. Prune very lightly to stimulate fall flowering. However, in hot inland locations, gardeners should probably wait another month, until temperatures slacken, before pruning. Keep plants heavily mulched and water deeply and regularly.

Vegetables. Keep up with the harvest. Pick summer vegetables frequently, whether you use them or not, to encourage plants to continue producing well into Fall. Watch out for watermelon-size zucchini; Fast-growing cucumber, squash, and zucchini plants can be harvested almost daily.