(Video 7/18/11) Plants in containers or pots help liven up patio areas. Rather than just putting one type of plant in the container, you can use plant combinations. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill provides ideas for combining container plants for very nice effects. (Runtime: 1:37)

(Video 7/11/11) Compact flowering bedding plants are typical in summer flower gardens. But taller, wilder looking flowering plants are coming back to the garden landscape. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill introduces you to a new plant that fills spaces with color, while exerting its freedom to grow up and out. (Runtime: 1:34)

(Video 07/04/11) You can find all types of daisies at your local nurseries now. They’re known for their colorful and distinctive flowers. But don't think that just because you’ve seen one daisy, yo've seen them all. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill introduces you to these diverse and prolific summer flowers. (Runtime: 1:34)

(Video 07/25/11) Some once-popular plants have faded from common use today. But occasionally one of those plants will make its way back into marketplaces and landscapes. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill introduces you to one of these comeback kids. Some people call them “pepperoni plants.” (Runtime: 1:39)

(Audio 07/25/11) Flowers from the garden should be brought indoors. Cutting flowers allows you to enjoy the flowers more and beautifies your living areas. Cut your flowers during the coolest part of the day and keep them in water. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/25/11) Mushrooms can pop up in landscapes from time to time. Wet weather can encourage mushroom growth. They are a nuisance and are harmful to lawns and plants. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/25/11) Bark lice form webbing on tree trunks and branches. While it may look alarming, these insects do not harm the tree. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/25/11) Basil is a popular herb in the home garden. Gardeners who planted basil during the spring have been enjoying a wonderful harvest. When a basil plant starts blooming, that signals the end of its season. But you still can plant another crop of basil to enjoy for the rest of summer. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/18/11) July is a good time to prune old blackberry canes. Be careful not to prune any new canes, however, because those are the ones that will produce berries next year. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/25/11) Cuttings this time of the year are semi-hardwood cuttings. Gardeners can propagate their shrubs with cuttings now. Listen to learn how. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/18/11) Crape myrtles bloom beautifully through early summer. Gardeners with crape myrtles can prune off fading flowers to encourage additional blooms. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/18/11) Caladiums are excellent plants for shady areas. Taking care of them in the summer will keep them healthy and happy into fall. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/18/11) Gardeners who haven't pruned their gardenias or hydrangeas are running out of time. Late July is the latest to prune these shrubs before they set next year's flowers. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/18/11) Louisiana figs peak during the month of July. Harvesting the ripe figs daily will yield the best fruit and keep predators from getting to the figs first. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 7/11/11) Leaf miners are common insects on a wide variety of ornamental plants and vegetables. The tiny insects feed between the layers of leaf cells. Leaf miners can be controlled with an insecticide. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/11/11) Container plants can add life to a deck or patio. If you have a wooden deck, though, container plants can cause problems. Use pot feet to boost up container plants so water doesn't ruin your deck. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/11/11) Many bedding plants gardeners planted in the spring are starting to lose their vigor. You can replace these plants with heat-tolerant plants such as zinnias. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/11/11) Weeding work is never done, but there are things gardeners can do to suppress weed growth. A good mulch and using a pre-emergence herbicide can help you cut back weeding. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/04/11) Webworms are small caterpillars that form colonies and spin webs on the branches of trees, particularly pecans. They feed on foliage but are relatively harmless to the trees. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/04/11) Shade trees provide beauty in the landscape -- and they also can decrease cooling costs. Consider planting a shade tree this fall. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/04/11) Tomatoes generally don't like our summer heat, so during July tomato plants aren't producing as well as there were earlier in the season. If you are seeing low quality, pull the plants out and plant something else. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/04/11) When it comes to lawn care this time of the year, the most important thing is mowing. Mowing regularly and at the right height will keep grass healthy and attractive. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 07/04/11) July in Louisiana is hot, and many vegetable gardeners take a break during this month. For those who still want to work in their gardens, there are heat-tolerant vegetables that can be planted this time of the year. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(For Release On Or After 07/01/11) Lawns and the people who maintain them face a number of issues in mid- to late summer. A variety of lawn-care activities and pest problems need to be dealt with this time of the year.

(For Release On Or After 07/29/11) No other group of plants can be used to create the effects that vines do in the landscape. They can soften and link architectural structures such as pergolas, arbors, buildings, fences and arches to the gardens around them. Vines can be used to provide shade, privacy, flowers, ground covers, edible or attractive fruit, fragrance and food for wildlife. It would be hard to imagine a well-planted landscape without the use of vines somewhere.

(For Release On Or After 07/22/11) Whether we admit it or not, heat and humidity this time of year make gardening outside less enjoyable. I have to confess to retreating into the coolness of my air-conditioned home and spending less time in the garden now that midsummer has arrived. But when I don’t spend as much time in my outside garden, I can turn to my collection of indoor plants to keep me happy.

(For Release On Or After 07/15/11) If you want to boost the color in your landscape, nurseries still have a good selection of colorful bedding plants that will thrive in whatever heat the summer throws at them. They come in a variety of heights, textures and colors and are adapted to grow in everything from moist, shady areas to hot, dry, sunny locations.

(For Release On Or After 07/08/11) I recently came across some poison ivy as I was working in an out-of-the-way area of my landscape. Poison ivy is abundant in urban, suburban and rural landscapes. I keep a sharp eye out for this plant because I’m quite allergic, and I promptly and ruthlessly deal with any as soon as I see it.