When it comes to gardening, my specialties are overturning the soil and pulling weeds, but my wife has a real green thumb, so when I mentioned that I wanted to do a Franklin Fact about gardening, she was more than happy to chime in with some of her early-summer weather-related gardening tips.

She tells me that this is a good time to plant so-called warm-weather crops, if you haven't already. We're talking tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, for example. Soil temperatures are now high enough for them to do well. If you're transplanting home- or commercially-grown vegetables, it's best to do so late in the day or on a cloudy day to minimize the stress of transplanting. When it comes to watering during the warm months, be careful not to use hot water that might come from a hose that was lying in the sun. Also avoid overhead watering if you can, because moist foliage makes it easier for various plant diseases to take hold.

June is also a good time to think ahead and buy seeds you'll need in a few months for the fall garden. When it's time to plant that late-season broccoli or brussel sprouts, those seeds might not be easy to find at the local garden center.