The days are getting shorter. The summer solstice is past. It seems almost ironic that our hottest weather occurs as the days begin to shorten and conversely our coldest days occur as the days are getting longer. Maybe both phenomena are meant to give us hope that more confortable weather is coming.

Anyway, in the garden, the summer solstice is the beginning of the last call to plant many of our normal spring vegetables. There is still a bit of time to add tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, melons, pumpkins, sweet corn and squash but no time to procrastinate.

Meanwhile, the last few hot days were a blessing to any of the above that found their way to the garden according to our normal planting calander. Those that survived the long cold damp spring will most likely thrive now and make up a lot of lost ground. However, I doubt we will see the bounty that we are used to, this season.

There are other things happening out there. One critter that loved this spring is the slugs. I'm seeing more of those telltale smooth round chewings than I would like. But I guess a slimy slug would have felt exhilarated by this spring. If you are plagued with them there is bait, or the buried coffee can beer party or providing a board for night time lodging followed by assisted suicide in the morning. Scrape them into a bucket of salt water.

Another nasty that needs attention now is the bagworm. It can and will defoliate a conifer (evergreen) quite quickly. Re-growth is never perfect.

Their life story goes something like this. They are moths, so they have the four stages of development, including the resting pupa over winter. That pupa recently hatched and the adults have laid eggs. The eggs are now hatching. These worms will eat and grow rapidly. They build their bag as they eat and quickly form the pupa.

Control in small areas can be accomplished by picking the bags. If that wasn't done and you see many bags or you have large trees you may need to spray. The only stage that can easily be controlled are the worms, and that is now.

I do not want to make specific chemical recommendations but will say that they are easy to kill.

For specific recommendations or any gardening question I highly recommend the Master Gardener's Hotline at 717-394-6851. The master gardeners are coordinated by the Penn State Extension Service and have the latest university information. They seem easiest to find weekdays from 9 to 12 am.

Given our weather I must pinch myself to remember that June is over. A lot of plants have thrived this spring and a lot haven't. But one can say that at some point most years. The secret is to keep trying and keep learning.