It is enjoyable to watch most flowering gardens as we make the day-by-day march through the growing season. The best ones will offer something new each day.

As I write, the early daylilies are opening with new cultivars joining the parade each day. The stokesia by my walk are showing buds while the 'Rozanne' geraniums had a recent growth spurt and think some of the hosta are in their space.

Within a week I will know whether the viburnums next to my parking lot wall will set berries. This is the first year that both cultivars of that viburnum were big enough to bloom. It takes two cultivars of the same species before a viburnum will set berries. It's not a male and female thing, they just need cross-pollination. Both cultivars will set fruit.

Hopefully, you can say similar things about your garden or are making strides in that direction. With the cooler, damper weather we have been having, this may be an easy year to build on what you have. Adding the blooming perennials or shrubs that your budget will permit on a regular basis all season is an easy way to build a successful garden.

While we glory in the flowers that our garden produces, they are not thinking about us. Their goal is not the flower. The flower just draws insects or catches the wind that causes pollination and produces seed. The plants are thinking about their part in creating the next generation.

Seed production consumes a lot of the plant's energy, which brings us to consider the science behind the common garden practice of deadheading or the removal of spent flowers.

Deadheading signals the plant that it has failed in its effort to produce seed and likely will cause the plant to make another effort, which brings another flower.

Most annuals and many perennials will re-flower if deadheaded. With perennials, the re-bloom seldom matches the first flush but is another round of color nonetheless. Annuals, when deadheaded, act more like that battery bunny in the TV adds.

You will see claims of re-blooming daylilies and bearded iris. To get the re-bloom here, deadheading is essential. 'Stella de Oro', the champion re-blooming daylily, is an exception though.

Deadheading can be time consuming and each gardener must plot his own strategy. I'll bet you can guess mine. One drawback to deadheading is that a few perennials' chief ornamental characteristic is in the seed-head.

Your garden is yours. You get to pick the plants. You get to define the effort you put into it and you get to enjoy the results. What can be better than that?

Picutred above right Geranium 'Rozanne', middle left Stokesia laevis 'Peachie's Pick', below right daylily bed. All photographed at Groff's house.