After weeks of summer heat and frequent rain, many gardens across Rockland County, Bergen County and the Hudson Valley are beginning to show signs of stress. Fortunately, a few simple maintenance steps can help restore color and keep landscapes looking their best through late summer and into fall.

The gardening experts at Down to Earth Living Garden Center in Pomona recommend removing spent flowers to encourage new blooms, feeding flowering plants with a bloom booster fertilizer, and pruning spring-flowering shrubs that have already finished blooming.

For an instant burst of color, consider adding late-season favorites like Black-Eyed Susans, zinnias, hydrangeas and fresh hanging baskets. Gardeners are also encouraged to plant milkweed, an essential plant for monarch butterflies, and provide a shallow water source for birds, butterflies and bees during hot weather.

Containers and hanging baskets should be checked frequently, as they often require extra watering during periods of intense heat. If plants have reached the end of their flowering season, replacing them with fresh blooms can quickly brighten outdoor spaces.

With summer sales underway, it’s also a great time to update patios and backyards with discounted outdoor furniture, umbrellas, décor and statuary.

Down to Earth Living Garden Center also offers personalized gardening advice. Customers are encouraged to bring photos or inspiration for their outdoor spaces, and the center’s team can help select the right plants, containers and décor. The garden center’s expanded indoor plant showroom is open for the season, and free repotting is available with the purchase of any plant or pot.

Located at 1040 Route 45 in Pomona, N.Y. For more information, call 845-354-8500 or visit www.dteliving.com.

Rockland County, let’s give a warm welcome to O’ Sapore 67, a new authentic Italian restaurant now open at 67 Old Tappan Road in Tappan!

If you’re looking for a delicious meal, consider stopping by to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine while supporting a new local, family-owned business. Every new small business helps strengthen our community, and a warm Rockland welcome can make all the difference.

Wishing the entire O’ Sapore 67 team the very best as they begin this exciting new chapter. We hope you’ll stop in, enjoy a great meal, and help make them feel right at home in Rockland!