How to cover up those garden bare spots

WASHINGTON It's summertime, but the living is not easy in thegarden, especially this year.

Even during ordinary summers, bald spots appear in the flowergarden. But this is yet another drought-stricken year, and the 90-degree-plus days are killing plants ill-suited to prolonged heat -astilbes, for example, in a spot that's too exposed - or newlyplanted trees and shrubs whose root systems are not fully developed.

You don't have to live with those holes for the rest of theseason. Many sturdy plants, big and small, can become permanentreplacements for the failed ones.

High summer is a great time to shop for bargains, when manynurseries are keen to draw customers after the spring rush, as wellas to clear thirsty plants to make way for the fall planting period.

Keep an eye out for normally expensive shrubs and trees inaddition to the usual azaleas and viburnums, holly and barberry.

Although planting is hazardous in midsummer, truly toughperennials - such as black-eyed Susans, coreopsis, lamb's ear,yarrow, purple coneflower and blanket flower - are likely to survivea transplant as container-grown stock, looking full and healthy andwith well-established root systems.

If you want only temporary infill, consider a tray of well-rootedannual seedlings - such as cosmos, portulaca, marigold and zinnia.

Among perennials, the daylily deserves a special commendation asthe toughest of the tough. Its clumps will go on floweringregardless of the shock of a transplant.

Some bare spots in hot, dry soil may need larger plant materialfor the scale of the bed and for screening. Consider large shrubslike juniper, burning bush or even shade trees such as red maple,green ash, red oak or ginkgo.

Remember that plants in poor, dry soil need watering frequentlywhen first planted. And don't plant the root ball too deeply - thesapling will drown.

Again, at this trying time of the growing season, shrubs and treesaplings require extra care, which means comfortably large plantingholes, choice topsoil mixed with the back-filled dirt, generouswatering, and a top layer of two to four inches of mulch.

Until planting, keep your purchases in a cool, dry place and awayfrom the sun. Do not leave them in the sun in a parked car, in thetrunk or on the back seat, where they may get overheated, just aspets do. My preference is to get them home quickly, water them andbring them - temporarily - into the house away from the sun and wind.