Around the Yard

Things to do this week:

* Cut back. Prune off the finished spikes of delphiniums so that only two sets of leaves remain at the base of the main stem; the plant will rest a moment, then regrow and send up more spikes in summer. Some gardeners let the plants get a little dry for two weeks after cutting back, to encourage rest. Keep deadheading roses and other perennial flowers to prolong their bloom or to “restart” them.

* Plant pumpkins. If you want jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween, plant pumpkin seed before June 15. Huge pumpkins come on huge vines but there are also smaller kinds, such as Bushkin, that make much more manageable vines. Or try 1999 All-America winner Wee-B-Little, which produces perfectly round 3- or 4-inch pumpkins on tiny vines.

* Expect “June drop.” It’s natural for many kinds of deciduous fruit trees to thin themselves by dropping fruit in June. They seldom drop enough, however, so to encourage big, perfectly formed fruit, do some additional thinning. Your goal: Large fruits are 5 to 8 inches apart and small fruits, such as plums, are about 4 inches apart.