Yes, it’s August, and it’s hot out, but the garden is a busy place:  harvesting, watering, deadheading, weeding. Wise gardeners  have added another chore that will help guarantee future garden success: summer pruning of deciduous fruit trees. We’ll tell you why now nipping back your peach, plum, apple, apricot, cherry, nectarine and other fruit trees  will lead to better production next year.Have you heard of lemon verbena? It’s an herb, with showy flowers, and produces leaves that can liven up a lot of your dessert recipes, with a taste that your guests won’t forget.And there are summer tomato issues. We revisit  tips for dealing with August’s tomato pests and diseases, as well as too much sun and heat. We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory. It’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery. And we will do it all in about 30 minutes. Let’s go!Pictured: Summer Pruned Pear TreePrevious episodes, links, product information, topic search and transcripts at the new home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at BuzzsproutLinks: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/ Dave Wilson Nursery https://www.davewilson.com/home-garden/Book: The Home Orchard,: Growing Your Own Deciduous Fruit and Nut Trees  by Chuck IngelsDave Wilson Nursery Video: Summer Pruning of Fruit TreesLemon Verbena Sugar Cookies RecipeLemon Verbena Ice Cream RecipeGot a garden question? • Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. • Fill out the contact box at GardenBasics.net• E-mail: fred at farmerfred.com All About Farmer Fred: Search the GardenBasics.net websiteThe Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter, Beyond the Basics https://gardenbasics.substack.comFarmer Fred website:  http://farmerfred.com Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter @farmerfredThe Farmer Fred Rant! Blog Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred" Instagram: farmerfredhoffman Farmer Fred Garden Minute Videos on YouTube As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links here.And thank you for listening.The Proffitt PodcastThe podcast that shows you tips & strategies to create content with confidence!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify