Bronze-leaved varieties of begonias do particularly well in full sun, say experts with the University of Georgia Extension Service. Keep the foliage dry, and provide good air circulation around the plants.

BRIGHT COLORS Caladiums need generous amounts of water and fertilizer to continuously produce new leaves during the summer, say experts with the University of Georgia Extension Service. Apply a light side-dressing of 5-10-5 fertilizer every two weeks. Water it in thoroughly to encourage bright-colored foliage.

MULCH BOOST Mulch helps trees and shrubs grow faster than grass or ground covers, say experts with the University of Georgia Extension Service. In three experiments across the country, researchers have shown that a number of trees and shrubs, including dogwood, forsythia, Burford holly, Japanese black pine and cottonwood, grew significantly less when ground covers and grasses grew up to the trunk.

PLUMCOTS, APRIUMS What's a plumcot or an aprium? Both are fruit varieties produced by crossing plums with apricots, say experts with the University of Georgia Extension Service. They're available on a very limited scale from fruit-tree mail-order catalogs or at specialty nurseries. They're reported to be sweet and juicy.