Bring some of those beautifully scented flowers inside

This is a good time to cut some of your outdoor flowers for indoor display. It is best to cut the flowers during a cool part of the day and to put them in water as quickly as possible.

Remove any foliage that will be under the water in the vase. Keep your arrangements in a cool room out of direct sunlight. Adding a preservative to the water can lengthen the life of the flowers.

• Bearded iris can be divided and replanted after they have finished blooming. Be sure to discard any shriveled or diseased parts. Be careful not to plant the new sections too deeply.

• Keep the following general rules in mind when harvesting most vegetable crops.

First, it is important to harvest vegetables when they are at the peak of their flavor. Younger plants and fruits are often more tender than those left on the plant longer.

The length of time vegetables remain edible depends on weather conditions. High temperatures hasten maturity.

It is also important to handle them carefully during harvest time. Check the garden daily and remove any ripe, damaged or misshapen fruits. Fruits that are not easily removed from the plant, such as eggplant, should be cut with a knife.

Harvest on a regular basis to encourage production. Many plants, such as cucumber, okra and zucchini, will cease production if mature fruits are not harvested.

• If the new growth at the tips of your pine's branches has turned brown, a disease called Diplodia tip blight may be the problem. It is too late to spray fungicides now, as infection occurs in the spring.

Prune out dead tips in dry weather to reduce the spread of infection. Disinfect pruners in between plants when pruning out diseased branches. I use Lysol disinfectant.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.