Question: I have often heard of the Colorado State University's Annual Trial Garden. Where are they located?

Answer: One of the most popular visitor destinations in Fort Collins during the summer, the Annual Flower Trials are conducted by the Colorado State University department of horticulture and landscape architecture.

The trial garden consists of more than 1,000 varieties of bedding plants, planted in the ground and in containers. Twenty-two plant and seed companies are participating in the 2007 trials. Each variety is evaluated for plant vigor, uniformity, abundance of flowers and other qualities.

The site is at 1401 Remington St., just east of College Avenue near the CSU campus in Fort Collins. The best viewing time for this garden is late July through frost. There's no charge to visit. For more information, visit flowertrials.colostate.edu.

Q: My bluegrass lawn looks really ugly. There are a lot of brown spots and weeds. I thought my irrigation was covering the lawn efficiently. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Because of Colorado's dry, semi-arid climate, our turf grass doesn't have nearly as many disease or insect problems as lawns in more humid climates. Dr. Tony Koski, extension turf specialist at Colorado State University, estimates that up to 95 percent of turf brown spots are because of poor irrigation.

It's good practice to check your irrigation heads on a regular basis to ensure that you don't have clogged heads or broken lines. This is especially important if your irrigation is scheduled to come on when you're sleeping. Also, it might be worth the investment to have an irrigation audit done. For more information, read CSU Extension Fact Sheet 7.199, "Watering Established Lawns" at ext.colostate.edu.

Some weeds - like Bermuda grass, crabgrass, foxtail, puncture vine and spurge - thrive in hot weather. Spraying for weeds during hot weather can be dangerous, as high temperatures can cause chemicals to volatilize and cause injury to plant material. Before you do any spraying, be sure to read all chemical labels and apply them correctly. For more information on broadleaf weed control in lawns, read Fact Sheet 3.100.

Larimer County master gardeners have published the brochure "Gardening in Colorado" to assist homeowners and newcomers with things they need to know before starting to garden. The brochure covers such topics as soil testing, soil amendment, mulches, irrigation management, xeriscaping and water gardening. The brochure is free; if mailed, there's a shipping charge of $2. These can be obtained from Larimer County Extension, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524.

Alison Stoven is a Colorado State University Extension horticulture agent in Larimer County.