Sizzling summer heat arrived a couple of weeks ago as temperatures soared into the high 90s. These high temperatures left many of us stressed out -- and likewise, some of the plants in our landscapes.

We can escape summer's furnacelike blasts by retreating to our air-conditioned homes and workplaces. Not so for the plants in our landscape. Given a couple of weeks of high temperatures and some plantings can suffer severely or even meet their demise. But with our help, most of them can get through the summer almost unscathed.