Question: My shrubs have been sheared so they are thick and unnatural. Can I do some pruning that will bring them back to their natural shape and thickness? Is now a good time to prune?

“One Last Lie,” by Paul Doiron (Minotaur)

“Roadside Americans: The Rise and fall of Hitchhiking in a Changing Nation” by Jack Reid

AP Science Writer

Question: My containers and other flowers and vegetables look great until hot weather hits in July. Then they either get straggly or lose their dark green color. Even my lawn is losing color. Is there anything I can do to keep them healthy through the whole summer?

NEW YORK (AP) — It wasn’t just the leadership opportunities or seeing his best friends or even escaping months stuck at home because of the coronavirus pandemic that had Rory Sederoff thinking 2020 would be one of his best summers ever.

The fear that gripped Agustina Cañamero during the 102 days she and her 84-year-old husband spent physically separated during Spain’s coronavirus outbreak dissolved the moment the couple embraced through a screen of plastic film.

Question: I have arranged to have an automatic irrigation system installed so I can water with less effort. Could you give me some pointers in designing and operating the system for maximum efficiency and minimum waste?

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Rich Vanderweit saw the loneliness of older people in the COVID-19 pandemic, and he devised a modest effort to ease their isolation.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — For decades, when it was discussed at all, the killing of hundreds of people in a prosperous black business district nearly a century ago was referred to as the Tulsa race riot.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — An irony of the coronavirus pandemic is that the idyllic beach vacation in Mexico in the brochures really does exist now: The white sand beaches are sparkling çlean and empty on the Caribbean coast, the water is clear on the Pacific coast and the waters around the resort o…

Question: Most of the shrubs around my home are overgrown and unattractive. Where can I get ideas and information for replacing them?

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The COVID-19 pandemic is drastically reducing the number of young whooping cranes to be released this fall to help bring back the world’s rarest cranes. Zoos and other places where the endangered birds are bred have had to cut not only staff size but use of two techniques …

Associated Press

Associated Press

Associated Press

Question: My neighbor said that I am damaging my trees by trimming the grass around them with a line trimmer. Is that true? What is my alternative?

Question: Can I cut the leaves off my daffodils and tulips now? Will that damage my bulbs? I want to move some of my bulbs. When can I do that? Is it all right to plant annual flowers where my leftover bulb leaves are?

Question: I pulled and hoed all the weeds in my yard two weeks ago and new ones are popping up again. I hate to use chemicals. Is there some way I can reduce my weed problem?

Question: Last year I had maggots in my radishes, worms in my broccoli and aphids on roses and other flowers. Is there a way to prevent these and other insect problems?

NEW YORK (AP) — Couples trying to salvage weddings put on hold by the coronavirus are feeding a fresh trend in the bridal industry: the "minimony."

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — They arrived at the beach by car, skateboard and on bare feet. They carried Frisbees, cameras and surfboards. They wore running shorts, yoga pants and wetsuits.

Question: What is the best height to mow my lawn this time of year — 2, 2-1/2 or 3 inches? I have someone mow my lawn now and the last time he mowed it too short.

Question: My flowers in containers deteriorate by mid-summer. Could you give some suggestions for containers that perform well throughout the summer?

NEW YORK (AP) — America’s dogs are having their day as the coronavirus keeps many people at home more with their pets and spurs so much adoption and fostering that some shelters’ kennels have emptied.

“If It Bleeds,” by Stephen King (Scribner)

Associated Press

Question: I notice that you evenhandedly mention both “conventional” and organic treatments in your articles. I’m wondering if you would consider putting your green thumb more heavily on the organic side of things.

“Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride From Hell,” by Tom Clavin (St. Martin’s Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — While celebrities and billionaires have announced huge gifts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, many charities and nonprofits are still struggling. Donations to some churches have plummeted, and many charities have had to cancel crucial fundraising events such as galas, bike ra…

Some of today’s top action directors were first doubles for Brad Pitt, Neo and Wolverine.

Question: I am going to plant my tomato plants early so I can pick fruit earlier and get more ripe fruit. What is the best way to protect plants from frost?

Facebook will soon let you know if you shared or interacted with dangerous coronavirus misinformation on the site, the latest in a string of aggressive efforts the social media giant is taking to contain an outbreak of viral falsehoods.

Question: You recently recommended some vegetables which can be planted as early as mid-April. Are there flowers and other plants which will also withstand frost?

Question: In response to the coronavirus, I bought several packets of vegetable seeds. I haven’t participated in vegetable gardening since childhood. Could you give some basic instructions for a beginner? I will probably turn some of my lawn into a vegetable garden.

“The Last Odyssey,’’ Morrow, by James Rollins

Question: I am stuck at home. I have never been much of a gardener. What gardening tasks could I do right now to keep myself busy?

“The Glass Hotel,” Alfred A. Knopf, by Emily St. John Mandel

“The Boy From The Woods” by Harlan Coben (Grand Central)

The phenomenon Munchausen syndrome by proxy — in which a parent purposely makes a child ill to gain sympathy and attention — receives a fresh update in Stephanie Wrobel’s excellent debut. The psychological thriller “Darling Rose Gold” works well as an intense look at a dysfunctional mother-d…