Summer sizzle affects all plants, even tough and hardy roses. At this time, rose garden strategy shifts from flower production to plant protection. Close observation of plants and a little tender loving care will help your roses endure this long, hot summer.

Insect control and adequate watering top the list of rose chores. By now, serious gardeners have already provided the plants with mulch to increase water absorption and help insulate the roots and soil from baking heat. Use any well-aged compost, commercial mulching material, even straw or this newspaper, and spread on top of the garden soil in a layer at least two to three inches thick. Cover exposed soil, but be sure mulch is at least six inches away from the base of plants so insects won’t attack this region.

And you can be sure hungry insects will attack. Different pests predominate at different times in the growing season. High temperatures usually kill off pests like aphids, which flourish in spring. But if there are still some colonies forming along the stems and buds, you can also control them with blasts of water from a hose. Or you can let Mother Nature handle them. They’re a favorite food of ladybugs and lacewings.

Summer is also a time when you might notice a number of green spiders hanging around your roses. These are welcome visitors because they eat insect pests. It’s another reason to avoid toxic chemicals so you don’t destroy the good with the bad.

Also, you might notice wasps hovering above your rose buds. Resist the temptation to run for the bug spray. I’ve observed them from a respectful distance, and also checked with a local entomologist who confirmed my observations. Wasps are meat eaters, and they, too, are feasting on the bad bugs among your roses. One of their targets is thrips, tiny insects that burrow into petals and suck sap. You can tell if thrips have invaded if flower petal edges turn brown. They enter while the bud is so tight that sprays can’t penetrate. So predators are the most effective control. If you must take some action, try insecticidal soap or rotenone, mixed according to package directions.

Grasshoppers are a problem in my garden. I’ve watched adults chew leaves, and even flower petals. I’ve become so annoyed at their interference with my roses that I’ve even resorted to grabbing them with my hand shears and instantly dispatching them. Long-handled pruning shears are excellent for this purpose since the grasshoppers don’t anticipate their demise. I’ve also observed wasps carrying off small grasshoppers as tasty food morsels.

Garlic is said to banish evil spirits and can also keep insects away. Try one of the garlic-based insecticides now available in nurseries. Some plants may repel garden pests. Try catnip, marigold, radish or garlic around your rose bushes.

I also keep bird feeders well filled to encourage their presence in my garden. Birds are very effective insect controllers, and many times I’ve watched in delight as mockingbirds harvest grasshoppers to feed their hungry brood. This is the ultimate in outwitting bad bugs.

Karen Dardick writes a monthly gardening column for The Democrat. She can be reached at kdard@cableone.net.