Your local nursery has a fine offering of great midsummer beauties that you may have overlooked this spring.

It’s easy and rewarding to revamp a container that’s seen better days. First, decide what plants still look great. Next, pull out the sick, dying and dead plants. Spring bloomers that perform best in cool weather may be looking pretty poorly. Pansies, lobelia, nemesia and million bells may be well past their prime.

Depending on their condition, some can be cut back radically and still make a comeback in a few weeks. A shot of fertilizer can work wonders with this treatment.