You've mowed the lawn, deadheaded the daylilies, pulled a few thistle sprouts. Again.

Now that summer has set in, most of the garden is in maintenance mode. You water, weed, mow and repeat. Yawn. Everything looks good, but the puttering part can get tedious.

What next?

Take a break from the routine and get out your camera.

The Dirt is doing its version of a reality show with viewers' votes.

Here's the deal:

You send in the best picture from your garden to garden@jg.net. The photo should be a JPEG attachment.

•Include your name and community.

•If you would like to tell a little story about how this bed came to be or why you garden, you are welcome to do so.

•Entries are due no later than July 12, a week from today.

I will post them on "We're Digging It" at www.journalgazette.net/section/blogs21 - first come, first posted - and readers will vote with their clicks. Voting ends July 20.

The photo(s) on the gardening blog that draw the most clicks will be featured with the Aug. 2 Dirt column. Keep an eye out for "In your garden" headlines to locate entries.

Even if you don't want to enter, photographing your handiwork is a good way to keep a record of what works and doesn't work. Shots can go in your design scrapbook for inspiration.

Besides, having a few snaps will give you something to look at in February when you're not sure anything will ever be green again.

Here are some quick tips on how to get the most out of your garden photo:

•Shoot on a cloudy day. It is better than bright sunshine to bring out the colors and details. I wouldn't try shooting anything between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; the high-noon sun washes out colors.

•Find one thing to focus on. A birdbath, a standout blossom, one garden bed. Consider a vignette with your child, your cat or your dog. Probably not all three.

•Play a little with angles. Instead of shooting a garden bed straight on, try standing a smidge to the right or left. Big masses of flowers look better if you shoot them from the side instead of the front.

•Get up close and personal. Consider featuring one grouping of plants or a single standout plant instead of standing farther away to get in the entire garden bed and the grass strips on either side. The more detail, the more interesting the photo is likely to be. Oh, and try a couple of shots at blossom's-eye view rather than standing and shooting down.

Good luck. And get shooting.