A quick garden update

So, how is everyone’s garden season so far? I thought I would give a quick garden update and tell you what I’ve been doing for the last few weeks.

[Click on the images in the gallery to enlarge the photos.]

Although the weather has been unseasonably warm, we are closer to normal this week. Oklahoma is also supposed to receive some rain this afternoon which we truly need.

Earlier this month, Oklahoma had fires just north of me and in the western part of the state. Ours were smaller than those in Texas, but still caused problems. Remember the Simpson wildfire that roared through my neighborhood last March? I shudder to think about that.

Let’s shift back to a quick garden update instead.

Everything is up and growing in my garden. I’ve been watching the native trees to see if we will have another freeze, and like all spring gardeners, I’m watching the weather. When the native oaks begin to leaf out, I’m usually relieved. They aren’t fooled as often as the maples and a few other non-natives I’ve introduced around here.

Speaking of new trees, I bought a burr oak, Quercus macrocarpa, to plant where an Austrian pine burned last year. We’ve been replacing various trees that died in the fire. Remember my trees of hope I planted in December?

I chose the burr oak to honor my husband’s sister, Carla, who died of ovarian cancer in 2020. Carla had a mature burr oak in her front yard, and she and I often chatted about how much we loved it. Burr oaks bear huge acorns. I’ll think of her whenever I see it out my bedroom window. Burr oaks are native to Oklahoma and much of the central United States. I bought mine at Native Plants OKC.

In the greenhouse

I began sowing seeds for my long-season, slow-germinating flowers, like Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherokee Sunset,’ and cool-weather flowers like nasturtiums and Calendula ‘Playtime Mix,’ last month. Last week, I sowed seeds for ‘Flowerburst Fruit bowl’ yarrow. It has the cutest leaves.

I planted some cold-weather flowers outside last week, and they are doing fine. With the greenhouse, I don’t usually need to harden off my plants which is one advantage over a seed-starting station using lights. It’s also one of the reasons people winter sow their seeds. Next year, I may do some winter sowing to get more native milkweed babies in my garden.

Alpha-Gal Syndrome continues to bother me.

On another note, I may need to wear a respirator in the greenhouse now. Last week, I had an airborne reaction while working out there due to complications from Alpha-Gal Syndrome. I suspect either the overwhelming scent from two lemon trees in flower was the culprit, or it could be that the old potting soil with manure is heating up and releasing more alpha-gal. I don’t know. What I do know is I had to take all of my rescue meds. I didn’t have to use my Epi-Pen. That’s a plus.

Note: I gave away the lemon trees to a friend. She was thrilled.

Also, if you garden, hike, boat, hunt, etc. in the woods, you should professionally treat your clothes with permethrin or buy some permethrin-bonded clothing. The bonded clothing is the safest way to keep ticks from biting and giving you a disease like Lyme Disease, AGS, or something worse. I have an affiliate link with Insect Shield, and you can get 15% off with DEENASHRDR. It’s worth the investment. I had to go to the hospital three times this month because of anaphylaxis. I don’t want you to have this problem.

If you want to learn more about the clothing, I did an Instagram video.

What seeds I’m now sowing.

This week, I’m going to start my marigold seeds. You may not remember, but on the Gardenangelists podcast last fall, Carol and I talked about how I’m obsessed with some marigolds I saw on Gardeners’ World. ‘Court Jester’ and ‘Queen Sophia,’ both French marigolds, and ‘Moonlight,’ an African marigold. My good friend, Jennifer at Ladybug Lane Flower Farm, may have influenced that last purchase. I grew ‘Phyllis’ a few years ago, and I loved it.

I’m also starting ‘Silver Vein’ petunias just for fun. Gardening should be fun you know?

I’m trying Salvia ‘Big Blue’ to see if I can get that ‘Indigo Spires Blue’ or ‘Mystic Spires Blue’ look from seed. So far, you can only buy those plants in larger, more expensive sizes.

My friend, Teresa, from Oak Grove Garden influenced me there. It didn’t take much to do that.

Tithonia is one I want to grow again this year. I bought a Mexican Sunflower seed mix from Eden Brothers Seeds. I usually grow ‘Torch,’ but I like that this mix is both yellow and reddish orange. I started Nicotiana ‘Only the Lonely’ this week too.

As for the rest of the garden, there is still so much to do. I need to trim up the lavender and the boxwoods next to the potager, and finish pruning and feeding the roses. I also need to trim up the crapemyrtles. They still have their seedheads. As I walk the back garden, I make notes on my phone so I won’t forget. It’s so much easier than a pad and paper.

Consider this quick garden update also an entry into Carol’s long-running Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day meme. Make quick like a bunny and hop on over to her garden to see what’s going on there too.

See you soon,