Did you miss me? I’ve missed you in more ways than you know. It’s been a very long spring and we’re heading into a long, hot summer. Get that drip irrigation out and going as soon as possible. Oklahoma summers can be merciless in your garden.
Does anyone even read blogs anymore? I know I’ve read more blog posts this spring. I found I needed longer pieces to reflect, but I’ve also felt like I have nothing new to write. This is my thirteenth year of garden blogging. Can you believe it?
I’m also on Instagram, but haven’t felt like sharing much on social media either. I hope you understand. Maybe, like me, you also feel overwhelmed by the news.
However, blogs have been a source of comfort for me this spring. Something to remember if things ever get back to a better normal. What blogs do I read? Well, my footer has several I frequent, and here are a few I’m particularly enjoying right now.
- Hayefield by Nan Ondra. Nan only writes on Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, but I always learn something new.
- Plant Postings by Beth Stetenfield. Beautiful photos and beautiful, heartfelt words.
- Growing with Plants by Matt Mattus. Scrumptious photos of unique plants, and new ways to grow them.
- May Dreams Gardens with my co-podcaster and friend, Carol J. Michel, is humorous.
- Dirt Therapy by Phillip Oliver. I love Phillip’s writing.
- Garden Rant by many illustrious horticulturists.
- Each Little World by Linda Brazil is a fabulous blog.
- Urban Rose Garden by Joshua Alexander, a new find for which I’m so grateful.
- Rock Rose by Jennifer Stocker is a Texas blog of wildflower delights.
There are many, many more, but I hope these will give you some ideas for reading too.
I was in a total funk last week and even yesterday, but Wednesday night’s Zoom meeting/talk on attracting butterflies, bees, and moths for the Wednesday at Will’s folks helped me focus on beautiful things. Yes, even moths are beautiful. Before COVID, I had seven talks scheduled after the Oklahoma City Home and Garden Show. As you know, everything is pretty much canceled through July while we wait and see what happens.
Maybe I’ll get to do my two talks at Bustani Plant Farm’s Fall Festival. I sure hope so. I’m so bored. I want to see all of you again. I want to hug people again.
Outdoors, I’ve been taking my societal frustrations out on my garden. Being angry at the world is good for weeding. It’s also time for the summer cutback also known as the Chelsea Chop. The roses finished their spring flush, and summer flowers like Shasta daisies, rudbeckia, sunflowers, zinnias, echinaceas, gaura, and others are just about ready to take over.
The daylilies are blooming, I go out each morning to deadhead them. New flowers open better that way, and it takes me out into the garden to do something light instead of heavy work. I ran out in the middle of the day today to take some pictures. They aren’t as good as normal. The sun was just too bright for my best pictures.
As for garden chores, I’m chopping all of the asters, mums, and autumnal sneezeweed in half. That way, these overachiever perennials don’t cover up other plants and bloom too soon, while flopping into the pathways. Sometimes, I get to this chore a week or two earlier. I’m a bit late this year, but who would know?
Several of you wrote and asked about my daylilies. I feel like I inundate you each year with their faces, but they are fabulous, and you asked, so…this post is full of daylily shots.
I’m also still recording our weekly podcast episode with Carol Michel. I enjoy recording it because we talk on Skype and can see each other as we record. We make each other think and laugh, and that is good.
Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ is really pretty this year. 
Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Minnie Pearl’ phlox. 
Good strong scapes (stems) are what you want to see in a daylily. You don’t want the blooms way down in the leaves. 
Hemerocallis ‘Pink Lemonade Party’ daylily.
That’s what I’ve been up to. What are you doing to stay cheerful in spite of the news? I’d love to hear.
What gorgeous daylilies! And I just love the photo of the moth! I certainly understand your feelings – everything is so crazy now, and it makes it even harder when we can’t even get together with our loved ones. I’ve been taking some some respite in the garden, as well, and I think I will try to make an effort to learn/do something new while I’m stuck in quarantine (painting, maybe?). We’re going a little stir-crazy, ha!
Did I say, Texas? So sorry! I know very well that you are in Oklahoma. x
I still read blogs, Dee, and should leave more comments. I love yours. Your Texas garden is so very different from mine in PA, and that makes your blog so interesting to me. Everything, like the daylilies, blooms earlier for you and that gives me something to look forward to. I know how you are feeling — all my talks, plus garden tours here, were cancelled through July and maybe beyond as I am one of those vulnerable old ladies. Skyping with Carol must give you a real lift! I could use one of your hugs right now! P.x
What am I doing? More Gardening. More Zoom happy hours with friends and taking the computer into the garden to show it off since they could not be here. I started an Instagram account too.
Check me out at http://www.Patch405.com … your Oklahoma neighbor!
I’m avoiding the news. As a wife, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, and daughter-in-law of police officers, I’m struggling not to worry about the wonderfully brave men in my family who work in and around the Chicago area to keep our neighborhoods safe. My garden has been a source of calm for my daughters and me as we work through very difficult emotions. I’m grateful for this therapy and blogs like yours. Thanks for sharing your beautiful gardens, Dee.
Dee, I’m just following you all over the place girl! Here…Instagram…and the podcast. You share plant knowledge with a little life wisdom mixed in and I like that. Hang in there…this will pass and in some ways, I believe we will be better for it.
Yes, I still read blogs and I’m very thankful for the people who continue to blog. It was 38 degrees at 6:30 this morning in western NY, which has me exceedingly depressed so I’ll just leave it at that for today.
Patricia, 38°F in June? That’s just wrong. It’s 92° here btw. I’m glad you came and commented. It made me feel loved. Hang in there. Spring has to come to your garden sometime soon.~~Dee
Good to see you Dee. I understand your feeling of being out of touch and a bit lonely. I sure do read blogs and I feel like I need to read more right now. I also understand that you feel like you have not much to say about your own garden after so many years of blogging about the same space. Maybe we need to move and start a new garden like Phillip did. 😉 I also agree about his writing. I especially feel close to those I have met at Blogger Flings. When I read their blogs I feel like I am visiting with old friends. I look forward to seeing if their gardens are on the same schedule as mine or if they are having problems or joys that lift them up. Like seeing your daylilies blooming. It makes me anxious to see mine burst into bloom. We are in a dry spell here. I had my first daylily yesterday. So looking forward to new ones. Cheers and big hugs to you.
Hi Lisa, the news has been so grim for so long I can barely watch it anymore. In fact, I mostly read it online these days. Bill likes to watch both local and national news so I’ve been cooking while he does that. As for blogging, I try to think of new things to write about, but there is definitely a pattern. One day, maybe I’ll have to move back to the city. It won’t be this day though. I love Phillip’s old garden and his new one. I love that he still blogs. I feel the same way about bloggers from Fling. I feel like I know them, and I want to keep up with them all. Hugs from Oklahoma. ~~Dee
This year I plan on removing some day lilies. We have a green belt area behind out house and the deer LOVE day lilies. They also like morning glories and Hollyhocks. Very disappointed when I went out yesterday and saw that the deer had been there. I have to spray stinky stuff every evening to save them.
Hi Alice, can’t say I blame you. Daylilies are definitely deer candy as are so many things. I’m not really a deer fan. I’m so sorry you have a problem with them. My dog keeps them in check so far here. ~~Dee
It has been both a pleasant, weather-wise, and difficult spring, and I know it is going to be a long hot summer with no respite from the life we have come to know in the last three months. But we have our gardens and many do not. I hope it will bring more people into the gardening world. I know many are trying and I hope they will continue. I always get both inspiration and knowledge from reading other gardener’s blog post and hope it will be that way for all. Your daylilies will certainly give them inspiration to grow what many find to be an easy and rewarding plant. Enjoy every moment of their beauty.
Jenny, the garden definitely helps. I am so grateful for it. I do hope more people stick with gardening now that people are going back to work. I worry that they will give it up when it gets so hot. I love your garden, and I’m so glad you still blog.~~Dee
I like to read blogs when I don’t want to get immersed in a whole book. I have been reading a lot of garden books during the stay at home orders. I have learned a lot. I always thought if you had to weed it was because you were a bad gardener. Now I weed with purpose ! I have read Gertrude Jekyll books and Johanna Silver, The Bold Dry Garden.
Dee- I love the Raspberry goosebumps. I had not seen lilies with teeth. Thanks for posting. I enjoy reading your blogs.
Hi Karen, you’ve been doing some good reading this spring. I’ve read a little myself. I love the Bold Dry Garden. No, if you have to weed, you’ve actually created a thriving garden, something we all strive for. Thank you for reading. I like Raspberry Goosebumps too. ~~Dee
I sure hope you can be at Bustani for a big hug from moi!
Linda, I’ll be there! Would love to give you a hug.~~Dee
I don’t know about others, but I’m still a blog reader! And I’m thankful for those gardeners who are still blogging, for sure. I’ll check out those you listed above. One you might enjoy is Garden in a City, Jason in Chicago.
Your daylilies are ahead of mine, which are budding up but not blooming yet. You’ve got some beauties!
I’m already SO tired of watering. It’s gonna be another hot, dry one here western Maryland. And an irrigation system is not in my budget!
Ginny, I love Garden in a City. They are wonderful people. It’s a beautiful blog. My daylilies are just really starting. They seemed a bit late actually, but maybe not. It is supposed to be very hot and sunny this week which they love. I understand about the irrigation system. For 25 years, I watered this garden with a series of soaker hoses and Y-connectors. I don’t enjoy watering either. ~~Dee
It sounds as if you need quite a lot of virtual hugs to come winging your way – here come some, zooming across the Atlantic and more!
On the one hand I feel in a permanent state of terror and panic, on the other I think I’m doing a good job at staying calm. Contradictory.
Because of the stem cell transplant I’m one of the ‘shielded’ – ie, the government directed that we should not leave our houses at all. We are now ‘allowed’ out for walks (!) as long as we don’t go near anyone. Along with the hospital saying I should have nothing to do with earth because some of the bacteria in it could be bad for me, I’m not doing very well on the gardening front! However, I have been blogging and reading blogs and using Twitter and have been grateful for these possibilities because they have kept me in touch with other people in the world beyond my own four walls.
Hi Lucy, I think I understand terrified and calm simultaneously. I felt that way when my youngest daughter was thought to be exposed. Two weeks of real stress. I think I just miss people. I’m so sorry you can’t touch the earth. The earth and God are what sustain me. I love the feel of soil under my fingertips.~~Dee
Dee, your posts always bring me joy. Thanks for the education and “eye candy”.
Thank you! I hope they do. I’ll try to write more and watch less news. ~~Dee
Dee I so enjoy your posts and your beautiful flower and garden pictures, thank you for that
You’re so welcome! Thank you for commenting. I think I’m just a bit lonely, and the world has made me sad.~~Dee