Last night, I slapped a book closed and sighed with the satisfaction only a great novel can bring. Then, I turned to Bill who was reading Hemings Classic Car magazine. "That was awesome. Have you read much Ray Bradbury?" Words tumbled over my lips as I spoke. I still floated on a cloud of poetry in prose. "Fahrenheit 451," he said, not looking up from the page. "Well, yeah, of course. Every high schooler has read that haven't they?" I stood up and pressed my paperback into his chest. "You've got to read this.  Oh wait, you can't until Bear finishes it. I promised it to her first. " "What's the title?" he asked as he turned the book over. "Something Wicked This Way Comes," we said together and then laughed. "Oh, I read that a long time ago. You're right, it's good." Bill set the book aside and picked...

Vintage hyacinth vases and garden cloche. There's something about the roots that makes me smile. January in Oklahoma is shades of gray and brown with the occasional hint of red from a male Cardinal. What would we do without those gorgeous red birds every winter? Go mad? I don't want to consider the possibilities. Carol is hosting the monthly Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, and you might wonder what I could possibly offer in winter. Crocus, paperwhites and succulents next to a wintry window. What could be nicer. Spring? Yes, but we must wait. We often get ice storms this month and the occasional snow fall, but today, nothing but shivering cold. I work out indoors and drink hot tea as if my life depends upon it. I type and ponder the charms of April flowers, rain showers and skies. Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) 'Naughty Lady' is jewel toned that is if jewels were...

A forest of catalogs A forest of seed and plant catalogs probably arrived in your mailbox and inbox over the holidays, but I wonder if you've had time yet to peruse them? I have, and I wanted to share a few of my favorite flowers from seed. Truly, you can have a lovely garden with a few packets of seed. How do you think the pioneers and Native Americans did it? They didn't have a garden nursery following them about. They saved and swapped seeds. Pick a sunny spot, direct sow these lovelies and stand back. Before long, you can create a garden of joy. Just remember to thin seedlings and rid your patch of competing weeds. Also, you will need to water. You don't even need great soil, but please don't plant them directly in red clay. If you do, you'll hear a bell tolling a death knell for your future...

In nearly eighteen hours, a new year begins. Time to experiment with new flowers and other new plants. I've been practicing the art of forcing bulbs all winter because I need those bright blooms on cloudy days. Today is very cloudy, but I'm excited about the gloom. Because of changes made to my landscape over the years, I have color inside and out. The grass on the shady lawn is still a soft green, especially during this rainy day. The green grass in our shady front lawn. Yes, it rained! This makes for much excitement in OkieLand. I can't remember the last time it truly rained. We did get a smidge of snow on Christmas Day, but this far north, not much fell. I heard that in Norman and further south, it truly was a white Christmas. As I told Bill, I'll take moisture any way it comes these days. Hyacinths...