A green frog rests within the petals of Hemerocallis 'North Wind Dancer'. As soon as the sun rises, I wander the paths of my garden. Gravel crunches under my sandles. Small green frogs and toads jump above and below plants while earthworms crawl beneath the soil. Winged insects feast upon nectar, pollen and even each other. Creatures climb over vegetables and lie beneath tomatoes as tall as skyscrapers from their viewpoint. Birds swoop from their perches intent on feeding their young. Once the dawn chorus finishes, my shiny, dark friends, the crows, discuss me and other possible dangers as they fly from tree to tree. It is a song almost as old as time itself, but some notes are missing. The familiar hum of my favorite creature is merely a whisper on the wind. The bumblebees, my dearest, roly-poly companions, are all but absent this year. I don't find them sleeping...

Hemerocallis 'Azure Violets' which isn't always consistent in color, but is beautiful nonetheless. Daylilies and roses are two of my garden passions. Of these two, daylilies are more reliable and give more bang for the buck in my climate than the fairest Queen of May. For the most part, they are easy, but there are certain things you can do to help your daylilies prosper. This post is all about the care and feeding of daylilies. Hemerocallis 'Pocket Change' (Crochet 1985) is a small red I grow in partial shade. I do this because it's an earlier red, and its substance won't hold up in our harsh sun. Plant in spring or fall. Don't plant daylilies when the weather is very hot, or you are setting yourself up for failure. Because of their fibrous roots and thickened spindles for water storage, newly-planted daylilies are very susceptible to root rot under...

Grandma's Yellow rose in a pot on my deck with the garden beyond. Daylilies, beautiful daylilies--what else could I take photos of for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day? Okay, a rose or two perhaps. GBBD is hosted on the fifteenth day of each month by our friend, Carol Michel at May Dreams Gardens unless, of course, the fairies take over posting. Then, it's the fairies calling the shots, and it's chaos. I find myself giggling at the thought. Hemerocallis 'Parade of Peacocks' (Oakes 1991) is an oldie, but a goodie. I love the eyezone, and how the heat changes the petals. It's a wondrous thing. Back here in Oklahoma, I can truly say, it's been a wonderful spring. Well, other than hail the size of tennis balls and terrible twisters, but that's the norm for my state. Still, in my little corner of north central Oklahoma, things have been pretty peaceful....

Rosa 'April Moon' and R. 'Cramoisi Superieur' with garden art. H. 'Bela Lugosi' is blooming dark purple at right, H. 'South Sea Enchantment' is the lovely bright pink.  Color me beautiful. That's what my garden would say if you could see her. The summer of 2012 is whispering with soft winds instead of roaring like the fiery furnace of 2011. To say Oklahoma gardeners are glad is an understatement. We are relieved. We've had a bit of rain, and mid-day heat opens daylily faces as they stretch toward the sun. They and we are content. Echinacea purpurea, which now reseeds throughout the garden with Hemerocallis 'Thunder and Lightning' No Death Star for the moment . . . instead, Mr. Sun is full of jolly, good cheer. It may all change in July, but for now, the garden is happy and content with her lot. Plants are abundantly growing, and we...