The Slow Food garden situated in the center of Indianapolis incorporates mind and body in its teaching while gardeners grow unique veggies. Here is some of what I saw:

If you want to be invited to a pollinator keg party, just plant one of the many mountain mints and stand back for the show. A few years ago, while visiting the Ponca City Herb Festival, I purchased several native plants including, Pycnanthemum virginianum (common mountain mint) from Wild Things Nursery. If you've never purchased from Wild Things, you're missing out on a great Oklahoma, native plant source. Virginia or common mountain mint is one of the most perplexing plants I grow. In decent soil with normal irrigation, this native wants to conquer an entire corner of the garden in partial shade. I shouldn't be surprised. It is from the Lamiaceae or mint family. It spreads by seed (although I've never noticed it moving to any other bed in the garden) and by creeping underground stems. Those underground stems get ya every time. Each spring, I pull up great hunks...

Not a mum, but a truly worthy plant I found on the half off table a few years ago at TLC Nursery, Helianthus salicifolius 'Table Mountain' Yes, I know we've had a terrible summer, and it's still hot. Even if you haven't completely thrown in the trowel, it's probably now buried somewhere in the garden of your frustration. In solidarity, I've been leaving my garden bucket outside every night to lure the rain. And, yes, I started off with a perennial sunflower in the first photo, but I wanted you to see something bright and beautiful right off. Going to the fall nursery sales and picking up prairie flowers is a great way to fill in spots where lesser plants have died. One of my many asters taken last fall. Can't remember the cultivar. Whether rain dances, lures or prayers to the Almighty worked, we got some rain. So, it's...

What's there to say? Today's temperature so far is 109F (42.7C.) No rain in my garden since June, and with few exceptions, the temperature has been over 100F. This week has been anywhere from 107F to 114F. That's not a typo. According to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, it is the second driest year since 1936. The real estate section of the newspaper showed a photo of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl with the headline, "It could be worse." Maybe. If this continues much longer, it will be worse. I've gardened extensively since I was nineteen, and this is the worst year I've ever seen. I wait until late at night and water all the containers. If I forget, I get up very early and water them. I soak the soil around the roots and try not to get much water on the leaves. Water droplets on leaves become a magnifying glass...