The last three weeks have been a blur of activity. My nieces came to stay for several days while my sister-in-law, Maria, helped out with her mom and dad. They are around Bear's age so they made good playmates for her. A client came over a couple of days ago to see my garden. She'd never seen it, and she brought little ones to visit. So fun. We had the log cabin stained by a professional for the first time ever. I was so glad it wasn't Bill and I out there in 104F heat spraying the stain and painting windows and doors. So, that took three weeks. It's a long house. I want to thank the painters for trying so hard to work around my roses and other plants. It wasn't easy. Meanwhile, we're over halfway through daylily season. I entered the Central Oklahoma Hemerocallis Society's show again this...

At the Red Dirt Ranch, when the daylilies are blooming, nothing else can compare. Not even beautiful Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' although she does give it her best shot as she peeks from behind the variegated weigela. Can you see why I never want to leave home? I've enjoyed the 'Atomic' glads so much I've added some other types. Scott from Old House Gardens Bulbs had a great suggestion to plant a few glads at a time. That way you get a succession of bloom. So far, all of my glads have come back every year and multiplied just a bit. They may remind my mother of funerals, but they just make me think: COLOR! Right now, the entire garden is an explosion of color. Bright, bold, beautiful color. Don't be afraid. Instead, in the south, work it. Above, 'Jan's Twister' is really showing off. The bloom is larger than my...

Read my latest post at Fiskars on what to do for the garden while you're away. If you visit around their site, you'll find other great articles by many different garden writers. Thanks so much for reading my writing wherever it may be.

Call me jaded, but I am so over traditional gardening books, the ones which state in the most boring language possible: Plant this here; Do this particular design; or Here is a laundry list of plants which grow in USDA Zones 3 to 7. Instead, tell me a story. Make me want that heirloom iris rescued from an old Texas homestead, or the tomato which bears the name of a friend and colleague long ago. Chris Wiesinger, a/k/a the Bulb Hunter, and Cherie Colburn do just that in their book Heirloom Bulbs for Today. Unlike so many gardening books being published of late, Heirloom Bulbs is a big beautiful tome with loads of gorgeous photos. Many books are now being downsized due to printing costs which I understand. However, it's nice to see generous macro photos along with landscapes in front of old homesteads and cemeteries to remind us of...