You know I've been fighting rose rosette in my garden. Last weekend, I begged, cajoled and exhorted my husband to help me remove both 'New Dawn' roses. Due to this horrible disease, these animals, who once took down an arbor with their sheer abundance, were mere shadows of their former selves. Rose rosette is often referred to as the AIDS of roses. It is definitely fatal to whichever rose it decides to inhabit. The problem is when you grow monster roses, they are devilish hard to remove from the soil. It took three four things to get these babies out of the ground: Rosa 'New Dawn' in happier times 31-inch Power Gear Fiskars Loppers. I use these on every big job and not because I write articles for Fiskars on their website. I bought two different sizes of these loppers several years ago, and when I wear them out, I...

Fall is upon me, its face a mixture: the sunny yellow of the cottonwoods and native elms lining Oklahoma creeks, the burgundy reds of sumac and the burnished copper of Blackjack Oaks. Rainy days which nearly drowned spring are long gone, and rusty sand slides between my fingers. So much to do before I put the garden to bed. Way too many bulbs to plant, and I'll feel my folly when fingers freeze in November soil. No gain without pain because soon spring will again return and tell a story of red and purple tulips with dark purple violas. At least, that's what I see in my mind's eye. Only time will tell. I walk along dirt pathways and listen to the wind whispering through the trees and know this golden time won't last. Best finish my chores. Make more leaf mulch. Place it and Back to Nature on the...

Sunflower bouquet When your mom is in the hospital again, what do you send her? Instead of indoor plant she will later pass off to you or let die, how about a sunflower bouquet? A few weeks ago, Andy from the Sunflower Guy wrote and asked me if he could send me a sunflower bouquet for review. As he writes on his website, sunflowers are awesome, and I love their cheery faces. A few days later, I got home from a long day filled with family and work obligations and on my front stoop was a bright shiny box which stated: "Unzip. Lift. Water. Smile." I certainly needed a smile, and the box brought one to my eyes. I unzipped the box as instructed, poured in a bit of flower food, added water, and now my table is graced with the Pacific Sun bouquet shown above. The flowers are guaranteed...

'Shindeshojo' japanese maple on the north side of the garage Next to roses, nothing is more beautiful than a well grown Acer palmatum. When their leaves unfurl, Japanese maples are beautiful in spring. Then, they bloom and produce seeds. Throughout our Oklahoma summers like many other plants and people for that matter, they hang on for dear life, but in fall, they dress in party frocks, with the green-leaved varieties turning yellow, orange or rust, while the red cultivars deepen. A few, like 'Sango kaku' also sport gorgeous winter bark. What else could you request from a small tree? The most popular post on my blog shows how to plant a Japanese maple. Because of search engines, it remains my highest ranking post even in its third year. The cultivar I planted that day was 'Tamukeyama,' and despite temperature extremes, it is still growing strong in the lower garden. A....