red tulips with Hakonechloa 'All Gold' Once upon a time, there was a very earnest young gardener who imagined a field of tulips, 'Red Emperor' of course. She bought a big bag at the local store, came home, gathered her gardening bucket, her special bulb transplanter and gloves. Going outside, she dug holes at least three times as deep as the bulbs and then ever so gently placed the precious tulips in the ground. She heard a chattering in the trees above her, but, in a zen of planting pleasure, she ignored it. Five hundred red bulbs later and covered in dirt, she came inside, promptly ordered pizza for the kids and collapsed. The next spring, she waited in anticipation for her red carpeted masterpiece . . . and got . . . nearly . . . nothing. Between the squirrels, moles and voles, her tulips became a winter smorgasbord....

So farewell—to the little good you bear me. Farewell? a long farewell to all my greatness! This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes, to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And when he thinks, good easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls as I do. Henry the Eighth, by William Shakespeare Trailing violas are a color echo for purple cabbage in my front garden The end of autumn is often likened to death. My Grandma Nita was consumed with this thought every fall, and the season began a sadness which didn't lift until the first buds of spring. However, I, being an aficionado of autumn, have never believed the comparison fair. Sure, leaves lose their chlorophyll and fall from the trees. The...

All week we've been flirting with the frost, but despite cooler temperatures with one morning being 34F, even the coleus still live. I must say I'm glad for I will miss these warm weather friends when they finally curl up their leaves for good and flop over. According to the forecast, it won't be long now. Tonight, however, Bear and friends can trick or treat in the comfort of a balmy 65F, while coleus still soldier on with the pumpkins. Will let you know when frost finally does touch the pumpkin, and in the meantime, I hope you eat lots of candy. I know I have. I feel very sweet indeed.

I love all the native asters with their crazy growth and light blue, purple or white flowers, but this Wildflower Wednesday, sponsored by Gail of Clay and Limestone, I want to highlight Symphyotrichum drummondii var. drummondii (Lindl.), Drummond's aster (synonyms: Aster drummondii, Aster sagittifolius var. drummondii). Drummond's aster is found in many states throughout the U.S. In Oklahoma, it has been identified in several counties, and I can attest it runs wild in the dappled shade of the woods on my land which is in Logan County. I also have it planted in several places within the wilder parts of the garden. Oh heck, who am I kidding? Much of my garden is wildish especially in the fall when the asters bloom. According to the Missouri Native Plants page, this aster is "similar to other blue-flowered asters but can be identified by its pubescent stems, winged leaf petioles, scabrous adaxial...