Carol from May Dreams Gardens (Zone 5), Mary Ann from Gardens of the Wild, Wild West (Zone 6) and I decided, last year, to exchange letters from our vegetable gardens.  We had so much fun we continued the tradition this year and hope to give everyone  an idea of how gardens grow in three different USDA hardiness zones. I garden in Zone 7a, where it's been raining for days, an odd occurrence in Oklahoma. Dear Carol, Mary Ann and all of our other friends, What a difference a week makes. I just woke from the most delicious nap to the sound of the Diva screaming, "Get the ball!!!"  The Oklahoma City Thunder is playing in the playoffs, you see, and we're apparently getting beat.  She does love her sports. After two and a half days of rain, the gauge shows a little over two inches, but HH says the gauge...

I'm a day late, but I wanted to join in on Pam's Foliage Followup to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Foliage is an important element in spring garden design.  Before many flowers bloom, foliage is strutting its stuff by emerging and glowing in the sideways slant of April sunlight; unless, of course, it is raining like today.  Water droplets gather on leaves and magnify colors. Taking photos while it is cloudy is another way to make the color in photos look better.  That's why, if you're touring a botanical garden on a bright, sunny day, you'll often see photographers shading plants with umbrellas, and using shades on their camera lenses.  Bright sunlight is often too harsh.  However, we, gardeners, take the shot however and whenever we can.  Even in the rain. There are other ways to make foliage appear even more beautiful to the eye. Mix it up. Use compound leaves...

Good evening.  Thursdays are my busiest day, and I'm a bit behind, but I am here to celebrate Bloom Day. The sun rose purple and pink over the lake this morning, and the wind is calm for the first time in days.  I hear a storm is brewing out to the west, and I'm hoping the tree peony holds off blooming for a couple more days until the rain is past.  If not, I'll bring the two blooms indoors to enjoy.  None of the peonies are blooming yet, and that is good news, for the rain ruins their fragile petals. In the meantime, we have lilacs.  I grow four varieties, the common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, passed down from HH's grandmother. His family called it a French lilac as was often done because of its very fragrant perfume.  The second is a Chinese lilac, Syringa x chinensis, which I also like,...

Thank you Leslie.  It's the best answer to a hot-weather-loving snowdrop don't you think?  When you can't grow the genus Galanthus, grow Leucojum.