Why don't we begin this brand new decade with a practical resolution?  Yes, I know we're twenty-two days into things, but I like to form my resolutions a bit before I actually launch. What if we made a commitment to do one thing to move in the direction of sustainable living?  Frankly, I can't get my feathers ruffled over the climate change argument, 'er discussion, because I don't have a dog in that fight, or a chicken for that matter. Here's how I look at it:  whether you believe in climate change or not, you can still see that we don't take very good care of our home.  As my mother always said, "Don't foul your nest." It's good advice.  In the winter, with the leaves off of the trees and the underbrush, I can see the trash deposited there by those who race by in their cars and pickup...

My recent posts on blooms and foliage made me reflect on those other winners in the winter garden, stems, seeds and berries.  They provide food for the birds and other animals along with structure for your garden.  In Oklahoma, the true growing season starts around the end of February for cool weather crops and after April 20 for tender veggies and flowers.  Then, the flora and fauna fun doesn't stop until around the end of October or even later in moderate years.  I think our long growing season sometimes gives us tunnel vision that gardens are only interesting when they are in bloom. I beg to differ.  I think the garden can still provide you with delight if you think of it as a four season activity at least visually. For years, I considered the months of winter only for planning, but in the last five or six, I've added...

My foliage is mostly gone due to the snow and unseasonably low temperatures.  However, I wanted to show a bit of my garden which you don't normally see.  Here's an overview of about a quarter of the back garden (which was the third stage of the second garden).  My first garden faces our street and will front the potager I am building this spring.  See the evergreen on the left?  That's an Eastern redcedar, Juniperus virginiana, in Oklahoma, a true garden and environmental pest, but HH likes them trimmed up.  They do provide some winter color and are one of our few native evergreens.  As you can also probably see, I need to do some fence repair, part of the constant maintenance for this garden. Now, for the foliage.  There is something wonderful about not cleaning up the garden in fall, instead leaving it in situ.  For one thing, small...

Last year, my January Bloom Day post consisted of little, so I vowed to give you more in 2010.  Like last year, let's begin with the amaryllis, which are actually Hippeastrum, but we all call them the former.  (Thank goodness I'm not in charge of the how and why of plant taxonomy.)  Five varieties were planted to cheer us during what has already been a long and cold winter:  'Charisma', 'White Christmas', 'Elvas' (which is now blooming and obviously not that cultivar), 'Red Lion' and 'Royal Velvet' (both of which are not yet blooming, but are on their way). I planted more hellebores, knowing they wouldn't have blooms this early, but in a mild year, a red dirt girl can hope.  Even the foolish dream, don't they?  The 'Silver Lace' variety does have buds and will probably bloom earlier than all the others which simply sport shivering, evergreen foliage for...