Welcome!
I’m Dee Nash, a native Oklahoman, and I’ve gardened here since my teens. I know from personal experience how challenging our prairie climate can be.
But my blog isn’t just for Oklahomans. Gardening can be challenging in other climates too. So, I share how to garden wherever you grow.
Enjoy the garden you’ve always wanted!
Featured posts
Zinnia favorites
It’s probably no surprise I love zinnias. I…
Gardening is a love story
This morning I was talking to a friend…
Yellow flower parade
Throughout July and August, my garden is a…
Weeds have superpowers
Weeds have superpowers. Like Marvel super villains, weeds…
Bringing fall color to my front garden and containers
Plant fall flowers and hot-weather tropical plants in fall colors like gold, orange and dark red. Yesterday, I spent most of the day outside bringing fall color to my front garden. Last week, I placed fall flowers in my containers by the front door and on the back deck. The back of my house faces east--the best place in Oklahoma to grow things. We spend a lot of time on the deck in the evenings in late September and October. Normally, these two months are two of the most beautiful in Oklahoma. Hot-weather plants in autumnal hues are important to a southern garden like mine. I simply added ornamental peppers to my front pots this year since the other plants still look good. I can always add ornamental kale later. Previous years of fall decor. In the past, I've put together different fall front-door decorations if you'd like to go...
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September, the most beautiful month
September is the most beautiful month in my garden, with October a close second, and one of the reasons is all of the butterflies and moths. They capture my imagination and draw me out into the garden every day. This post is for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day hosted by Carol Michel each month. Thank you, Carol! I often write about butterflies in September. Male Queen butterfly on Gregg's mistflower, Conoclinium greggii. Male Queen butterfly on Gregg's mistflower, aka palm leaf mistflower. Ventral view of male Queen butterfly. See how it looks similar to a Monarch? It is a much smaller butterfly, and the marking are different. It is also a bit darker. Queen butterfly male. I've been in love with Gregg's mistflower, Conoclinium greggii, all summer. I love its leaves, and I appreciate its blue flowers that bring in Queen butterflies. Before planting it, I didn't have so many. The...
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Ten plants to naturally attract hummingbirds to your Oklahoma yard
Feed hummingbirds the easy way. By Dick Daniels (http://carolinabirds.org/) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11438244. I didn't have any hummingbird photos, and this one is allowed to be used with attribution. I appreciate it. This female ruby-throated hummingbird is drinking from coral honeysuckle. Below are ten flowers to naturally attract hummingbirds to your Oklahoma yard. Hummingbirds remain a delightful part of the Oklahoma landscape until the females finally leave in October. Hummingbirds arrive in my garden in late March through early April, and my garden is ready for them. It isn't difficult to attract hummingbirds. To attract hummingbirds, you simply plant those flowers they like best. Although hummingbirds love tubular red flowers, they are also attracted to plants with flowers in other colors as long as they provide high nectar content. 'Tangerine Beauty' crossvine with 'Dropmore Scarlet' honeysuckle. I lost 'Tangerine Beauty' to last year's record cold, so I...
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Beautiful butterfly watching today
At my Little Cedar Garden, it's hot, hot, hot, but it's also beautiful butterfly watching today. I returned home from an appointment and walked around the property looking for butterfly photo subjects. Butterflies and moths make me so happy, and my garden is all about them this time of year. Red Spotted Purple puddling on the driveway. I first saw a Red Spotted Purple butterfly fluttering around the garage. I'd never seen one here before, or I don't remember one. It finally landed on the driveway and sipped minerals and water from a puddle. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Phlox paniculata in my garden. Grow dill and fennel for their caterpillars and don't be upset when they devour it. Ventral (bottom) view of the same Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails are among my favorite butterflies to photograph. They are pretty easy, and they sip nectar for a long time. If...
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