Dear Carol and Mary Ann (and all of our gardening friends), I do believe this is the latest I've prepared my weekly gardening letter.  As you know, it was delayed because my mom had surgery Monday, and I was preoccupied the day before.  I started this letter at the hospital, but couldn't concentrate enough to finish. Here's what I wrote: I'm at the hospital.  Waiting.  In the 20 years since my mother's car accident, my sister, Mom's best friend, Shirley, and I have become professional waiters.  I have a bag filled with fruit and gluten and dairy free snacks, including Vienna sausages (I know gross, but they are "safe") and dark chocolate.  Really good dark chocolate.  Dark chocolate is an essential antidote to waiting I think. But, back to the garden wherein peace doth reign. Everything is growing, but we're still in a holding pattern.  Above, you can see the...

It is a sad truth at my red dirt plot that there is never enough compost despite the fact that I have two bins, another homemade chicken wire contraption, and five shredded leaf piles. Every year, I must go to Edmond Feed (Farmer's Grain) and purchase Back to Nature as supplemental compost. Well, I hope this contraption will eliminate those extra trips.  In March, Chris from Organic Compost Tumbler sent me this compost tumbler for review.  When the tumbler arrived, it needed assembly which wasn't super difficult.  I did need HH's assistance, so I would say it is at least a one woman and one man assembly deal.   I also needed his help to carry it to the backyard. I received the 9.5 cubic foot tumbler, which is made entirely of recycled materials.  This tumbler sells for $285.95 with free shipping.  There is also a 7.3 cubic foot tumbler for...

Hi there! Dee's weeds again.  How have you gardeners been? If you remember, this time last year we wrote a post. This summer, we've written a song sung to the tune of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone." We mean no disprespect, but we find our choice ironic.  Her Red Dirtness is always saying we're in a war out here.  Her words, not ours. She thinks we're evil, but, like squirrels, raccoons and vultures, we're just acting according to our nature. Where have all the flowers gone, short time passing? Where have all the flowers gone, only two weeks ago? Where have all the flowers gone? Vacation breeds garden malcontents. When will she ever learn?  When will she ever learn? Where has all the blank space gone, between the daylilies? Where has all the blank space gone, between the plants? Where has all the blank space gone? Hidden by weeds...

Not the eight legged sort, but, instead, spider daylily photos were requested by Carol of May Dreams Gardens and Mary Ann of Idaho Gardener.  On Plurk the other night, we were all discussing my article on Examiner.com on how to choose a good daylily.  They seemed to enjoy it, but both of them wanted to see some spiders.  So, I promised to provide them.  Carol requested purple and green blooms, and Mary Ann wanted something in the apricot range if I remember correctly. First, before I get myself in trouble with true, spider, daylily enthusiasts, I want to make something clear.  The daylilies photographed in this post are not actually spiders.  A daylily cannot be classified as a spider unless its petals have at least a 4.0:1 ratio.  From the American Hemerocallis Society's website: "On a Spider, the petals and sepals are much longer in proportion to their width than...