Dear Carol and Mary Ann, My letter is a tad late this week.  This Red Dirt family had much too much going on over the weekend.  The Diva was confirmed and had a school function yesterday.  This week, ASW and Bear have field trips.  Such is the busy life of a family in April and May. However, now that we're here, let's all take a deep breath, walk through the garden gate and stroll.  Yesterday, while on the main path, I smelled the scent of roses.  I turned and saw the first rosebud on 'Cl. Old Blush.'  With that first bloom, I truly know spring is finally here to stay.  Soon, 'Cl. Old Blush' will be so decorated with blooms, that you will hardly see her green petticoats. In the vegetable garden, lots of wonderful things are starting to happen.  Bear and I thinned the radishes, and she even picked...

Thanks to our friend, Carol of May Dreams Gardens, all garden bloggers have a once-a-month chance to show off what's blooming in our gardens.  Carol was inspired by Elizabeth Lawrence (one of my favorite garden writers), when Miss Lawrence wrote that "e can have flowers nearly every month of the year." The phlox continue to bloom with abandon, and a few daffodils still linger along with violas and pansies; but this month, in my garden, it's all about containers. Once my Lenten sacrifice ended on Easter, I felt starved for color.  I went to all of my favorite nurseries (except Bustani which is only open on Saturdays) and gathered up plants for my containers.  Two of the places I visit are box stores.  I can hear you shuddering, but in Oklahoma, Home Depot is about the only place that carries a lot of Proven Winners plants.  I wanted 'Diamond Frost'...

Dear Carol and Mary Ann, I'm a bit late with my letter this evening.  We had an Easter soiree with thirty members of our family at my house today.  Also, thunderstorms flashing with lightning blasted through the state last night, and my Internet connection was down all day.  I just fixed it. Rain, glorious rain fell nearly all day today.  Although it spoiled the outdoor egg hunt, no one here was sad.  We hunted  in the basement and the living room instead.  Thursday night, Oklahoma had historic fires all over the state, and 190 homes and businesses were destroyed.  The rain stamped out any remaining hot spots.   I discovered today from my niece that Tony's Tree Farm (the landscaper who helped me with my front yard) burned to the ground.  I can't tell you how sad this makes me. I should go out and check the rain guage, but 'er,...

Today, my garden is a test garden.  Every since last week's late freeze, our temps have been up and down with no moisture except what little irrigation I've provided. These conditions created an interesting environment.  This is observation only, and I'm no scientist.  However, every morning since the freeze, I've walked the garden and watched for burned foliage to determine: Which roses best weathered Mr. Freeze? (In fact, two freezes about two weeks apart.) Which have the least damaged foliage? Which were nipped in the bud so to speak, and Which suffered nearly total and complete setbacks? Drumroll please. Under the category of "Best weathered" we have: 'Altissimo,' a modern climber 'Applejack,' a Griffith Buck shrub rose 'Cl. Pinkie,' a China 'Betty Prior,' an old Floribunda from 1935 'Baronne Prevost,’ a Hybrid Perpetual 'Baseye's Bluberry,' a shrub rose 'Carefree Wonder,' a shrub rose 'Cecile Bruner,' a Polyantha ‘Cliffs of Dover,'...