Rain is again falling from the sky, so I have a rain-washed garden. My French door is open. Birds are singing, and my new windchime is gently swaying in the wind. It's a nearly perfect spring day. In fact, when I was at my regular doctor's appointment this morning, his nurse said she felt like we live in the Pacific Northwest. This might not be blog-worthy in your world, but a rain-washed garden is a blessing in mine. There is nothing better for the spring garden than rain. I thought I'd lost Rosa 'South Africa' because she was down to two canes on the bud graft. She has surprised me by growing like gangbusters. Weird, but welcome weather It is also 68°F on the last week of May which is weird, but welcome. Some years, winter slides into summer with barely a passing thought, but not this year. The same...

In early spring before the full extent of plant destruction showed its ugly face, I placed an order of perennials to High Country Gardens, and it came two weeks ago. Would you like to know what I bought? Sure you would! The expanded sidewalk border. Most of these are for the border extension in full sun. I want it to be a pollinator (bee) buffet. Agastache Blue Fortune hyssop tends to overwinter better in my garden than other agastache. I do like 'Bolero' too, but it's planted in another part of the garden. Agastache 'Blue Fortune' I planted with Salvia 'Rose Marvel' last fall. I found a larger plant of 'Blue Fortune' in Tulsa at a garden tour/festival. Monarda fistulosa, wild bergamot (Wichita Mountains form) found in the Wichita Mountains of southwestern OK. I planted it in the cut garden for now. I may move it to the upper pasture...

Did covering plants work for the spring freeze? Last night, we had a hard freeze in central Oklahoma. It got down to 30° for several hours. It wasn't 26°F, but it wasn't good either. Bummer. We were having such a nice springtime too. 'Cherokee Brave' dogwood in my front border was unfazed by the freeze. I planted it in February 2009. Sometimes, I ignore my own good advice. Because the weather was so settled for most of April, I planted a few tropical plants like petunias, coleus, and calibrochoas in my containers on the back deck. Yes, I know better, but my greenhouse was getting too full. Sometimes, I ignore my own good advice. I hope you didn't plant tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant transplants. I did not plant out tomatoes, peppers, or other hot-weather-loving vegetable transplants because I know they are picky little devils. If you did plant tomatoes, just...

This post is for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, the one day each month where bloggers all share about our favorite flowers, the ones in bloom, that is. Carol Michel hosts this day each month from her May Dreams garden blog. A small sliver of my back garden this spring morning. Acer palmatum 'Tamukeyama' is a beautiful Japanese maple I planted thirteen years ago, and in the far corner is my southern blackhaw, Viburnum rufidulum. Packera obovata is the bright yellow flower on the left. Two posts in one week! What am I thinking? It's like the good 'ole blogging days! Earlier I wrote that spring is here in all its glory. 'Orange Rocket' barberry in my lower beds. Yes, it is this bright in spring especially in cooler weather. No, it's never escaped from my garden. Tiny blooms on 'Orange Rocket' barberry would usually be buzzing with bees, but it's...