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...

Spring is here in all its glory. That's good news. Our spring freezes may be over. Let's accentuate the positive because in many years we have a late spring freeze. There isn't much structure in the lower back garden and other spots as well, but the skies are blue, and the garden will be fine. The main pathway of the back garden with the lavender chairs in a previous year for comparison. All of the crapemyrtles have been cut down, but they will grow again. Crapemyrtles and deodar cedars showing signs of life. As you can see from the photo, above, left, I cut my crapemyrtle trees and shrubs to the ground. However, I'm happy to report I saw new red foliage coming up from the ground today. Also, I saw small green bits on my deodar cedars. All is not lost, my friends! Crapemyrtle foliage coming up at the...

Honestly, much of my spring garden looks like hell. My spring garden is a shadow of its former self. Remember the October ice storm? After cleaning up all the limbs and being without power for two weeks, two more snowstorms hit Oklahoma. The final February storm had an extended and intense cold period that did a number on my garden. Any plants below the snow line, which looks to be about six inches, are fine for the most part. The perennials are pretty fresh. Snow is a great insulator. In this section of the tiered borders, daffodils and Phlox subulata, creeping phlox, usuallly snug up to 'Ogon' spirea, but not this year. I cut the spirea down to the snow line. It's about six inches tall now. Everything above the snow line in my spring garden burnt to a crisp. The plants above ground, especially trees and shrubs, took a...

Lately, the weather in Oklahoma has never been more beautiful, but my friends, don't be fooled by these fabulous temperatures and blue skies. It's a false spring. Viola x wittrockiana 'Delta Tapestry' because pansies and violas are great during false spring. False spring comes every year in February or March, and it flirts with gardeners like a sultry siren. It's not time to sprint through the tulips, trowel in hand, even if your little gardener's heart wants to start planting tomatoes and other tropical things. I know you want to get going, and it doesn't help when you go to the local box stores, and they've lined their shelves with sacrificial plants. They know we have spring fever, and are happy to oblige. Matrix Solar Flare pansies ready to go in the ground. False spring is time for pansies, violas and snapdragons. On the annual flower front, don't buy anything...