Although we still have limbs down in the back garden, and some still hanging in the trees, fall beauty remains. Giant branch still down in the back garden. They are working on removing this today. I always fall for fall. Just look at these photos of Hamamelis × intermedia 'Arnold Promise' and Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' in my front yard and back garden respectively. The witch-hazel sits between our front door and our bedroom. It is one of the first shrubs to bloom in spring, and Carol Michel and I talked about it on this week's Gardenangelists podcast episode Dreaming of Spring in the Fall. Hamamelis 'Arnold Promise' has such a beautiful vase shape. You should grow it.Hamamelis 'Arnold Promise' up close. H. arborescens 'Annabelle'Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' turns the most beautiful shade of yellow in fall. As for H. arborescens 'Annabelle,' she probably needs no introduction because I've written about her many...

One week ago, Oklahoma was hit by a historically damaging ice storm. At one point, 388,000 Oklahomans were without power. Bear with me, this is a long post, but a lot of readers have been writing to me asking what's going on. Icy branches in the side yard. What I thought was a double whammy ice storm was actually a triple whammy. Three separate storm surges pummeled much of western and central Oklahoma. Driving sheets of freezing rain and sleet fell, and later, after the trees and power lines were thoroughly ice-coated, cold rain fell pulling on limbs and branches that still held crystalline leaves. Crystalline leaves of my blueberry bush. This 1-2-3 punch spelled disaster for much of the state even though it wasn't reported on the national news. On Monday evening, we finally lost power. I hope they get it fixed before Friday at 11:00 p.m., but I'm...

An ice storm double whammy hit Oklahoma starting on Monday morning at 5:00 a.m. The second wave of freezing rain came through last night. This ice storm is so devastating because Oklahoma's trees still had most of their leaves. I know it's pretty, but it pretty devastating too. Those crapemyrtles are 20 feet tall. 2020 just won't stop giving will it? This year, winter arrived before fall moved on. I awoke to heavy limbs crashing all around the house, and the pink muhly grass is no more this year. I thought I would do comparisons so you can tell how bad it is. Pink muhly grass and Mexican bush sage after the ice storms hit.Pink muhly and Mexican bush sage only a few days ago. According to KOCO News 5, "it's the earliest ice storm warning that the National Weather Service in Norman has ever issued." Garage border with Japanese...

This year, along with lavender, I tested several basils in the garden. Below are four basils worth growing in your southern garden. Two new culinary basils to tempt your palate There are at least two new culinary basils in the marketplace created not to bloom early. If you want to grow basil that is basically the size of a small shrub, you should try Amazel Basil® from Proven Winners. Around the fountain this year, I planted my Proven Winners trial plants including Rockin'® 'Golden Delicious' pineapple sage, Salvia elegans, purple alternanthera Plum Dandy, and Amazel® basil. This is my second year to grow it, and I've found it to be a wonderful garden addition. Amazel Basil® isn't just for the vegetable garden. It would also look great with other tropical plants in the summer ornamental garden. Sometimes, in my Oklahoma wind, Amazel Basil® does need a little support to keep...