Part of the back garden during the midseason daylily bloom. When the daylilies are finished, Phlox paniculata will start, and butterflies will be everywhere. Every year I think my garden won't have its usual daylily magic. Maybe it's too dry, too cold, too hot, but each year, come June, the daylilies spring into action sending up large scapes covered in buds. Hemerocallis 'Flying Nun' (Elliott-S. 2013) is a semi-evergreen, Unusual FormCrispate. UFs are called crispate when their petal or sepals pinch at the edges. Look at the petal on the left. Some people poo-poo growing daylilies, and I think that's because they are so easy to grow in a hot summer climate. Probably one of the easiest flowers ever. Gardeners are a competitive bunch, and some of us don't want to grow what's easy. H. 'Tomorrow is Another Day' (Reed 2012) is one of my favorite UF daylilies and is...

Did you miss me? I've missed you in more ways than you know. It's been a very long spring and we're heading into a long, hot summer. Get that drip irrigation out and going as soon as possible. Oklahoma summers can be merciless in your garden. Hemerocallis 'Easter Star' looks bigger in this closeup than it really is. I love the pattern on the petals. Does anyone even read blogs anymore? I know I've read more blog posts this spring. I found I needed longer pieces to reflect, but I've also felt like I have nothing new to write. This is my thirteenth year of garden blogging. Can you believe it? Hemerocallis 'Raspberry Goosebumps' daylily has nice teeth on its edges. I'm also on Instagram, but haven't felt like sharing much on social media either. I hope you understand. Maybe, like me, you also feel overwhelmed by the news. Hemerocallis...

Peas, peas and more peas are the stars of this vegetable garden report. Lettuce was the star last week, but, alas, the lettuce turned bitter in the summer sun. Lettuce has a very short garden life in an Oklahoma spring. If I kept better records, I would know which variety of sweet podded pea this is. Unfortunately, when I'm planting the cool weather crops in late February, I don't always write everything down. That's because Oklahoma springs don't often linger. Just as I wrote this sentence, the forecast changed. Welcome to a prairie climate! I harvested purple kale a couple of mornings ago and dislodged some cabbage worms before rinsing and putting it up in a bag to be eaten later this week as kale chips or sauteed with a lovely fried or poached egg on top. Kale is also good in soups, or you can massage it with dressing...

'Old Blush' rose wtih 'Karl Rosenfield' peony. This is the last of three 'Old Blush' roses I had. It didn't get RRD, and it is thriving this year. We're having a very rosy spring at Little Cedar Garden this year. In fact, as I walk down the pebbled paths in the back garden I'm struck by the scent and beauty. It's enough to take your breath away. Walking the path and seeing Rosa 'Desdemona' almost takes my breath away. A few years ago, if you lived in Oklahoma or Texas, I would have cautioned you not to plant roses. I had nearly sworn off new roses myself. Rose Rosette Disease was stomping all over my garden along with most of Oklahoma and Texas, and it made me sad. So very sad. Rosa 'The Poet's Wife' has never looked so good. Honestly, my struggles with RRV remind me of what Covid-19...