Ornamental gardens are forgiving, and mine has certainly had a lot to forgive this year. The back garden with its gravel paths is very forgiving of my inattention. The garden's slump started with my trip to Houston in April for work followed by another trip to England in May with Bill. Great fun, but traveling put me behind the eight ball. Then, I went to the Garden Bloggers' Fling in Minneapolis in July and on a family vacation to Mobile, AL and Gulf Shores in August. On the way back, we visited Eudora Welty's garden. Hibiscus My Valentine with Limelight hydrangea and a lime green barberry. I love the hibiscus because that is its true red. It's bloomed for over a month now. Limelight is fantastic too. I also hurt my hand. I've been going to hand rehab for the last six weeks although the problems started much earlier when I scratched...

Last week, Bill, Claire and I took an epic road trip vacation, and on our way home, we visited Eudora Welty's house and garden. Our visit was a fluke. It only happened because Carol Michel from May Dreams Gardens noted we were in Jackson, MS. She suggested--nay, insisted--we visit. I'm so glad she did because I'd forgotten Miss Welty's house and garden are in Jackson. Throughout this post, I'm calling her Miss Welty because that's what her neighbors called her. You're supposed to call beforehand, but we were unable to do this on such short notice. Still, I found the visitor's center open, and another couple was there too. We went through the visitor's center, watched a lovely movie on Miss Welty, who is one of my favorite authors, and then we were set to go see the house. Photos aren't allowed inside so I had to content myself with photos of...

Gardening isn't easy. Here's your summer pep talk.

Let's go to the Chelsea Flower Show, a gardener's Mecca.