Although tulips and narcissus are pretty, Phlox divaricata is the one perennial that makes my spring garden sing. It softly hums home to me. I think you should grow it too. Here are five reasons why: Phlox divaricata with Narcissus 'Geranium'. I found the name for this daffodil in an older post. It's blue or purple depending upon the variety you grow. Gardeners are always looking for blue plants. I have both blue and purple varieties in my garden because I started with one blue plant and one purple. Woodland phlox is also native and would qualify for Wildflower Wednesday status. It smells good. This is the earliest I've ever seen an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly in my garden. This one was very shy, but kept after the phlox. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, P. divaricata's "flowers attract butterflies, including swallowtails, gray hairstreaks, and western pygmy blues." I've seen hairstreaks and swallowtails already this...

Happy Easter my friends! I hope that all of you who celebrate Christ's resurrection have a joyous and blessed day. We're headed to church this morning, and I'm excited lent is over. For everyone else, I hope Easter whispers spring's message of rebirth, and you hear it in gentle warm breezes. Apricot tulips, part of the Van Engelen blend. I like these blends a lot. This morning, at 5:00 a.m., a cold front roared through Oklahoma and Kansas bringing rain, hail and cooler temperatures in my garden. I'll be wearing a sweater to church this morning. In Kansas, they got snow. I'm sorry. Found the name of this daffodil in an earlier post. It's Narcissus 'Geranium.' For Kansans and everyone else who is battling cold and snow, I want to share some of my Easter garden. I took these pictures yesterday when the wind didn't blow for the first time in over...

Long before Oklahoma's mighty oaks show a little green, along creek beds and in the dappled shade of larger trees, a purple haze breaks through the winter gray. Cercis canadensis var. texensis 'Oklahoma,' commonly known as Oklahoma redbuds, are one of our first signs that winter is waning. The common name for redbuds without the 'Oklahoma' designation is Eastern redbuds. They are also called Texas redbuds, hence the texensis in their botanical name. The Eastern redbud is the state tree of Oklahoma. I can't imagine a prettier tree especially in spring. Plus, it has heart-shaped leaves! Dead redbud with native sumac in the fall. Even in death, they are beautiful. Can you imagine how happy the settlers and American Indians were when they first saw the purple blooms in early spring? Oklahoma winters can be very harsh. Redbuds are such a cheerful symbol of new life. Old redbud half dead and falling over on my property. Redbuds...

Freezes happen in spring so be prepared. You may remember I cautioned against getting too excited over spring's warm temperatures and gentle breezes. It's only March. We still have a month before Oklahoma's last average freeze date of April 20, and freezes happen.