Two thousand fifteen, you were an exceptional year, and a lot happened around the Red Dirt ranch. It's nearly time to move on to the babe of 2016, but first, let's reflect over our journey together before you go. Like Tap, our chocolate Lab, I was thinking deep thoughts last January. Doesn't he look like king of all he surveys? After the holidays, January felt like the cold, dark days of winter. It was good to watch Downton Abbey and dream of spring. I tended my indoor bulbs, played in the greenhouse and bought seeds, even though I already have plenty stored away like the little squirrel I am. It's hard to resist the seed catalogs arriving everyday in the mailbox. I also resolved in 2015 to garden more, and I certainly did that. The back garden's main path and two of the arbors in February's snow. February saw snow, and Oklahoma, along with the...

Today, on Christmas Eve, I got a craving for The Last Word in Nutmeg Muffins, so I scanned my kitchen bookshelves for one of my greatest treasures, The Breakfast Book, by Marion Cunningham. It was published in 1987, a lifetime ago--I bought it before I married Bill--but Cunningham's recipes are timeless. As I took the tattered and food-stained volume down from the shelf, I turned to Claire who was standing in the kitchen. "When I die, make sure one of you gets this book. Don't let it go into the estate sale." The Breakfast Book, by Marion Cunningham, probably my favorite cookbook. Claire looked askance and slightly horrified. Who could blame her? I tried to explain. "I have all of Marion Cunningham's books, but I think this one is her best. She taught me how to cook." Claire still looked at me as if I had two heads. She's the youngest child of four. She doesn't...

When it comes to decorating for Advent and Christmas, I'm of two minds. On the one hand, I live in a log cabin, which just begs for natural decorations and flowers forced inside. I'm also a garden writer, so, in winter, I surround myself with green and growing plants. Otherwise, I might lose my ever-loving mind. Our mantel decorations are a mix of the natural and shiny. Silver works so nicely with natural evergreens and bottlebrush trees. This year my mantel sports bottlebrush trees and silver platters along with small silver bowls and a simple green wreath. I'm also growing paperwhites and amaryllis. I planted white and green amaryllis to extend them after the holiday and into the new year. Paperwhites and amaryllis make great Christmas decor, and they go on after the holidays are over. On the other hand, I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s so I'm a fanatic for...

December Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is all about Christmas Flowers at RDR. While waiting for the big day, I've been decorating and using some of my favorite Christmas flowers like amaryllis in my color scheme. This year, I've focused upon pink, white, red and green. For other amaryllis colors, see last year's Bloom Day post. Trust me, growing an amaryllis is easy. Hippeastrum 'Magic Green' amaryllis is a tall drink of water in a sunny window. Over a month ago, I planted several new white and green amaryllis (Hippeastrum) because my log house can be dark on winter days. White and green glow against log walls so, this year, I planted 'Envy' and 'Magic Green.' I wish I'd done a repeat of 'White Nymph,' a double. 'White Nymph' amaryllis from last year was a show stopper. These colors also transition well into January looking good even after the holidays. I grew a couple of red...