We just returned from two trips scheduled back-to-back. We didn't do this madness on purpose. Bill had a convention, and the other trip to Kill Devil Hills could only be taken last week. I love vacation, but I'm also glad to be home. The back garden in June. Not as much blooming because we had a lot of rain and no sun. Now, things are dry. The garden missed me. Rain stopped in the second week, and temperatures climbed into the 90s. I also made a couple of rookie mistakes. I didn't turn on the sprinkler system--not that big of a deal really--and I forgot to ask my son to water the pots on the deck. Surprisingly, I came home to only a couple of dead plants in the pots. All were wilted, but are now thriving that they are well watered. I choose drought tolerant stuff for the pots and use...

Perennial gardens love rainy days, but the vegetables, tropicals and annuals, not so much. The tropical plants are shivering in their little holes. I keep telling them to hang on. It will get hot again. My garden has had over sixteen inches of rain in the last few weeks. I started out counting, but I didn't keep up so I don't know the exact amount. The vegetable garden looks nearly drowned, but I know it will be okay. I lost a few plants which I wrote about in a vegetable garden update. I just replaced them. Even the best gardeners kill plants so don't feel bad when it happens to you. Fortunately, since our weather has stayed cool, most nurseries and box stores have plenty of tomatoes, peppers and basil. I also planted basil seeds. I love basil. Back garden draped in green in the early morning. Nature turned on the spigot in...

Clematis integrifolia Mongolian Bells™ The rains of April and May have been good for Oklahoma gardens, and mine is no different this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Welcome Sweet May in all your floriferous glory. I will not take you for granted. I will not complain about soggy soil. Hot and dry July will soon be on its way, and then there's August too. Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Slippers' just starting to bloom. However, today is a glorious Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. We had more rain night before last and earlier this morning. I wanted to show you raindrops on roses and other good things. Maybe, once again, our pond will fill to capacity. I didn't keep track of all the rain, but we've had at least twelve inches in the last three weeks. You can also check the rainfall stats on the Oklahoma Mesonet, but remember, I'm a quite a bit south...

The roses I have left are putting on quite a show. All this rain Oklahoma is receiving in April and May makes the garden glad to grow. Birds are singing. Bees are humming, and I saw a baby damselfly this morning on an iris. He or she got away before I took his/her picture. Rosa 'Carefree Beauty' is still well. May is the month of mothers, and, in the Catholic Church, we also honor the Blessed Mother in May and October. That's why you often see the oldest woman in a parish crowning a statue of Mary during the month of May. It's considered a true honor and is often done at school masses. The children bring the flowers. It's a lovely tradition. Roses, called the queen of the flowers, are always associated with love and Mother's Day. Mothers, with all their daily sacrifices, definitely deserve their place at the royal...