Bill and I went on a little trip a couple of weeks ago. We were on the lookout for Texas wildflowers, bluebonnets in particular. And, did we ever find them!! Texas bluebonnets close-up and personal. To get the timing right, I'm a member of several Texas wildflower groups. I follow the Texas Wildflower Report on Facebook, and the projections for wildflowers were more exciting than I'd seen in years. Much of Texas had abundant rainfall last September, which many wildflowers, including bluebonnets, require, so this was expected to be a banner year. Texas wildflowers. Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush in a field. The Texas wildflowers did not disappoint us. Our journey began by driving down to Waco. Of course, we had to drive by the Cottonland Castle, restored by Chip and Joanna Gaines. I was surprised that the castle was right next to a main thoroughfare. We've been to Magnolia Market...

This week I've had a lot of questions from my garden coaching clients about containers and what to grow, so I thought I'd share a little container gardening tutorial. I've also written about container gardening before. We've also discussed container gardening on the Gardenangelists podcast. Pots on the deck with 'Arizona Sun' gaillardia. I used gaillardia in my containers for the first time in 2021. With deadheading, they lasted a long time. If you read and listen to these and want individual help, just contact me at dee@deenash.com for a personal gardening coaching appointment. Containers all in blue and St. Fiacre too. This is from 2011. I still have many of these glazed containers. Container gardening isn't difficult, but it does take a little planning, starting with the containers you buy. Here are some choices with their pluses and minuses: Glazed ceramic. I like glazed ceramic containers that have glazed...

Oh my goodness, the new zinnia varieties this year! Anyone who listens to my podcast, The Gardenangelists, with Carol Michel knows I love zinnias; this, my friends, is the year to grow them. Zinnias are one of ten easy flowers to grow in Oklahoma. A very yellow flower from last year's Queeny Lime Mix. Of course, that's just my opinion, but since you're here, you must like my opinions, so let's go! How about starting with Zinnia elegans varieties first because they're my favorites? 'Meteor Shower Mix' zinnias grow very tall. I'll plant these right in front of the sunflowers. Photo courtesy of Eden Brothers Seeds. I am growing a ridiculous number of tall, elegant zinnias this year. I'm starting my zinnia seeds indoors this spring. You can easily grow many summer flowers from seed. Normally, I just sow the seeds directly outside, but in the last couple of years,...

When I first saw Marianne Willburn's excellent post, A Defense of Hellebores, on Garden Rant, I thought, we're now defending hellebores? Surely not. Light yellow hellebores in the back garden with daffodils. Who wouldn't love these perennials, some of which flower in December, Christmas roses, H. niger, and others that continue on through much of spring, Lenten roses, H. x hybridus? A shade perennial that blooms in neglected, low-water areas--those shady spots where not much else will grow? A perennial deer don't really like to eat? One of my more recent single hellebores. I don't have the tag, and honestly, since hellebores are so promiscuous, it gets difficult to keep them all straight. Then, I started reading Marianne's post, and I guess she's right. We do need to defend hellebores. I thought about my garden coaching clients, who think hellebores are really expensive. Those who want year-round color from every...