This year, I am reminded that gardening is so much easier when the sun doesn’t overwhelm plants suffering from drought. With a little rain, the garden grows in beauty and grace. The last three years Oklahoma suffered with high temperatures and terrible drought, not as terrible as California, but bad enough. Even though we fought the good fight with soaker hoses and drip irrigation on timers, plants remained smaller with some even drying up and going underground at the height of summer–baptisia, anyone?. Even with a lot of extra plants, the garden look less like a jungle and much more like a desert oasis.
I’ll take a jungle any day. This year, the garden is full to bursting. There’s really no more room for any new plants.
Garden visitors came last week and one asked why my plants were so stuffed together. I appreciate growing plants as “green mulch.” Daylilies and other tough plants, especially ornamental grasses and prairie natives, or selections from them, squeeze out many weeds. Once the plants are larger, they also shade out their competition. I did find room for a small Echinacea ‘Piccolino’ at the front of the meadow border. We’ll see if it will last more than a couple of years. I was burned on some of the newer echinaceas in the past, especially those yellow ones.
In the vegetable garden, I wish I’d planted my zinnias in a spot where they could really shine. I don’t know what I was thinking when I planned the vegetable garden because obviously, the zinnias should be planted in front of the sunflowers and corn. They aren’t tall enough to compete. Still, when I’m back there weeding and picking pole beans, I see the zinnias even if my neighbors don’t. Pollinators also don’t seem to care.
The front bed facing the street is my experimental one. In it, I place all the seeds and seedlings I’ve started–many I’ve never grown before. It’s all a happy jumble of plants with no rhyme or reason. This year, ‘Jigsaw’ and ‘Purple Majesty’ millet are really showing off. I put out Nolo bait early to keep the grasshoppers at bay. I noticed lots of young grasshoppers again two days ago. I’ll put out more Nolo bait today on those plants the grasshoppers especially want to eat like millet, perennial hibiscus and cannas, for example.
More rain is forecast for Tuesday or Thursday. My garden will be bursting at its seams, but I don’t care. I’m grateful to have happy plants this year.
I'm seeing the same thing here. More rain, which I welcome, but now it's a jungle! I guess I'll take a jungle over a desert. I don't fall for any "fancy" echinaceas anymore, they all let me down, as you said! I stick with basic purple and white coneflowers.
It might looks like a jungle but it still looks beautiful and so sure with the coming more rain this garden will grow more beautiful . I am so captivated.
Oh, thank you so much. Captivated is very nice.
The rain really has made such a difference in the garden this year, although we have ponds in the beanfields, which is not a good thing. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who crams a plant into any bare inch of dirt available. Your “jungle” is beautiful, and I love the purple millet contrasting with other blooms in the last photo.
Great garden blog, good read. http://t.co/d0OqFZwxXr via @reddirtramblin
Your garden is so lush and gorgeous. The beginning of the year was so rough for so many it is amazing to see so many doing so well at this time of year.
We are thrilled with the rain too. Amazing what it will do. We still need more. The wells are low but the garden is going to produce!
It's all beautiful and so lush! Love July in the gardens. Mine peak out mid July. Everything seems to explode into growth with the long days around the solstice
Your garden looks so lush. You deserve a few good years after that horrible drought. I am afraid that our area has inherited your drought. No measurable rain since June11. I know it can be worse. I am hoping not.
We’ve had more rain this year, too.
It’s wonderful!!
Your garden looks great. I like the ‘overstuffed’ look.
looks great! My 2nd year using Nolo bait as we go organic. It seems to do well with the young ones, I haven't had luck with larger grasshoppers though.
@LucyCorrander If it’s that confusing, that’s not good. If you still want to comment, here’s the post: http://t.co/k2fptJJw3Q Thx!!!
Have you tried Echinacea paradoxa for your yellow Echinacea? I’ve had it for about 5 years now and it comes back a bit stronger every year, even in the years of bad heat and drought we’ve been having. I believe it was one of the parents of many of the new cultivars that have been showing up in recent years, but I think it’s stronger than its progeny, if that’s the case.
Hi Cynthia, I tried it once long ago, and it didn’t take. Thanks for the reminder. I should definitely try it again. Natives are often hardier.~~Dee
With rain, the garden grows – Red Dirt Ramblings® http://t.co/WV5imMBqag
I am looking forward to more rain!
Hi Karin, we’re supposed to get more this week. My garden is looking forward to it too.~~Dee
the rain has been lovely!
With rain, the garden grows http://t.co/Rqu92qFpY0 #garden