Color me beautiful. That’s what my garden would say if you could see her. The summer of 2012 is whispering with soft winds instead of roaring like the fiery furnace of 2011. To say Oklahoma gardeners are glad is an understatement. We are relieved. We’ve had a bit of rain, and mid-day heat opens daylily faces as they stretch toward the sun. They and we are content.
No Death Star for the moment . . . instead, Mr. Sun is full of jolly, good cheer. It may all change in July, but for now, the garden is happy and content with her lot. Plants are abundantly growing, and we will have tomatoes, corn and okra. We’ve already eaten green beans and new potatoes. Life is serene, and this is the summer you feel you could grow anything.
I see you rubbing your hands in expectation. I understand. It’s one of those summers.
Before you go into the nursery and buy something only grown in the Pacific Northwest, or the forests of Japan, stop yourself. Don’t do something rash. You will cry later. If you simply must have a Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Snowkist’ or an Acer palmatum ‘Peaches and Cream’ . . . sigh . . . put them on the east side of the house, out of the wind and in morning sun. Don’t place them south or west. These plants don’t know what to do with our prairie heat or clay soil. They need good, sandy drainage and protection from our harsher elements. Oh, and make sure you have irrigation . . . lots of irrigation.
Why not do the smart thing and plant something easy instead? Grow plants better suited for our climate. Think prairie natives perhaps, or garden stalwarts. Whatever you choose, enjoy, water and feed, giving perennials three years or more to do their thing. If plants don’t work as planned, don’t worry. I kill things every year because I push the limits of my zone and climate, but in the beginning, I stuck with those that worked like my ten easiest flowers, or best vegetables for Oklahoma. For another good list of the tried and true, read my friend, Steve Bender’s book he wrote with Felder Rushing, Passalong Plants
Let’s relish in this summer of our joy. Let’s go out in the morning with our coffee and tea while the air is cool, and the cicadas haven’t yet begun to sing. Let’s look upon our flowers and vegetables with love and forget the Summer of Hell, but let’s also remember the lessons learned and plant smarter this time.
Beautiful. I love the color combos and the long view of the path.
Hello!
I just opened my copy of “Mississippi Gardener” magazine that came today, and there you are!
‘Social Media for Gardeners’ – good, interesting information and great photos!
Congratulations!
Lea
Lea’s Menagerie
I’m a big believer in growing what is at home in your own garden. There are lots of things I’ve had to let go because of our cool zone (3 mostly, 4 some areas). But the things that like these cool temps are thriving and beautiful. I just grow a lot of the plants that are happy here.
Your flowers are so beautiful.
Nan, you’re a smart woman. So many of us try to grow the newest and the biggest that we forget about the true pleasures of gardening. I’m glad your garden is so beautiful right now.
We are experiencing the most wonderful start of summer. Nice rains and cooler evenings so far. Our gardens look and feel like summer in Seattle! Glad you are enjoying the pleasant conditions.
Hey Jim! I’m glad you’re having a beautiful summer too. Happy gardening for us all.
Dee, Your annabelles are beautiful! Love hydrangeas …mine have survived three hail storms this year so far! Always a challenge to be a gardner in OKlahoma! Hope we have a kinder and gentler summer…although they have said we had one of the warmest springs so far! I know you are like me…always hopeful and won’t stop planting!! At least now I know what survived last year and I’m planting more of those plants! Happy Gardening..your garden is looking so lovely!
Miss Bloomers
Thank you Sonia. I can’t take much credit for them. The darling Annabelles do what they’re gonna do. I just stand back and watch. They seem to love that spot. I’m hoping it’s kinder and gentler too. We deserve such after last summer. My tomatoes look grand, but I’m crossing my fingers.~~Dee
You do such a nice job of promoting the plants that like the plains. I get great ideas from your posts.
It certainly is a mild summer so far. Wishing for a bit more rain already but loving the gentle transition to heat.
Your garden is looking good. So many yummy colors!
Thank you so much. The prairie plants and open spaces make my heart quicken, but I live in an area with quite a few trees. It’s a good place to live and usually to garden.
Dee,
Everything look beautiful. I’m glad you are having nice weather and getting enjoyment from your garden. I’ve had a really weird year here. The daylilies bloomed WAY too soon and almost everyone of my irises failed to bloom. The Redbuds even bloomed several weeks before the dogwoods. I must admit though the temps have been very nice.
Randy, it’s been a weird year here too. Everything is blooming out of sync. However, I think things are beginning to settle down into a pattern. Some of my daylilies were starting rebloom at the time of the show, and I live north. Plus, the show was early. You just never know.
Your garden looks so beautiful, Dee! Your garden is proof of your wisdom–everything looks so happy here. Enjoy! And I love that Crinum lily; it looks like peppermint.
Thanks Rose. I just wish the crinums would last longer.
Yep! I’m loving it!
I certainly enjoyed my time in Oklahoma this past week, Dee. A rain storm passed over while I spoke to the OK City Master Gardeners and when we emerged, it was into an AUTUMN day, not the expected heat of June. Thanks for sharing your state……and your state-of-mind: joyous all around!
Aah Cherie, I hope the Master Gardeners treated you right. I know they did. Thank you for coming to my state. We have to share what is best about the places and people we love. No one else will.
Wonderful post!
Beautiful photos, inspiring words!
Lea
Lea’s Menagerie
Thank you so much Lea.
Beautiful in words and pictures. Thank you! We’ve just had two full days of rain, sometimes bucket-loads. I’m hopeful that my hydrangea will yet bloom more. It’s only produced a couple. Thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you Rosebud! I’m so glad you got rain. So much of the south was suffering.
wonderful to hear that your summer is better this year…I have tried many different plants trying to get them to grow even here in but I gave up and have been moving to more natives that will tolerate the climate.
It is so much better. I’m through fighting with the climate too.
Sign of relief for you although…summer is a bit more than a week away. Won’t hold you to it though since green beans signal a sign of summer.
Yes, you noticed I jumped the gun. I just couldn’t help it. Wink, wink.
Your garden looks lovely and I am so happy for you and for it! I hope your summer continues to be reasonable.
Me too, Leslie, me too.
Great post. Love the Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ … Hard to find indeed.
Thank you Christ. Annabelle is a fave friend in the garden always.
Dee, your garden looks wonderful…Love the daylilies and hoe happy they look and ‘Annabelle’ is a beauty. I think we are having the “summer of the heat and no rain” in Middle Tennessee. It was time for me to rethink my garden anyway! Wish me luck. xogail
Thank you Gail. I’m praying for rain for your sweet garden too. I know what it’s like not to have any rain for months on end.
I would love for this to be the summer of my joy, and I think it can be, if I get just a little bit of rain. Your garden does look lovely and there is a aura of hope and wisdom in your writing today, Dee.
Carol, I’m praying for rain for your sweet garden. Come on rain.
When I look at your garden, I see what mine will be like in another month, Lord willing. It looks so beautiful and lush. Congratulations on your daylily ribbons.
Kathy, it makes me smile that your garden will look like this in a month. It truly does.