Red Dirt Ramblings

As if it wasn’t already difficult to grow roses in Oklahoma, we are now battling Japanese beetles too. Normally, I don’t like to include words of war in my posts, but battling Japanese beetles is just that. War. Damage from Japanese beetles on Rosa ‘South Africa.’ Identifying Japanese beetles From the University of Illinois Extension: “Adult Japanese beetles are stocky and range from about 3/8…

Creating swathes of color

A small tutorial about growing tomatoes in pots my favorite way to grow!

One of the easiest way to grow tomatoes and other vegetables is in pots. There’s freedom from worrying about soil conditions, watering, etc., when you grow tomatoes in pots. You can grow both pole (indeterminate) and bush (determinate) tomatoes in pots. ‘Missouri Love Apple’ is a potato-leafed, indeterminate tomato that I grew from seed. Which containers? Because I like using large containers…

Late April garden update

Grow summer flowers from seed

With this morning’s bright sunshine and blue skies, I am overflowing with April garden thoughts. In fact, I’ve been thinking about this blog post for a couple of weeks ever since my blogging friend, Sonia, of Miss Bloomers, commented about working to enjoy spring on Facebook. Middle of the garden looking back up to the kitchen and garage. I walk out the kitchen every morning, coffee cup in hand…

Roasted butternut squash soup and nutmeg muffins

A redwork memorial quilt

Bill and I went to the Vintage Tulsa Show on Saturday, and I found several lovely things including a redwork memorial quilt. We are big fans of antiquing, and our home reflects our passion for all things old and worn. When I unwrapped the red and white quilt at the show, I was pretty sure it was a memorial or grief quilt. Women and men often made bereavement quilts when they lost someone they…

Snow days, a funeral, and food

Soup and bean obsessed

I know soup and beans have very little to do with gardening, but with the cooler weather, I am soup and bean obsessed. Yes, it’s warm and horribly windy in Oklahoma today, but that’s because a cold front is trying its best to shove warm Gulf air out of our fair state. The cold air will win, so tomorrow, you might become soup and bean obsessed too. If so, you came to the right place. Ch ch…

December is a busy garden time

Ever since we returned from Portugal last month, I’ve been swamped. December is a busy garden time of year. November is pretty busy too with Thanksgiving and such. Then, I caught a cold, and I’m finally recovered. Although my garden may not seem busy in December, it really is. Spring-blooming bulbs need to be planted sometime in December. I’m planting spring-blooming bulbs in the perennial…

The fall garden late, late show

In the middle of October, my fall garden puts on its late, late show. Pearly heath asters combine with pink roses for a beautiful crescendo. Japanese beetles that so devastated my roses are gone, and the roses responded with beautiful flowers due to cooler temperatures. As always, click on the photos in the galleries to enlarge them. Rosa ‘The Poet’s Wife’ looking pretty ragged in the fall…

Bringing fall color to my front garden and containers

Plant fall flowers and hot-weather tropical plants in fall colors like gold, orange and dark red. Yesterday, I spent most of the day outside bringing fall color to my front garden. Last week, I placed fall flowers in my containers by the front door and on the back deck. The back of my house faces east–the best place in Oklahoma to grow things. We spend a lot of time on the deck in the evenings…

September, the most beautiful month

September is the most beautiful month in my garden, with October a close second, and one of the reasons is all of the butterflies and moths. They capture my imagination and draw me out into the garden every day. This post is for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day hosted by Carol Michel each month. Thank you, Carol! I often write about butterflies in September. [Click on the photos in the galleries to…