All the Dirt on Gardening

I don't know how many gardening blogs a person can read in a day or a week but not as many as we want to, that's for sure. The photo is another lily blooming in our garden today. Gotta love lilies. GOOD STUFF ON THE BLOGS Transatlantic Plantsman has a blog entry on the Top Ten Plants in the UK. The list includes geranium, agapanthus, penstemon, and one of my favorites - salvia. Garden Design Online featured a new way to warm up the environment on chilly nights. It's a must see and I want one. Pruned posted photographs that predict the future of the environment the next generation will inherit. Sad but dramatic art. UC Botany Photo of the Day post is kalanchoe photographs. Fabulous. Gardens OyVey has a series on hydrangeas - selecting, growing, identifying, loving. The Cultural Landscape Foundation has a post about Carl Rust Parker, a landscape architect who lived from 1882 to 1966. Parker worked for the Olmsted Brothers. Happy reading. Let me know if you have a favori...

At 6:30 this morning I had the privilege of watching a Monarch butterfly emerging from the chrysalis . It sat there for a couple of hours while I watered and weeded the flower bed. The papery object on the fence just below and to the right of the butterfly is the empty chrysalis . When it was ready to move, it walked up the fence and then began fanning its wings to dry them before taking flight. While the Monarch caterpillars only hang out on milkweeds the adults like the nectar of the perennial sweet pea in that flower bed.

Whether you call them Asclepias or Milkweeds, this family has everything from tall weeds that grow in drainage ditches to garden quality plants. Some of them are shrubs, some grow in wet soil, and others thrive in dry scrub. They grow in South Africa and there is at least one milkweed in every state of the U.S. Their flowers vary but all have seedpods filled with a fluffy, silky substance that carries the seeds on the air. Asclepias flowers attract several types of butterflies and their leaves provide food for Monarch butterfly caterpillars. There are three potential problems with growing Asclepias: The milky sap can cause a rash on sensitive skin, they attract aphids and cows can become sick if they eat it. Many Asclepias are native to Oklahoma but you can also grow other varieties with special care. The USDA Plants Database lists them at http://plants.usda.gov/ . If you have a milkweed to identify, go to http://shrvl.com/n751D to see 226 photos and drawings of Asclepias varieties. C...

This is the third year I've purchased and planted an Oklahoma native Giant Coneflower, Rudbeckia Maxima. I love them. They grow to 6 feet tall and have huge flowers. The leaves are a bluish grey which is also a favorite of mine. The University of Oklahoma has a database of Oklahoma native plants and it says that this beauty if native to Choctaw county. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin calls it a Giant Brown Eyed Susan. Their horticulturist says it is found in moist open spaces from East Texas to the East Cross Timbers. I'm going to try watering it more and see if this one takes hold and returns next year.

Now that summer is officially here with 92 degree tomato ripening weather, we can take a look at the garden with an eye to fall. Whether you want a few extra perennials to make a new bed look full or need some seeds to grow fall veggies, the online stores are ready to accommodate. Renee's Garden Seeds is reminding all gardeners to think of fall planting. I just bought some broccoli seeds to plant in pots in July for the fall garden. What to Plant in June/July is here and the Second Season article is at this link . Brent and Becky's is having their summer sale on bulbs. To get the discount, order by July 1st for fall planting. Here's a link to the bulb selection . The perennials on sale at Easy to Grow Bulbs include a lime astilbe, Roxy Dahlia, and Starfire Phlox. Sooner Plant Farm has several trees and shrubs on sale at the Clearance Zone link . One that I would love to grow is Red Buckeye ( Aesculus pavia ), They also have Black Barlow Columbine, Harvest Moon coneflowe...

Since 1909 Father's Day has been a celebration of gratitude to the men in our lives who nurture, care for and love their families and friends. In 1966 president Lyndon Johnson formalized the date as the third Sunday in June. Whether you honor the men in your life by planting a plant or a kiss, have a wonderful day.

If you are in the Kansas City area this summer, make time for a detour to the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Garden. It is a relatively new addition to the area and is not very well known. The gardens open at 8 a.m. every day of the year except Christmas or when the weather causes closure. There is no admission charge for either the gardens or the Environmental Education Center. Throughout the year there are special events to attend. For example, on June 27, an annual fundraiser called Stems: A Garden Soiree, is being held. The $75 tickets sell out when they reach 1,000 attendees. Restaurants, musicians, wineries and artists contribute their specialties for the night. (opkansas.org/_Vis/Arboretum/Events/stems_soiree.cfm) The Erickson Water Garden was the first feature built in the Arboretum. As you enter the gardens and walk down the path, plants surround waterfalls and ponds. When we visited the Arboretum last week, it was obvious that their summer weather is a few weeks ahead ...