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Summer harvest offers good eats!
Tomatoes ripen beautifully on the kitchen counter if picked right after they’ve turned pink: These are ready to eat.
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Thursday, July 31, 2014 5:32 AM
If you planted vegetables in your garden or pots, you are beginning to see the fruits of your labor in terms of ripening produce.
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  • Growing asparagus is ideal in Oklahoma

    Have you ever considered planting asparagus in your garden?  It is a perennial, which can produce asparagus in your Oklahoma garden for 12-15 years.

     
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  • Autumn color for a beautiful yard

    The recent rain and cooler weather will certainly help fall colors in our gardens Last week we talked about three perennial shrubs that create autumn beauty in our yard.
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  • Fragrant herbs: beautiful and tasty

    When it is too hot to work in the garden, we often retreat indoors where it is cooler.  
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  • Shrubs bring color for an autumnal yard

    Don’t you enjoy the fall colors? As gardeners, we appreciate all the plants and trees that produce the brilliant foliage we see every fall as our growing season wanes.  Stunning trees, bright orange pumpkins, and brilliant mums all come to mind when we think of autumn colors. But you should also consider shrubs when planning for fall color. There are many varieties of shrubs, in particular, that we can plant to brighten up our yards in October and

    November; we are getting close to the time to plant these perennials for next year’s beauty.

    Shrubs are the workhorses of the garden because they are smaller than trees, you can find shrubs that fit anywhere, even containers, and because they are perennials, they will beautify your garden for years.  But what are the best shrubs to plant for the most excellent color?

    There are a number of shrubs that not only produce wonderful fall color, but are also lovely when they are in summer bloom and wearing their green foliage. When you are choosing your plants, consider the color combinations that work well together; they range from yellow to orange, and red to bronze and purple.  If you want to plant some fall annuals like kale and pansies, these selections will also go well with the shrubs included here.

    One plant that is common in our Oklahoma countryside is the staghorn sumac, with its chartreuse foliage in the spring. The cutleaf staghorn sumac has lacy fernlike foliage that changes from green to bright yellow in the summer. In autumn, it is stunning with scarlet-red leaves among the yellow-orange ones. This shrub grows very fast, to heights of 3-6 feet and just as wide, and tolerates cold from zones 4-8; (remember that we are in zone 7.)  This sumac tolerates full sun to part shade, so it is ideally suited as a specimen plant in a Japanese garden, in a mass planting or even a mixed border.  Except for pruning dead wood, it doesn’t need much attention, and you can find it in any local garden center.

    One of the most beautiful yellow shrubs in fall is common witch hazel; this shrub not only sports yellow leaves, but also yellow flowers that look like ribbons which bloom from mid-to-late fall.  Although it is low- maintenance, it is shallow-rooted so will need water during periods of drought.  It grows 10-20 feet tall and 15-25 feet wide and is hardy from zones 4-8 (We are in Zone 7 in our area).  It prefers moist, slightly acid and well- drained soil, and can be planted in full sun to part shade.

    Another shrub popular in Oklahoma is the oakleaf hydrangea, which displays four-season interest. The green leaves in spring make way for the long, white, draping flowers; in autumn, leaves turn purple, bronze and red for a spectacular show of color.  The oakleaf hydrangea is a smaller shrub, growing 4-8 feet tall and wide, and should be planted in rich, moist, well-drained soil.  This plant likes heat and humidity and can be used anywhere on your property, alone or in a mass grouping.  It likes full sun to part shade, has a hardiness zone from 5-9, and is available in local garden centers.

    A third plant common in Oklahoma is the barberry, which is also readily available locally.  The “Golden Carousel” variety produces golden leaves in spring, which turn yellow to chartreuse; it blooms with small yellow flowers which turn to red fruit, striking next to the orange, gold and red fall foliage.  Barberry is tough and not affected by drought, deer or soil type.  It does like full sun and average well-drained soil.  Growing 4-5 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide, and tolerating cold zones 4-7, barberry makes a great hedge or as a specimen plant.

    Fall is the time to plant perennials for the next year’s color.  These shrubs produce great fall color, so you can now decide which shrubs will work best in your garden!
     
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  • The strange and beautiful toad lily

     Many Oklahoma gardeners have plenty of trees in their yards, and that means lots of shaded flower beds.  It is often a challenge to find beautiful flowering plants that grow well in a shady environment. One plant that is ideally suited to our Oklahoma shade gardens is the lovely toad lily.
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  • Summer harvest offers good eats!

    If you planted vegetables in your garden or pots, you are beginning to see the fruits of your labor in terms of ripening produce.
    read the full story

  • Summer squash offers many options for the dinner table

    Probably the easiest vegetable to grow in the garden is summer squash, both zucchini and yellow varieties. 
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  • Need water? Use your rain barrel

    During our Oklahoma summers, rainwater is precious. It is welcomed by our plants and sustains the narural balance of life, but it is often in short supply. One way to capture the rain that we do get from summer storms is to install a rain barrel, or several of them, on your property.
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  • Container gardening, the perfect solution

    Growing vegetables is a fun and worthwhile gardening endeavor, but it may not be suitable for your needs or conditions. Gardening in containers, though, may just be the perfect solution for you. This week we will discuss everything you need to know to prepare the perfect containers to grow flowers or vegetables!
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  • Do you have "good bugs" in your yard?

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  • Here's Your Spring To-do List!

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  • Upright gardening will add interest to your yard

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  • Composting will improve your garden

    Soil in Oklahoma can be difficult to prepare for spring gardening and difficult to maintain in a nutritious state through the growing season. Since our soil may not be ideal in many places – too much sand or too much clay – we have to add amendments to enhance its growing capability. Composting is an ideal way to do that.
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  • Plant a zoo garden this spring

    Here’s a fun project for your garden that can also involve the kids or grandkids! Plant a zoo garden using plants with animal names!
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  • Fill your garden with roses

    Roses are one of the most popular plants in Oklahoma gardens, and many are relatively easy to grow, especially the disease-resistant varieties like the Knock Out® rose. Roses offer color and fragrance in the garden, and many make wonderful cut flowers. If you have a garden, you should try your hand at growing roses!
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