I would like to have a place that would support 1.5 cows per acre.

I planted cow peas late yesterday, ahead of the big rain, which was no more than a few drops. Me peas were watered in with a garden hose. I will have to haul water to my melons and pumpkins in the wildlife garden when it cools off this afternoon.

I bought seed to plant this fall, but I don't want to think about fall stuff while it is this hot and dry. Gardening is not for sissies, I feel out numbered by the insects and critters eating my plants, and it will only get worse as summer advances.

Truly, Moni. And I am a great steak lover! LOL

Larry, did say that wrong, about the animal units? LOL . Well. There were 3,000 acres at at the lower place, another 2000-some acres at the upper place. And we could run 100 cows and calves. How many animal units does that come to? LOL . Oh yes, I definitely did! Even I can see that now. So it took about 40 acres to sustain one cow and calf? WOW. WHAT????? Okay, just forget everything I said about animal units! Clearly I didn't know what I was talking about! There were a few horses, too. In my defense, it was a long time ago.

Nancy, I thought might have you decimal point in the wrong place.

LOLOL!

Little lovelies.

HJ, I'd love to come when y'all have a canning session, water or pressure. I'm still learning so I'm not as comfortable as I'd like to be.

We got in touch with our realtor, so as long as he finds something we like we'll be moving quickly. This long weekend I'll have to get out & work on cleaning up the beds. Work on a moving plan to relocate everything (my husband's going to have a fit when I tell him we need to rent a truck just to move my "weeds" lol). And cleaning...SOOO much cleaning! Hundreds of dogs through here have left a lot of dirt, drool, and I don't want to think about what else.

I don't remember ever seeing that fat little blue/black butterfly with white spots. Do you know what kind it is?
I spent a few hours this morning carried a few things from shed to dumpster, carried some house stuff to dumpster. Cleaned out closets (except for Imelda Marcus's shoes). I hate to say it, but I picked out a funeral outfit, since I'm donating his clothes (at assisted living, it's pretty much all sweat pants and shirts) I guess.

I think two more days of carrying/bagging stuff and I'll be done except for the u-haul to fetch some of the furniture to my house.

I left the puppy/land-shark in his crate for 4 hours, to my surprise he didn't have an accident. I have two wounds from overly aggressive play yesterday/today, one on leg above ankle and an ear lobe. I really need to watch some videos on training 'No', I guess I've never had to do that before, they came knowing that word/command. How can something that is so small and weighs only a few pounds, exert so much bite pressure? Admittedly, since he had diarrhea I have coddled him more than I probably should...but things are firming up now.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Alypia-octomaculata . I wasn't sure, but S. Schwinn said that's what it is.

Darn the color on cameras, it looked kinda blue on this photo, but not on most of the id photos. It always frustrates me when the color capture isn't true.

I'm not sure..surely I've seen it (grapes and VC (the devil incarnate?), but I don't remember it:0

Here's a hardy geranium that's far more blue and purple than the kinda faded out pink captured in my photo.

I'd never seen one here. It DOES have some blue: Forewing black with two pale yellow spots and inconspicuous metallic blue bands; Interesting weird little moth. Atypical antennae; flies around during the day. . .

Oh, I didn't notice that it was a moth when I looked at website, though its body DID make me think moth..just not used to seeing many that colorful.

Just aPSA
Please cover water barrels or empty them. I had a mineral tub with Buffalo compost tea and a little feral kitty got in and drowned. It was horrible for both of us. I emptied all my rain water until I have time to do it right.
I put out dishes of water for the others if there are others.

I'm SO sorry, Kim. That is very sad. Poor little thing. Hugs!

That is the type of moth I found too, when I googled it, Nancy. In other pictures you can see the orange on it's legs. Before the ridiculous rain moved it, we had TONS of visitors on the coneflowers last night. I snapped a few pics and was going to go in, start dinner, and then return to take pictures of the other varieties. Then it started pouring.

Jen, I'm excited for you and your new adventures. I hope something comes up soon. Be prepared to grab it.

Our beans were the first up for pressure canning, but I'm afraid all the rain may have damaged them so we won't have much. Maybe they'll come back. We'll see. The garden is different this year for sure.

Tomatoes will be up for water bath canning hopefully soon, so you can come over for that. I'll let you know. We might have to do smaller patches at a time.

Canning still freaks me out a little. I've only done it for 2 years.

Kim, sorry to hear about the kitty, but I have some groundhogs and squirrels I would like to send over for you to baptize in your rain tubs. When I went to the wildlife garden this morning I saw 5 squirrels, when we came home Ft. Smith I saw a groundhog leaving my north garden. I just loaned my neighbor another fence charger to run a hot wire low to the ground, I have had a little luck keeping critters out like that.

We have been planting like crazy, we are way,way, behind. I bought a small Chapin push type planter. I don't walk well, but he has been planning peas, okra, and anything else he can get to run through it. He has a produce stand and plans to sell the produce we grow. I can't do a lot to help him, but I can use my tractors and get ground ready about as fast as he can plant it. It is a help to me, I get to be out doing something and being able to see the fruits of my labor also.

Larry, your neighbor has a produce stand? That's fun.

It has been a different gardening year, for sure. Let's all pray for a good fall garden!

I shouldn't complain--and I'm not really--we had good harvests of cabbage, asparagus, onions, and potatoes. A few berries and a decent amount of tomatoes so far. The peppers are plentiful.

But...all that water standing on the gardens....yikes. The tomato leaves in the SG are curling and yellowing.

Next week, I'll start brassica seeds for the fall garden. How are we already at this point in the year?! I still feel like it's April.

It is different this year. Every year is it's own year with it's own successes and failures.

I'm with you...it doesn't seem time to start fall gardens yet...the spring gardens are still producing (lol). But I guess it will be July and sometime in July I should start stuff too.

I wish I knew someone with a fruit/produce stand here..they've almost all shut down over the years and the Farmer's Market (they have to pay stall rental) is priced outrageously.

We paid $6 for 2 zucchinis and a bag of kale. Seems a little high, but it is what it is. This booth only uses Bt for brassicas and handpicking for everything else.

I'll come back and insert pictures with my phone in a few minutes.

But, the blackberries! I look forward to coming years and the harvest we'll (hopefully) get from these plants once they grow up a bit!

The coneflower patches are so interesting to observe. So many critters are drawn to them. This guy almost caught a bee, so he was moved to the corn.

I had a sad thing happen a couple hours ago. Garry was weeding in the raised beds, and I went out to help and see how it was going. He had pulled the fringe tree saplng! I was not a happy camper. I might have been a little snippy--but at least I didn't cuss or holler. And I looked through a bunch of pulled weeds but didn't find it. Thankfully I was able to find more online so ordered two more. I can't say much since he has sort of taken over the weeding this year and I'm thankful for that.

When did you get the blackberries, Jennifer? What kind? I got 9 for Lincoln--Apache, Arapahoe, and Ouchita. I was awfully late planting them, so they're pretty small. Then, one of the HS science teachers brough 3 raspberry bushes, so we stuck those in. Garry had gotten 2 pear trees and 2 apple trees 3 or 4 years ago. They're growing fine, but no produce. Maybe some day. Maybe not. lol . I'm going to get the Chickasaw plums for school and here. Otherwise, just watermelons and cantaloup at school.

Sad about feral kitten--but talk about an invasive species! I hope things are going well for you, otherwise.

AND Jen--hope you have great luck with the house-hunting.

Aussies are so amart and eager to please, Danny, I bet he'll be easier than many dogs would be . However, I do remember that Brisco got into all kinds of trouble chewing on shoes, furniture . . . lol. That was nipped in the bud when they realized they should be crating the little bugger. I can remember helping them train him to come when called. Later on, I taught him other stuff--my favorite was to have him play dead when I pointed my finger and said "Bang!" I loved that. He hated it.

We're taking off in a little while for me to get my ECHO later in Broken Arrow, and then hip surgeon tomorrow. Finally.

It's been raining off and on all day. Just short showers now and then. Later, all.

I need to buy a book about native bees (or google more), I saw a quarrel (4 or 5) of small black bees on my echinacea today, just a tad smaller than a honeybee (so a fairly large native bee). I may have never noticed them before, or maybe I've never seen them before. Once you start looking, you see things (*lol*).
It's possible they were Big-cheeked Angled-Mason Bees (long name for a common name), but I'm not sure, Those do specialize in compositae flowers (ie coneflowers would fit).

Oh for crying out loud, Danny. TOO much to learn in this ever-shorter life! I walk out amongst the flowers--especially the big center bed forest--and there are a multitude of pollinators, from tiny flies to various wasps and bees. I know there are big fuzzy bumblebees. I know a carpenter bee--we have a LOT. I know honeybees--we have none here and none since I moved here. And I've seen others I assume are bees. Various wasps. There is a nasty one--red wasp, I believe, and poor GDW has been stung on more than 2 occasions by them. Poor guy is fairly allergic. But the ones out pollinating are no bother at all. And then the tachinid flies and other flies/wasps. I never really cared to look into them. I was having enough problems figuring out native plants!

I'm still not sure I'm ready to be sucked into the world of pollinator insect IDs. I laugh at John, who is all interested in identifying the bees (at Lincoln) when he asks me to ID one. I keep telling him pollinators are good but ID'ing them is above my pay grade.

At my not-so-young age. . . . I have crossed another thing off the bucket list of things I haven't experienced. (NOT the bucket list of things I want to do or places I want to go.) I have a friend living in CA, who is from OK. She was talking about the rats out there, and their constant battle against them. I mentioned that I'd never seen a rat--none in WY, MN, or here. She laughed and said to me that whether I'd seen them or not here that they are here. I told her I was glad, therefore, that we had 3 killer cats . (Referencing the invasive species of cats, Kim, at least these cats kill other bad invasives (rats)).

Well, this evening, GDW and I got done with my medical appt in Broken Arrow at 7, and then went to have a nice (not great) dinner, and for me, a nice Cab with dinner. The appt was quite late in the day (6:30), and so we didn't get home til 9. SO tired. We visited a bit, then he watching some TV in the living room, and I came out here to my "everything" room recliner and promptly fell asleep. I woke up an hour ago. Noticed something to the right about 6 feet away. It was. . . . . drum roll. . . . drum roll not in a good way the dead body of a rat. I ASSUME this is a rat. It's like 6 inches long, and a fairly substantial body to go with that 6" long.

I was more amazed than horrified . I'm not thrilled that there is a dead rat 6 feet away from me. I AM so thankful that we have 3 expert killer invasive species cats. If it were a mouse, no prob, I'd scoop it up with a plastic bag, tie, and toss. But I want GDW to see this. . . and he's in bed asleep. So I guess Mr or Ms dead rat will just stay there til GDW gets up in the morning. Meanwhile, at my ripe age, not only have I finally seen my first rat ever, it is dead and 6 feet away from me.

Despite the harrowing start (freeze) this year, my fringe tree is about 7 foot high and at least 6 broad. It's a pretty thing even when not in bloom, with it's dark brown leaf stems and brilliant green oval leaves. It's also one of the 'sleep, creep, leap' type thing..though maybe leap is too strong a word, perhaps 'lurch' ? :)
It was about 1 1/2 foot when I planted it six or seven years ago. Now it gives shade (dense shade)..which I didn't count on when I planted Arkansas Ironweed under it this spring (*lol*). At least it's situated on the south side of the fringe tree, so it does get mostly sun.

Garry would have a hard time pulling it up. You need to put markers on things (I used bamboo stakes this year, because otherwise I would mow them).

As to surprises, did I tell that a couple of days ago I found a terrapin (probably a box turtle) in my flower bed. While not my preferred place for him to be, I am happy that I have provided him a place within the urban jungle. I strongly suspect he will help with my slug problem. As to whether I mentioned that before...my brain is mostly melted...two hours of laying in bed at a time, doesn't work really well. I anxiously await his medication to stop that diarrhea...and good thing he LIKES the gel, I can just put it in a bowl and he licks it up.

Nancy I hope you took a picture of it... cause what if the ferocious cat nibbles on it?

Moni

When you figure out how to keep men from pulling up good plants, let me know. Ron is pouting because I won't let him weed the native bed. When he weeds he takes one of those claw tools and ravages the ground. Anything nearby is likely to perish.

We're babysitting today. (Did yesterday, too). Little snot turned 9 months, he'll be walking in the next couple of weeks. He has a toy a child is meant to walk behind, it talks and lights up with numerous fun things on the front. This thing goes off from breathing on it as you walk by. Makes Ron crazy. (Yes, we turn it off when he's not here.)

Thunder startles the baby and the scared y cat dog.

Hope Danny's dog is doing ok.

I read that cats leaving you "presents" is their way of trying to teach you to hunt.

I am also not thinking I need to learn ALL THE BUGS, but the bug group and butterfly groups are interesting. I find I have a dilemma. My first love, before gardens and flowers and natives, was birds. So I'm reading that birds aren't necessarily a good thing in a pollinator garden. Hummingbirds are apparently territorial and will chase off other creatures from their flowers? And of course baby birds are fed caterpillars. Don't get me wrong, I intend to let nature take its course, but I had never considered the conflict in me!

Lol, predators as well as prey are natural parts of the ecosystem. I had problems (long time ago) with small hawks and falcons that were feeding from the bird feeder (and not on seeds), then you gotta realize they have to eat too and they're picking off the slow, stupid, weak, and sick.

Ultimately, the predators keep the prey in check and they're all necessary. Never know which species might provide a cure for cancer, do we ?

I just like learning things...I may never be an expert on all the native insects, but recognizing some is good thing (I think).

Well, like everyone on OGN, I’m battling BER. Only I’m not bugging people about what do do about it. lol I’m just pulling affected fruit amd feeding tomato food. As a result, ive got virtually no Heidi anywhere close to ripening. They were my worst for BER last year, too. Not sure I’m going to keep growing them, heat tolerance notwithstanding. In contrast, I I’m trialing Picus, a hybrid heat tolerand paste tomato thats borderline unaffected by the excessive water, only one pulled fruit so far. Both plants were winter sown. Will report on the taste when I get there Heidi is good enough to eat straight off the vine. Fourth of July and Mountain Merit are also having issues with it. What isn’t? Brandy Boy, Bush Early Girl, Big Beef, Bella Rosa, and Goliath.

The classical (ie I learned when in college) cause of BER was calcium/magnesium deficiency. That may have changed by now...but that's what they said then. Not finding tomatoes edible raw, I never wanted to grow any. I do like them cooked or fried green tomatoes.

I seldom have a problem with BER, but this year I have, but only with Old German tomato plants, and in New Ground in the wildlife garden. The plants were fed and limed last week to see if that would help. I have not noticed BER on any of the other plants. This has been a tough year for me because of such a wet cool spring.

I have one Beefmaster plant that I purchased early. I have been impressed with the plant. I looked for seed online today, hoping to try the plants next year, and not knowing if I would be able to find plants next year.

We finally got rain, yesterday the soil was damp down to about one inch, we have had light rain today, but could still stand a little more.

Dawn taught me that BER is calcium deficiency but usually caused by overwatering which causes the plant to be unable to draw in nutrients. So even if calcium is available it can’t use it.

This BER business has been taking over the FB gardening forums. The experts keep reassuring folks it will correct itself, but it's suprising how few folks want to listen to the experts. I kinda quit reading those forums to some extent. Dawn taught you and a whole bunch of the rest of us that, Kim, as you know. Victory Gardens has it summarized nicely. BER--BAH humbug!

And WE finally got "THE" rain today. 1 1/2". I'm happy--we needed this. We have no reporting Mesonet station near us--we have Inola, Tahlequah, and Porter, all of which are more than 30 miles from us. And I sort of lost tract. But in all, I'd say we had about 3-3 1/2 inches, far less than most of you.

How's the young 'un, Danny? My kids' two current Aussies came up on my FB memories page today--the video of them is when they were probably 2-2 1/2 mos old. Cute little buggers.

Amy, I totally get where you first became invested in promoting a better world, with the birds. Someone asked me a couple months ago--maybe I asked myself. . . whether I was most interested in the plants or the pollinators. I thought about the birds. I realized the mission is to help build healthy ecosystems, and I believe that begins with the grounds and the plants. Then the insects and pollinators will be attracted, and then the birds will have food to eat, and so on and so forth. Although I must say, we haven't seen possums, skunks, raccoons, or rabbits around--or bobcaats or coyotes. I know those aren't far away. . . I think all the dogs running loose are part of the reason for that. I actually think the birds go hand-in-hand with pollinator gardens. As Danny said, predators and prey are all part of it. Think of the parasitic wasps, for example--and then there are parasitic mites that lay eggs on some of those parasitic wasps! And round and round it goes.

Encouraging news for the osteoarthritis. We liked the surgeon very much. Scheduling surgery for end of August or first of September, which will be gardens winding down a little. And to get me through to then, a steroid shot today and strong anti-inflammation meds prescribed. Feeling thankful.

Y'all! This rain is insane! I like a good rain....but we need a week or two without!

It caused problems around my job today. People were stalled in their vehicles and the cars were lined up because there was nowhere to go. Helicopters were flying over, emergency vehicles somehow getting thru.

The SG tomatoes are now half yellow. Oddly they're still making new foliage and setting fruit. They look like crap though.

I enjoyed fixing dinner tonight. Sausage from Tom's pig. Beans, onions, peppers from the garden. Rice was purchased...although rice likes rain, right? Maybe that's what we should be growing. Oh, and I breaded and fried the zucchini we bought at the farmer's market. I just tasted everything and it was good. Sometimes after cooking, I don't eat. It's weird. It's like when your kids are little and you get them fed, it's like you ate too. Then, you're starving a couple of hours later and realize it's because you didn't actually eat.

Hopefully the tub will be finished tomorrow. Tom is doing the trim tonight and caulking and then I'll paint where the tub will go first thing in the morning. THEN! Then...it should be ready. Crazy the amount of issues we've had.

Nancy, I'm so sorry about your tree!

The blackberries are apache and navaho.

Rebecca, sorry about your BER. So far we haven't dealt with it. Maybe it will work itself out. They usually do.

Larry, I'm growing German Johnson for the first time. I picked up a plant from someone at SF. It's actually doing very well. It's in a raised bed in the kitchen garden. I wonder if it's the same as your German tomato.

Nancy, the Ashe County pimentos are turning red! They are so pretty. I'll always think of you when I see/grow Ashe County. You gave me my first one.

The first noodle beans have developed.

That is all from me tonight.

Amy, you may want to get Ron a weeding tool like the Japanese weeder, I think it is the best small weeding tool I have owned.

Above center is Ken Ho weedier I bought mom many years ago. On each side is a Japanese weedier, one slightly used, the other brand new. I had my grand daughter order an extra weedier while I could get it. The Japanese weedier is made of harder metal and will hold an edge much longer.

I'm in a whirlwind (puppy, dumpster, Dad's medical bills, VA). Today I got up at 4 (usually no problem..but puppy sleep deprivation) and will drive to fill dumpster with last of stuff before the dumpster drives away (which it tried to do yesterday...in error). *argh* Uncertainty when it leaves, it arrived about 4 pm last Friday, he said could come as early as 6:30 (but will try to put it last).

I got a 51K 'we won't pay' notice from VA on his last hospitalization, I don't know what that means for me at the moment, till I can call someone later.

Puppy diarrhea (smelly) continues, I need to clean crate before locking him in it while I go to Huntsivlle. I don't have time...but I don't really want a puppy rolled in feces.

I have one of those Japanese weeders, Larry, and a scythe style one. They are MY tool of choice. He likes the claw.

Yep, when I first gardened, we sprayed the calcium stuff on tomatoes for BER. We also put Epsom salts on the garden.

My Heidis, Rebecca. I guess Ron has pulled a couple of BER tomatoes off, but I haven't seen them.

I have Early Sunflowers blooming. Heliopsis helianthoides. I forgot I planted them. And R. hirta. That bed is a mess and I didn't see the Baptisias I planted at all. The cilantro fell over and buried stuff.

Rain. I think I mentioned Ron had to empty the gauge. It is half full again now.

We babysat 2 days, today the dishwasher gets delivered.

I'm liking my new chair. It's a big mans chair, so plenty wide, but more importantly tall. When I sit on it with footrest down, my heels are 2 inches above the floor. So, 2" taller than the lift chair and 4 or 5" taller than my other chair. It means I can stand up easily without a lift. And my feet are on the foot rest. The lift chair hit me mid calf and slanted forward. It's also softer.

Have a good weekend.

Amy, you sure have pretty tomatoes. I have a lot of blight on my tomatoes, so far production is good. I ate my first ripe tomato from the wildlife garden, while over there working this morning, they are a little behind the house garden.

This is my house garden. The tomatoes will be coming off much faster after the rain, we could stand a little more rain though.

Nancy, here is the July picture of our " Fur Baby" calendar. I sure miss the little boy.

So cute. But I bet he was cutest au naturale, right? Hercules, right? I am so sorry--I wish you could have another one. . . maybe you could consider adopting an older one or even a senior?

By the way, Larry, what ARE you going to do with all those tomatoes!?

I am so thrilled your new chair is a good one, Amy! That was quite an ordeal, finding a good one, huh! I was thinking last night that I think Garry needs to buy ME a nice little recliner for my everything room. Don't you agree? AND I hope the new dishwasher works like magic.

You know we were thinking of getting a zero turn mower. If this hip stuff goes as the doctor thinks it will and I hope it will, I could save GDW about $4000 for a while as I'd be able to mow again. Ha!

I also have a hand hoe like that, Larry, that I like to use for scraping off weeds when they're little.

How's the pup, Danny, with the diarrhea problem?? I hope he is better!

Garry and I are running to Chili's for quesadilla explosion salad and a nice glass of wine for me. We'll pretend we need stuff at Lowe's, but really, we decided to make a week of it for eating out! lol

He seems to be responding well to the medication this afternoon. He and I sat outside for a couple of hours very peaceably (better than inside).

Nancy, Hercules was the little guy's name, and he was a cute little dog. Madge and I have talked about getting an older dog, but, still afraid we could not give justice to one because our health is going south also.

I have another picture to show you. You may remember a remark I made some time back, about a " road bed".

This is where an old road was, maybe a 100 years ago. This is in the wildlife garden. When I first took an interest in gardening in the late 70's or early 80's, I read a book "The Joy of Gardening" by Dick Raymond. I think he said in that book that he made a garden in his driveway just to prove it could be done. It is hard to see, but I have two rows of watermelons, a row of Armenian butternut and two tomato plants at the other end of this strip, which is in better shape than this soil. You can also see the pile of compost in the upper left I plan on adding to this rocky roadbed. I hope to some day be growing food in this mess.

So Larry, how did you begin that road-way garden??? We began our veggie garden in a former hunting dog pen, with a foundation of gravel, Long story . . . but it's working out since we put raised beds into that pen.

Meanwhile. . .

I am so joyful and beside myself at my first day of no pain , after 450-460 days of constant pain, can't catch my bearings. It's quite remarkable. I am so so thankful. I was walking very fast and without pain all over the place today.

That's quite a threshold (450 days), to what do you attribute remission? Hope you didn't over do it and cause further issues.

Larry Dick Raymond’s book is what got me started. It was so encouraging and simple

Nancy, so glad your medication is working well for you! <3

Not a remission, just a temporary fix. Regarding the wearing away of the hip, doctors have been using corticosteroid shots for joint pain relief, which can relieve pain temporarily. That's what I had--a steroid shot to the hip.

In my case, this is just to provide relief for a couple months. The surgeon's schedule is closed until the end of August. AND I didn't want surgery in the summer, anyway. So we agreed to this temporary "fix" for pain relief. I was amazed that it began working almost immediately--hope it lasts til surgery!

Yes, steroid shots are miracles for allergies too, but they like ot keep them in reserve vs getting you acclimated where they have no 'miracles' if needed.

Nancy, I started out with shots also. One of the bad things about shots, for me, as that I felt so much better, I started working on all the things I was behind on, and damaged the joints much worse. I had surgery on both shoulders. I have a delta reverse joint in my right shoulder, it was not best joint to use, but the only that would work because of all the damage I had done. If you would like to take my advice, just take it easy and do what the Dr. Says.

Nancy, I started working on the wildlife garden, and the old road bed with a small kubota tractor and a 4' box blade. I would conture the land to improve drainage, and try to put any excess soil on the roadbed. I never had enough soil, I also grew cover crops to use as organic matter to till into the soil. Its a slow go, but I am trying to make a pretty building site, hoping it will raise the value of the land, plus, I need something to do.

Very good advise there when dealing with pain relief (don't overdo it) !!!!

Nancy look what I found in my gardening folder:

McDowell's prairie is dominated by grasses. Little bluestem, Indian grass, Gulf Coast muhly and Mexican feather grass provide the foundation.

The spaces between are filled in with native wildflowers such as cut-leaf daisy, tickseed and winecup, as well as flowering perennials, including gayfeather, salvias, penstemons and coneflowers. Something blooms almost year-round, McDowell says.

The Plano gardener also has planted specimen yaupon hollies, red yuccas, desert willows and more. The random plantings provide a true prairie feeling and a freedom to improvise, McDowell says.

His backyard, which he planted in 2005, is even wilder than the front.

A circular path of decomposed granite circumnavigates a central bed brimming with perennials. Around the path's perimeter bloom monarda, salvias, black-eyed Susans, milkweeds, Turk's cap, desert willows and beautyberry, to name a few.

McDowell admits his garden chores are a lot more time-consuming than when he had a simple front flower bed and lawn. He says he spends almost every weekend in his garden, deadheading flowers, cutting back plants, weeding seedlings and tidying.

He provides no supplemental water, leaving his garden to thrive or not on rainfall alone. The only exception is hand-watering new plants until they become established. He uses captured rainwater for this and any other spot watering.

He grows plants that provide berries and seeds for songbirds, and many host foods for butterfly caterpillars, including milkweed, fennel and dill. He also selects plants that provide nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds.

http://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2010/08/welcome-to-plano-prairie-garden.html

Indian Blanket, Gaillardia pulchella

Prairie Verbena, Verbena bipinnatifida

Gregg's Mistflower, Conoclinium greggii

Turk's Cap, Malvaviscus arboreus var. Drummondii

Lemon Horsemint, Monarda citriodora

Frogfruit, Phyla nodiflora

Cowpen Daisy, Verbesina encelioides

Standing Cypress, Ipomopsis rubra

Green Milkweed, Asclepias viridis

Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida

Angel's Trumpet, Datura wrightii
White, and Pitcher Sage, Salvia azurea

Blue.

Flame Acanthus

How much do you think is worth while for here, Oklahoma?

Woo-hoo! That was NICE, Moni! Great fun reading! I'd say many, if not all would be good for your area--not so much me. But probably at Lincoln. I already have Asclepias viridis, Salvia azurea, verbesina encelioides, Gaillardia and prairie verbena there. I'm going to print that out! Thanks for sharing it. I was working on list of shrubs to buy for Lincoln this morning. I found half a dozen at Missouri Wildflowers. I think, rather than looking for ones I really really want, that I'll settle for ones that are available not far away--because I'll tell ya, the more I look, the longer the shrub list gets! LOL--isn't that the way it always goes? Sure would be fun to see his "garden"!

Larry, I'm beginning to think you have too much time on your hands! Haha! How long have you been working on it?

Danny, Larry. . . re overdoing it. . . hahaha! I haven't moved much in over a year, and so there are muscles that need to be worked on. I've printed out exercises for osteoarthritis stuff. Moni was the inspiration for that. No, I certainly won't be overdoing it. GDW assured me of that.

Jennifer--ME TOO! This is regarding the fixing of food and then not eating it. I feel that way sometimes. I can't get away with not eating it at all--I'm sure Garry would give me a really had time about it. But honestly, sometimes makes me just almost feel sick to think of eating it.

I do love the Ashe County ones, too. I think Amy does, too. This year have another great one--it's Hungarian Paprika Spice. Very interesting and pleasant taste.

Amy, you have to find that baptisia! I had no idea what beautiful plants they are until I saw one in Lori Darling's garden. So then I had to order one for John at Lincoln since he was ooing and ahhing over it. Brat.

Speaking of Lincoln I need to get out of here and go see what's happening there. Later, all.

Moni, I grow/grew (Chelsea) most of those (not cowpen daisy nor penstemons (save for tenuis and digitalis)). so I'd say very apt for you if I can manage most of them in my swamp.

I just finished browning some okra and threw on a pork steak for supper...I have little trouble eating usually, more trouble figuring out what to cook, I think I'll finish it off with some applesauce afterwards. Not high cooking, but it's something at least.

Nancy, you might say that I started the project in 1957 when I planted 700 pine seedlings in when I now call the wildlife garden. I plan on working on this project as long as I am able. The land has been passed to kids now, but, if they have the love for it as I do it does not show.