My grandmother classified her flowers as brave when they
would stand our hot and dry summers. She loved red Cannas,
Zinnias and Crepe Myrtle because they would faithfully bloom until the first freeze. There was always a splash of
bright color in her flower garden.

She could start almost anything with a few seeds or a cutting from a plant she admired. This custom of passing
along seeds and cuttings is alive today in our family.
My other grandmother brought lilacs to Oklahoma when they homesteaded here. My cousin on the other side of the family ended up with a start of those old lilacs and offered
me one just the other day. I declined because I have a
lilac bush in the back yard now.

If I were to list one of my favorites it would be the
Knock Out rose. It isn't prey to disease and it blooms all the time from early spring to late fall. It is a perrenial
and that is all to the good. The best annuals in my opinion are red geraniums and what we call periwinkles which
are part of the vinca family and bloom continuously.

This summer, evergreens have really taken a hit. I may
lose my large rosemary plant but I have a tiny one that will
probably survive. I water every morning in an effort to
keep them all alive.