Gardening in the Heartland can be a real challenge. We get ice and freezing temps in the winter, but not a lasting snow cover to protect the plants. Instead, we get freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw, all winter long. In the summer we have to deal with blazing heat and humidity. There are plants that like heat, and there are plants that can tolerate humidity, but plants that tolerate both heat and humidity are not commonplace. And, just to make it extra fun, my soil is pure clay. Heavy, heavy clay. In my part of Missouri, I’m in zone 5b.
My gardens started because of a passion for roses. I still have a passion for roses, but these days I’m enjoying focusing on the perennials around the roses. For winter fun, I grow roses from seed. I don’t make planned crosses to raise, however. I just grow seeds from OPs (open pollination).
While I am actually quite intelligent and know a good deal about plants and gardening, by the time you get done reading this blog, you may question both assertions. All gardeners make mistakes and the good gardeners learn from them. I’m just crazy enough to share my mistakes, even the really unbelievable mistakes. Learn from them!
Aside from the garden, I also have an enthusiasm for vermiculture (the raising of worms) and vermicomposting (turning organic waste into vermicastings for the garden). You can read more about that in the blog.
I have a husband, two kids, and two dogs and a cockatiel.
Fenris, the spastic beagle 
Thor, mighty hunter 
