Stay Cool Inside

Very little in the way of gardening can be done when it is 105 outside. Today we watered and checked on things but plants struggle to survive the kind of soil temperatures there will be over the next few days. Even some of the shade garden plants in moist soil are desiccating. Poor dears.

For a hot weekend, some quality time on the Internet or with a book will fill the gardener's time.

FELDER RUSHING
On the gardening side, check out Felder Rushing's website. Rushing's books include some titles you may have read, "Tough Plants for Southern Gardens", "Passalong Plants", "Gardening Southern Style" and others.

Rushing's website is http://www.felderrushing.net/.
Click on links that interest you but be sure to click on the Felderphotos link on the left side of the page for some entertaining shots of his yard, friends and places he has visited.

UBC BOTANICAL GARDEN at http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/ offers a botany photo of the day. The link is on the right side of the home page. Click through some of the photos and subscribe to receive one of these beauties every day in your email inbox.

CAKEWRECKS
On the pure silly entertainment side of Internet fun, go to http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/.
The blog owner asks readers to send photos of professional baker creations that flopped.

He says, "wreck...er, cake...in question MUST come from a "professional" bakery: your local grocery, deli, etc. If an individual made it, then it must have been paid for with actual money. No freebies! UPDATE: I'm lovin' all the e-mails, so keep it up, people! "

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS blog provides interesting pieces in their blog at http://www.asla.org/land/dirt/blog/.

CAMBIUM GARDENING http://www.cambiumgardening.com/ is an online bookseller that offers gardening and nature books at a discount.

Stay cool.

ASLA dot org, 2007 Master Gardeners Conference in Little Rock

CHECK IT OUT

If you have any interest at all in public spaces and landscape architecture, do yourself a favor and subscribe to a smart blog at http://www.asla.org/land/dirt/blog/ where you can sign up to receive an email notice when something new is posted.

Operated by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the blog currently has articles about the walkability of communities, solar powered public art in Washington D.C., an art show in Florence, green roofs, the importance of parks and a tribute to Mrs. Johnson.

I have never seen an article at the site that was dull, uninteresting or blah.

Photo: Ice plant in a rock garden,

2007 MASTER GARDENERS CONFERENCE IN LITTLE ROCK

Whether or not you were available to attend the conference, many of the presentations are available on line right now for a limited time. (They are taking them down in a couple of months.)

Go to the Arkansas Master Gardener's website to view 46-educational, informative and amusing presentations. The conference was wonderful - well organized, user friendly, lots of events and educational programs.

We, in Oklahoma, are very impressed with the Arkansas Master Gardener Program - Janet Carson is a star. Carson works diligently for the University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service and I hope they know how good they have it there!