Spring! That's a word, in my mind, that is synonymous with 'wet.' With the recent rain we've had, my flower beds have been quite soaked and muddy. But that never stops me from working outside, as long as I have my garden Muck Boots to wear. They are 100% waterproof and perfect for soggy spring days, or after a summer thunderstorm when you just *need* to get out in the garden. With a thick sock inside, they feel comfy like slippers.  What I really like is that I can slip them on and off without even bending over. Plus, they are easy to scrub and wash off with the hose. No more wet feet! 

The Original Muck Boot Company

'Buckeye Barnstormer' is one of my awesome little overachievers. This 100% double daylily is such a show off that I have it planted by the back door so you can appreciate it every time you come in and out of the house or drive up the driveway. It makes a beautiful clump and the foliage is very nice.

Hybridized in Iowa by Ralph Haehn and introduced in 2000, this semi-evergreen diploid grows 26 inches tall. It is a perfect plant for in front of the border. Blooms are 4.5 inches in size. Buckeye Barnstormer bloomed from June 27 through August 1 last summer. It is very hardy and consistent in Wisconsin. One of the parents of Buckeye is the Stout Medal winner Siloam Double Classic. I have grown Siloam Double Classic and Buckeye definitely inherited the vigorous nature of its parent.

I don't have a good track record with tulips. I can't tell you how many tulip bulbs I have planted over the years –doubles, species, parrot, Darwin hybrids, tall ones, short ones – you name it, they just about all vanish.  The deer love them and the buds would often get eaten before they opened. If that didn't happen, the squirrels, voles, moles, or rabbits either dug up or ate the bulbs before they could grow. My red and yellow tulips are the lone survivors. They aren't fancy, but boy do I love to see their faces every spring. They are tough characters that have somehow defied all odds.

'Only Just Begun' has been with me on my daylily journey from the very beginning of my obsession. I have grown this cultivar for over 30 years and I am in love with it today just as much as the first day I saw it bloom. OJB is a 1976 Gilbert Wild daylily – you've no doubt heard of Gilbert Wild of Missouri, right? I'm pretty sure just about everyone in the daylily community started out with Gilbert Wild daylilies. I remember spending hours paging through their catalog, marveling at all of the different types and colors of daylilies that were available.

Only Just Begun is a dormant diploid daylily that is very hardy and consistent in Wisconsin. Although registered at 26 inches tall, my plant is so happy it typically grows up to 33 inches tall. The 5.5 inch waxy, cream–colored blooms have a slight tinge of pink. Dainty ruffles are an added bonus. Last summer, OJB bloomed from July 2 through August 4. This prolific superstar looks wonderful whether it's 60° or 100°. Rain, shine, wind, whatever, it always looks perfect.