Hi Laurie,

Welcome to Oklahoma and welcome to the forum.

Good luck understanding our roller coaster weather. I imagine you'll find the weather quite vexing (just as the rest of us do) as the warm days in winter always tempt us all to want to plant too soon. Restraint and self-control are important for gardeners of all kinds here in our state.

My first bit of advice is to get a soil test done to see what sort of shape your soil is in, and do the jar soil texture test I've linked below to determine your soil's composition. Much of southern OK is "blessed" with heavy, dense clay but some areas have really sandy soil, and some have a nice, sandy-clayey loam.

If you'll list some of the flowers you most enjoyed growing in Iowa, we can tell you how well they perform (or don't perform, as the case may be) in Oklahoma.

We do talk about edibles a lot because they vex us so, but many of us grow lots of flowers too, and we also have some superb flower gardeners here who don't grow many edibles either. I'm sure you'll get all kinds of advice and suggestions about growing flowers and herbs in Oklahoma.

Once again, welcome, to the forum!

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Fine Gardening's Soil Texture Test

Welcome to the forum, Laurrie. As Dawn said, there are several very knowledgeable flower/herb gardeners here who will be happy to share their experience with you. And if you ever decide to put a few pots of tomatoes or peppers on a patio, Dawn is the container tomato expert.Dorothy

Laurrie, welcome, this is a great forum.

I expect you may be using some four letter weather words often down here in the south, like Soil, Rain, Heat, Clay, Wind, and some others I am ashamed to print. But I guess we like it here or we would move.

Larry

One of those four letter weather words that I think she will be happy not to say often here is SNOW! I lived in Iowa for several years also before I moved to Oklahoma, and while I love snow, I think I prefer the warmth here. :)

Welcome, Laurrie!

Welcome Laurrie! Yes, we have all kinds of weather here in Oklahoma and yesterday, yes Jan 16, 2012, the Tulsa area listed Tornado Warning number 1. In this case it was deep SW Missouri, and not Oklahoma, but that is close to me. So we are not only gardeners, we are a bunch of weather watchers, and not just for how weather effects our gardens. Hope you enjoy the forum.

Hi Laurrie. Despite REALLY challenging growing conditions here in OK, in my opinion this is the best/most active garden forum I have found ANYWHERE. In fact, I refer my out of state friends here constantly. You will love it here!

Jo

Hi Laurrie! I'm a flower gardener too! Welcome!

You will like the winters here....much warmer :)

Lisa

Welcome to Oklahoma and to the forum Laurrie. Folks here will stand with you forever even when your garden give up! Good luck-Chandra

Welcome to the forum, Laurrie, and Oklahoma, too! I don't grow many veggies, but I do grow flowers and herbs. Actually, I have a Butterfly and Moth garden, growing larval host plants and nectar plants for both. Actually, anything on the wing is welcome in my garden. Bees, butterflies, moths, birds, hummingbirds, very small innocuous snakes (not the ones Dawn might encounter), toads, you name it.

Susan

Welcome Laurrie!

I rarely post, but am a daily lurker and have learned so much from the folks on this forum. I know you will too!

I grow edibles, but love to grow flowering plants that attract the birds, bees, butterflies, and other critters, too. The trick is finding enough room for everything!

Welcome! Carol

Hello! Welcome to the neighborhood!

You will find the best information on this board! I am consitently amazed at the talent and information on this board!

I had a friend of mine that is a master gardener tell me that if you can garden in Oklahoma, you can garden anywhere. The weather is wild here, but that makes the gardening more interesting IMHO...

I grow veggies, I am still very new to gardening and going to branch out this year and throw in a few flowers to see what happens, LOL.

Welcome!
Ezz

Yes, welcome. This is truly a neighborhood of gardening friends. We're glad you're here. Besides, I'd been wondering who moved into that place right around the corner... nice car BTW. :-)

Oh no, you live in Lynn's neighborhood. Don't be surprised if you find tomatoes and peppers growing in your flower beds. LOL

Now Carol.... you're simply exaggerating. You know perfectly well it was garlic, okra and sweet potatoes in those daylily beds. ;-]