06/14/2026
Hometown Gardener 6/14/26 Never encourage your young adult to become a meteorologist. Unless of course that person is fascinated by the weather. Andy Wallace was doing weather reports for Ch. 7 in Lawton while he was still in high school. He currently works for the National Weather Service in Norman, Ok. There was no other choice for this man. A perfect example of what I am talking about.
I watched John Cameron’s forecast for today from the Saturday evening forecast. John’s new forecast dropped our rain chances from 60% to 30% in the past 24 hrs. All week long we gardeners were counting on some rain with this cold front. The front has arrived. We got nary a drop of rain in the immediate area. Such are the vagaries of Texoma weather and forecast models. So now folks will blame John and the others for building our hopes up for a big letdown. So today, if you are a weatherman you don’t want to be seen in public. You will be blamed for something that is beyond your control. Wind currents carrying moisture (or not) swirling around above our heads.
John Cameron has been around here a good while. I have gotten to know him better lately. He is a musician and favors his drum set which I also did earlier in life. The difference is John has never known the feeling of what it is like to play before an audience. To see hundreds of people dancing and enjoying the beats you lay down for them. I have known that feeling for decades. I was a card carrying member of the Musicians Union as a teenager. I played off and on well into my 30’s. John chose to be a meteorologist instead. For him, that career had to come first. Another fine example.
Skip McBride was another long time weatherman for Ch. 3. He is retired now. He came into Wichita Valley in last fall holding bur oak acorns. I told him it was my goto tree so he brought all he could muster so we now have the Skip McBride bur oaks. Skip has lost weight and appears to be a man enjoying his retirement. He and I share the love of fishing. Lake Wichita is his back yard. He is a happy man and deserves such after all those years of occasionally botching the forecast and having to pay the price.
The weather is the number one mitigating factor in gardening. So let’s look at that so far. Every year is different. Gardeners do not like that. They expect their gardens to behave as they did last year, or the year before. This year we saw 100 degree (f) in March. Not normal. We are beginning to see lots of abnormal growth. Leaves curling and twisting in the veggie patch. On the other hand. This same weather pattern created an environment where the flies and mosquitoes have not been so bad. The grasshoppers arrived on schedule but they have not been so bad either. We are not the only animal who needs somewhat normal weather patterns to thrive. Roller coaster weather favors almost nothing.
What is ahead? El Nino has already kicked. Early in 2026. A probable “Super” El Nino may be our savior in 2026. Normally El Nino offers more moisture to the Great Plains and Southwestern Deserts. An early El Nino of longer duration will be interesting to say the least. Hope for the best. Veteran Texoma gardeners learn to roll with the punches. There are things we can do for the veggies. Shade cloth can moderate the temps and help hold the humidity a bit. Row covers can do the same. Physical barriers last longer and can be removed when things improve. Sprays are short term and wash off.
Our wheat crop was basically a bust this year. Normally in June we are seeing grain trucks full of this normally dependable crop. I spoke with a grain truck driver yesterday. He said there are some irrigated fields that did OK but dry land wheat was sparse to non existent. Last year was poor as well. Smart farmers are looking for alternatives.
For ornamental landscaping the answer is simple. Switch to local natives and tried and true heirlooms for low maintenance and livability. Yes I sell mesquites while my neighbors bulldoze and burn at increasing costs. What a waste. Yet I see astute homeowners who live out of the city and a few even in the city leaving some mesquites for some shade and soil improvement. Stay clear of fancy new hybrids until you see them thrive. In too many cases you see this happening. You can change your entire wardrobe to keep up with the latest fashion. It gets expensive. Too many people think a rose is a rose. A lantana is a lantana and so forth but such is not the case. We tried a thornless mesquite from South America one year. It just would not live here. Plants that live in the wilds of Texoma have evolved with this roller coaster. That said even those will be favored in some years and sparse in others. Every year is different. I cannot repeat that enough. Last year is gone so look to the future. Become a weather watcher if you are not already. Yes our forecasting is getting better as we go. Still not as accurate as we would like. It is what it is. I’m sure the local meteorologists get tired of, “Where’s our rain? Cooler temps? Etc.” Just like I get tired of, “We’re gonna come see you next spring.” We do landscaping in all seasons. Spring is not time to plant. For all long living species fall is the best time to plant. So when you ask me, “Is this a good time to plant?” My answer will be “Yes.” You just have to keep an eye on the weather. Enough. I’ve got watering to do today. Was just hoping for some rain… Eat local, shop local, buy local.
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