So I have voles tunneling around my high density fruit tree bed, inside the hugelkulter base. Under these trees is a real hugelkulter set up. Never again. I own some poison peanuts. Which I read the instructions on: post purchase. They aren't meant to use around fruit trees. Then I have a couple of mouse … Continue reading Vole Hole
My paste tomatoes are starting to blush! If you lose tomatoes to animals, pull them as they just start to blush red, and ripen them on the counter. Then you won't have to share! There's tons more in the garden that aren't ready to bring in. Great year for tomatoes for me! That's super unusual. … Continue reading Paste Tomatoes!
Because of our heat, and the fact that our main hummingbird variety will not share with other birds: I use really small feeders and place them all over my yard. On the way out the door with fresh hummingbird food. I usually have five out at a time. In our feel like 112° heat, they … Continue reading My Favorite Hummingbird Feeders
Future pomegranate. I love these, but: processing a whole bunch of these, no matter the method, is tedious. My poor sick pear. I'm not sure if the drought and heat last year got to it, or if the fireblight and iron chlorosis is doing it in. So sad to see my twelve year old tree … Continue reading Summer Fruits Are Forming
Both of my grandmother's had cast iron collections. These were things they either purchased in Kansas or are my family's heirlooms. My mom's family on a road trip to Washington DC. My granny on my mom's side married a jerk, (to say it mildly) after my grandpa died. He made her get rid of her … Continue reading How I Restored My Antique Iron: Two Methods
Because these were cut and fitted last year, I was able to get a ladder out and use pvc pipe glue (even in this horrible heat) and get this frame together in a permanent way. It took me very little time, but I'm sweating in sheets right now. Miserable heat and humidity. This is the … Continue reading Crazy Daily Gardening
Two of my favorite flowers. Gladiolus and iris. My two pawpaws are coming along nicely, but I need to put some shade cloth over them. They are already starting to show signs of heat stress. It's already in the 90s here. Making 5 gallons of fig wine. (These were frozen and I needed that space … Continue reading Crazy Daily Gardening
Blackberries. The mulberry ended its amazing run a couple of weeks ago. A tiny, unripe marionberry. These have a very distinct flavor. You get a blackberry/raspberry flavor with more sweetness than a blackberry and more tart flavor than a raspberry. Since I can't grow regular raspberries down here: I put in a couple of Mysore … Continue reading Today In The Garden
I have a few types of flowers that I grew up seeing in my granny's flower gardens. Bearded iris were her favorites, my mother's favorites and mine. But there's more. Daylillies were always in my other grandmother's garden. She would plant them in huge drifts. I have always grown gladiolus (as annuals), paperwhites, daffodils and … Continue reading Bulb Flowers For Texas
Stormy day gives me some much needed recuperation and rest. I'm noticing that I can still do what I did in my youth, I just get injured now. I've got tennis elbow from driving tposts a couple of weeks ago with a sledge hammer. Unfortunately, even though I bought a driver to finish the tposts: … Continue reading Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head…
Marionberries and tomatoes Tomatoes Potatoes and tomatoes Onions Corn is tassling! Bananas Muscadine grape High density, hugelkulter tree bed. Block of corn Iris. One of my very favorite flowers! Double bloomed daylillies Blueberries (I already ate half of them!) Tons of daylilly blossoms ready to open. Come outside to visit. I'll save a seat for … Continue reading Today in the Garden
I got a call the other day from a neighbor. "I have seven bricks, do you want them?" "Yes! Yes, I do!" I have plans for bricks, and free ones are the best kind! These plans were sparked by regularly spending hours on Pinterest (Can't sleep? It's Pinterest time!) and randomly remembering a few pins … Continue reading Painting Pavers To Look Like Books
Who knew these make great wine? Update: this recipe came out excellent. I did not have to backsweeten after about a year and a half of aging. It really mellowed nicely. The sharp notes from the peel, are now smooth and give it depth. Although, I think I'll make it next time without the peel … Continue reading Armenian Cucumber Wine
Corn Blackberries Persimmons (Fuyu) Tomato in a hydroponic bucket Potatoes, tomatoes and onions I'm using for scallions Marionberries, tomatoes and iris Peppers are perennials down here. These are bird peppers from last year. These were a gift from a great neighbor who loves to garden. Cherries on the left. I replaced the apples with a … Continue reading In The Garden
I'm trying a lot of new stuff this year. I've got wicking beds started. I made huge, permanent ones for fruiting bushes. Beginning of permanent wicking beds. Find this project here: wicking bed Then I have some specialty holes I have for two trees that don't like my soil. Completely replaced soil, plus small raised … Continue reading Off Grid Hydroponic Buckets
I live in Texas. Things get hot fast and our springs are usually very hot, windy and dry. Putting out transplants is tough. If you are using grow lights and have sprouted your seed indoors (or if you bought from a nursery that grew inside a greenhouse): your plants are not going to like immediate … Continue reading Planting In A Raised Bed: Getting Around Hardening Off
Long day today, but it was nice out, so I didn't mind. Worked on the wicking bed. I did a lot of it trying to film with my video camera but I need to sit down and actually read the directions. I'm really not good at electronics! Shoveling a bunch of gravel into my wagon … Continue reading Crazy Day, Numero Dos
Today and tomorrow are going to be in the 70's. Probably the last two days like this until fall. So, I'm trying to get a ton of stuff done. My husband was supposed to go after the boxwoods that are out of control. I needed to cut back the giant fig I have. Since I've … Continue reading How Much Craziness Can One Girl Get Up to In A Day?
I bought two blueberry plants from Raintree Nursery a couple of years ago. I'm really enjoying having my own supply. This is today's haul: Just enough to make me happy! The plants are still small, but they're still young. Blueberries need acidic soil and lots of water. They have a shallow root system. You can … Continue reading Growing Blueberries in South Texas
I run a mostly organic garden, because: I mostly grow food crops. The only thing I deviate on, is herbicide, and that only goes in select areas. (Like the gravel play area that I did not create.) Well I also use amdro bait. I cannot abide fire ants in my beds. So, as I'm gardening … Continue reading Local Lizards
Crazy Green Thumbs 