Finally done with the pawpaw planting. I added a moat around each to gather rain water. When we get rain in south Texas it's like the sky opens up and a giant waterfall replaces the clouds. It's never "a little bit" anything, down here. I'm going to cover these with shade cloth this year and … Continue reading Crazy Daily Progress
Planted pawpaw. Everyone has some sort of limitations in gardening. It's too hot, it's too cold, it's too wet, it's too dry. All kinds of things can be problematic. My issue is my soil. And yes, maybe, it could be worse. I don't know how. Maybe if I lived in the Sahara desert... I could … Continue reading Planting Fruit Trees, In Garbage Soil: Pawpaw Edition
Had to net the mulberry tree. The new green growth will harden like this before I get the net back off, so it will have a sort of weeping form. That's fine by me because I don't like climbing ladders to mess with fruit trees. These mulberries are way ahead of anything else in the … Continue reading Crazy Garden Updates
This Easter we went to our family's low country shrimp boil in San Antonio. I love the food every year! This year though, was a bit different. I discovered last year that I can't eat wheat. I've developed an allergy to it, and it's pretty serious. The wheat sensitivity, is way back from climbing up … Continue reading Best Damn Rainbow Fruit Skewers And Dip Out There!
Like most things: Texas does grubs on a giant scale. I think these are Hercules beetle grubs, but it's an: "if you build it they will come" thing. Anytime you bury uncomposted material, like straw or cardboard, you will get these down here. They mostly eat dead, rotting things, but I have had them show … Continue reading Grody Grubs
I'm in San Antonio. I grow Asian persimmons and have done so for about twelve years. The first tree was a dud. It was an astringent persimmon, a Saijo. It was fantastically sweet, but had the texture of a water balloon filled with snot. Varying degrees of ripeness from the Saijo. Persimmons can be cooked. … Continue reading Non Astringent, Asian Persimmon In South Texas
Three beds finished with weeding. Still need to clear out the banana bed and remove some bananas that I no longer want to focus on. Corn is up. Tree beds are nearing completion. Done with Roundup for the beds that I don't grow food in. Also sprayed the kids old play area. Someone put gravel … Continue reading Crazy Garden Progress
I'm going to have to block the bottom of my fence. My dog is an exterminator. I love that he keeps the opossum population down but I'd rather he not get a cute baby bunny. And still, I don't want this guy in my garden. Yay. One more thing to work on. We've had armadillos … Continue reading Friends In The Garden
If you are my age (in my 50's), you might remember the music at the bottom of this post. It's music we don't hear anymore. But in the past: I always heard it at grandma's. I remember eating cereal in the morning at grandma's house. The radio would be on, first came the farm report: … Continue reading In The Garden
Sitting out in a protected area strengthening the plants. You put your seed out. You watered them in. You waited. Where are they? If you live in Texas, or the south in general, I'll give you some ideas about what could have gone wrong. If you know what these are... You know what this is. … Continue reading Where are my seeds?
Years and years ago: I was with my kids and husband driving around doing chores. My husband pulled up to the cleaners and went inside. From the back, my five year old said, "Where is dad going?" I said, "He's picking up his uniform." Amazement and excitement from the backseat: "Daddy has a unicorn!?!" I … Continue reading Funny Kid Sayings
Tons of Dwarf ever bearing mulberries. Morus nigra are supposed to be the best tasting of the mulberries. If you look online, experts on mulberries say the dwarf ever bearing variety is not a nigra. So, even nurseries mislabel this tree. If you want the nitty gritty try this link. These were sold to me … Continue reading Munch Mulberries Much?
Second cinder block bed. I've got drain tile coming but it's late. Still need to line this one with pond liner. Spring is when I get serious about my garden. Weather is nice. Trees are coming in the mail. I build beds and start corn and all sorts of good stuff. The last couple of … Continue reading What Have I Been Up To?
(This is my opinion. Maybe other people have a different experience.) I used to love Goodwill. I have lamps, silver plated candlesticks, milk glass... just a bunch of random great stuff I purchased there over the decades. I don't own anything worth much, but I own some stuff I think is really cool. Little online … Continue reading Why Can’t You Shop At Thrift Stores Anymore?
So, this year I am starting really late. I'm out beyond where I should be, to be planting corn and potatoes. But, hey, you work with what you got. Because I was so sick a few weeks ago the weeds in the yard are tall and happy and laughing at me! Oh yes, they think … Continue reading Oh, The Weeds…
Fig pushing out leaves. Random fig I took a cutting from, when I was pushing a stroller through the neighborhood, about 12 years ago. I got a lot of plant starts back when my kids were in diapers. I had a stroller sling to carry (and disguise) my pirated plant pieces! This is a Celeste … Continue reading Fig, Breba Crop. Spring in San Antonio
Well, I repotted the tree that had fireants in it. This tree is two years old and I just haven't had time to put it in the ground yet. It's also in a pot because it came damaged with the box opened and the roots smashed by UPS. It really struggled last year, it still … Continue reading The Fire Ant Saga
Well, it depends on what is growing in the pot. If it's flowers you can use bait or poison. No big deal. But this is a fruit tree. I could try drenching with a bucket of neem oil, but I just don't think that's going to do it. How do you know you have ants … Continue reading What Do You Do With A Pot Full Of Fireants?
Photos my mom sent me from her front porch of the morning mist at her ranch in Colorado, 2023. It is so beautiful up there. Cold, but beautiful! Love to wake up with a hot cup of coffee and listen to the elk bugle. Picture from the other side of the mountain, in Colorado Springs.
The birds plant these for me. They look like a holly, but they aren't. This is a wild edible berry that grows down here on the edge of dry forests. What is it? It's a Mahonia trifoliolata (aka agarita berry). It's a type of barberry and is our South Texas version of a currant. Harvesting … Continue reading Plant, Plant, What Is This Plant?
Chronicling a delusional gardening experience.
Crazy Green Thumbs 