Gardening

Feels Like Fall At Last

Although fall officially began last week, it hasn’t felt like fall here in the Hill Country until this morning. It was a splendid 50 degrees F, clear, and calm when I got up today. Perfect for coffee by the campfire.

Fall has always been my favorite season, but for different reasons as the years pass by. Many folks celebrate fall because it is harvest time, but I celebrate it here in central Texas because it is the beginning of our second growing season, and it spells relief from the sweltering summer heat for another year. I am trying some new, ultra early tomato varieties this fall in the outdoor gardens. These varieties, Beaverlodge Slicer, Beaverlodge Plum, Early Cherry, and Gold Nugget, mature in 55-60 days, a full month quicker than the Celebrity and Big Beef varieties I ususally grow in the spring. I put them out in the garden three weeks ago and they are already setting fruit, so I am hopeful for a decent harvest before first frost. I also put out some okra and eggplants at the same time. Last week I put out several types of broccoli and some snow crown cauliflower which were starting slowly, but I’m sure will perk up with the cooler temps.

I installed a new flower bed early in the summer under a wonderfully shaped oak tree just outside of the courtyard. There were already a few interesting native plants growing there, a datura, motherwort, a native morning glory, and virginia creeper, so all I did was to dig up all the weeds and grass, surrounded the area with rocks, added many bags of Sylvan, and planted a salvia splendens, some liriope, and several lantana plants. This bed helps to create a transition from the courtyard to the recreation lawn area.

We are lucky to have a stand of kidneywood shrubs on our hill. They are propagating themselves freely, which is just fine with me. They smell wonderful, and the bees love them.

These colorful mushrooms grow all over the place here. I have not been able to identify them yet.

This native morning glory has volunteered in several places this year. I am hoping to collect seeds from it so I can restart it next year. It has made it to the top of the trellis and is mixing nicely with the tangerine colored cross vine blooms.

The courtyard gardens continue to mature nicely. I still have a ton a grass and weeds to pull out of the beds, but I have it looking good enough for some photos. All of the roses are starting to bloom again, as are the coreopsis.I am pleased with how the space sounds, feels, smells, and looks. It is turning out much as I had envisioned it, and in many ways it is exceeding my expectations. I am looking forward to adding many things to this garden in time, such as an arbor at the entry pathway.

Hope you have a wonderful fall season!
Carol

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