Gardening
On the Street Where We Live
We have had another busy and eventful year. So many changes. Just as we were getting settled into our house in Morrisville we became aware that the people who owned the land adjacent to our property were planning to start operating a sawmill and firewood processing business across the street from our house and gardens […]
Finally Settled In!
It is hard to believe that it has literally been years since I have updated my blog. There are many reasons for this, and so much has happened since my last update, that I can’t begin to cover it all. The (very) short story is that we have relocated to a lovely two acre homestead […]
Spring Is In Full Swing
We are already well into spring now here at the farm. We are harvesting onions and starting to harvest the first of the yellow finn potatoes. We have loads of not quite ripe tomatoes on the plants in the greenhouse and on the plants outdoors and expect to have ripe tomatoes in a couple of […]
Spring Slideshow
It has been so busy on the farm getting ready for spring that I haven’t had time to post lately. I have, however, taken the time to take some pictures so I thought I would create a slide show to share some of the activities that have been keeping us busy. We are planning to […]
Signs of Spring
The signs of spring are everywhere, and with all of the rain we have been getting since fall, this spring promises to be a glorious one.
Officially Summer
We are still having temperatures over 100 F most days, although we finally got a half an inch of rain last night so we may only get to the upper 90s today. With a little luck we many even get another shower this afternoon! Amazingly the vegetable gardens are still looking healthy, growing and producing. […]
Exciting Discoveries
My next door neighbor, who is very knowledgeable about native Texas plants, spotted a very rare plant on his property recently and invited me over to see it. The plant is a Spiked Crested Coralroot Orchid (Hexalectris spicata). I have never heard of this plant, nor seen it anywhere else. It is very unusual and […]
Digging Deep
Farming and gardening in this part of Central Texas, especially since the effects of climate change have become more pronounced and frequent, require special methods and techniques to assure vegetable production and plant health. I have found that growing in raised beds filled with high quality soil and compost, with the sides and part of […]
The Gardens are Growing
I can’t believe that it is 95 degrees F here today. The lettuce, chard, and other cool weather crops are really struggling on these hot, dry days. The wind has also been pretty relentless for much of the spring as well, which takes it toll on the seedlings and transplants in the gardens. But, despite […]
Birds, Bees and Butterflies
The buddleia alternifolia in the courtyard is attracting all manner of bees and butterflies. The plant is absolutely alive with activity. I got a nice photograph of a monarch feeding on it late in the afternoon.
Feels Like Fall At Last
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.
Spring Flowers Abound
This spring in Central Texas is the most colorful that we have had in years. Not only are there greater numbers and a larger variety of wildflowers this year, they are also much larger and more deep in color than I have ever seen. Every day brings new discoveries and more brilliant displays. We have […]
El Nino Showers Continue
Thanks to the el nino effect, this has been one of the wettest fall and winter seasons that I can remember since I moved to Central Texas over twenty years ago. The results of all this rain on the gardens and wildflowers is remarkable. The late winter, early spring blooming plants, such as the Carolina […]
Late February Central Texas Snowfall
We got more snowfall yesterday than I have ever seen in Texas. It was absolutely lovely, and gave me a chance to see my gardens in a whole new way. Here are just a few of the shots that I took while dodging silver dollar sized snowflakes.
Fall Showers and Flowers
It has been ages since I have put up a post. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that it has been so hot and dry for the past three months that I have spent most of my free time watering and mulching the gardens in an effort just to keep […]
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