Gardening
Front Yard Project: Part 2
Removal of the primrose hedge on the east side of the house is moving along quickly. It is surprising how much of a difference it makes to the view of the front yard from the house to have this hedge gone. Even though I tried to keep this hedge well trimmed, these plants grow so […]
The Front Yard Project: Part 1
As I mentioned in my last post. We have started to work on a landscaping project in our front yard. We built a cedar fence to define the space last year, but we just recently began the rock work that will form the raised beds. We are filling the raised beds with Geo Growers Thunder […]
Planting Pansies
We had a cloud burst early in the morning this morning which yielded about an eighth of an inch of rain, and made the conditions perfect for planting the three flats of pansies and violas that I got yesterday. I planted some in pots and some in my raised beds. Potted Pansies Potted Pansies Potted […]
Veggies in the Fall Garden
The rain has completely stopped here, and the mornings are getting really chilly. We haven’t been down to freezing yet, but we have been close. I’m going to have to start covering my tomatoes at night if it gets any colder. Everything is doing really well except for my squash. It may be too cool […]
More Condo Project Photos
These pictures show a bit more detail of the features that were installed at the condo project. All of the plant material is native or well adapted to this area. Much of it is deer resistant. Lantana with Monarch Bamboo Muhly and Crepe Myrtle on Side Yard Path Front Steps Variegated Ginger Variegated Miscanthus Desert […]
This and That
It’s finally Saturday, and I’ve been out in the vegetable garden all morning spreading mulch. The heat finally got to me though, and drove me inside. I’m really getting tired of this heat…. I pulled out my cosmos plants to make room for more greens and broccoli plants. The green beans are coming out next. […]
Cosmos In a Vase
I haven’t used cosmos from my garden as cut flowers before, so I am not sure how long they will last, but the flowers were so large, and the stems so sturdy and long, I decided to cut some this morning. They are quite beautiful I think. Cosmos in a Vase Something has been munching […]
I Love Fall Gardening
I think that fall is the best season for vegetable gardening here in Central Texas. Perhaps it is because I really like greens and cole crops, but I usually get pretty good production from warm weather crops in the fall as well. Even though it doesn’t feel a whole lot like fall here yet, I […]
Here Comes the Rain Again
Tropical storm Erin is bringing us rain today, and cooler temperatures. I know many folks in the area are not glad to see the rain, but it was getting a bit dry here so I am happy to be getting a mid-August storm. I finally got some fall crops started in seed trays yesterday. Some […]
Out on the Deck and South Side View
I’m playing with a web service called ustream. You are seeing a live stream of either our backyard, or our south yard, hosted through ustream. Pretty cool. I need to tweak all of this to make it more interesting, so consider this just a test at the moment. Update: The video quality is not too […]
Gloriosa Daisies
Gloriosa Daisies I love these gloriosa daisies (rudbeckia hirta). They have been blooming since late spring, and should continue blooming through the fall. They are short lived perennials here in Central Texas, and annuals in colder climates. Unlike some of the other more common rudbeckias, these are shorter and more upright so they don’t require […]
Everything is Growing
We were adopted by a very cute kitten a couple of weeks ago. We call him Button. Kitten Up Close Our fennel and parsley plants were literally covered with swallowtail and monarch caterpillars this spring, and I have already begun seeing many butterflies in the gardens. Swallowtails on Fennel More Swallowtails on Fennel There are […]
More Native Bloomers
This native wisteria is so much nicer than it’s Asian counterparts, especially in the Hill Country, I can’t understand why folks wouldn’t choose to plant these instead. The Wisteria frutescens produces fairly large lavender colored blooms simultaneously with it’s clean, deep green foliage. It is a repeat bloomer, and is easily managed and contained. Native […]
Growing and Blooming
We have almost sold out of our early spring vegetable plants and annual flowers, and what we aren’t selling I can’t resist planting in any nook or cranny I can find. We tried a couple of new varieties of violas this year that I was particularly pleased with; the Viola Bilbo Baggins (pictured first), and […]
Caterpillars and Roses
I took these pictures last week before the cold snap arrived. It is hard to believe that it was snowing just two days ago. All of my plants seem to have weathered the cold with little damage. I did cover the tomato plants with thermal row cover fabric, so they should be fine. We planted […]
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