Full Time Organic Farming – My New Life

Some twelve or thirteen years ago Ron and I, disappointed in our corporate high tech jobs, set a goal of starting our own small business. We weren’t completely sure exactly what kind of business it would be at that point, just that it would involve growing plants and vegetables. And so we set out on our journey of learning and discovery. There was so much to know, so many decisions to make, so far to go to get where we wanted to be. It seemed overwhelming and confusing many times, but we kept moving along at a slow and steady pace.

Trellis Project is Complete

Trellis construction is now complete and it looks really good. We found some copper covered post caps which tie in with the copper roofs of the bird houses that are mounted on the taller posts on either side of the stairs that lead to the lower garden. In keeping with the copper accents, I found some string lights with copper shades which I may purchase to string under the trellis, but I haven’t made up my mind on that purchase yet.

Greens in the Greenhouse

The produce and herbs in the greenhouse are doing pretty well. It is such a pleasure to cut fresh lettuce, chard, spinach, and herbs in the middle of winter. The surprising thing is how little space it takes to grow enough to eat for several months.

Greenhouse Produce Growing

We have a nice winter vegetable crop started in the greenhouse this year. We have half a dozen cucumbers, over twenty tomatoes, raspberries, lettuce, and some peppers. All of the plants are hooked up to a drip irrigation system. We are using liquid organic fertilizer applied in-line through the irrigation system which seems to be working really well. The plants are all very healthy and vigorous, with thick stalks and broad leaves. I will be planting spinach, chard, more lettuce, and some herbs over the holidays, which I can move out to the gardens later if we want to.

Finally, Fall

Fall gardening is in full swing here, despite the warm afternoon temperatures. We have had a couple of mornings in the 40s this past week, which feels pretty brisk first thing in the morning, but by 9 am it is already getting warm. I was out harvesting jalapenos and tomatoes for salsa-making this afternoon when […]

New Blooms and Veggies

I bought this The President Clematis from the Natural Gardener in the spring of this year, and it was green and covered with large purple blooms. I planted it in an eastern exposure where it gets full morning sun, and the top part of the plant gets midday and afternoon sun as well. There are garden sage plants at the foot of the plant to help shade the roots also. Several weeks after I planted it, the weather turned very hot and dry and all of the blooms fell off and the foliage started to turn a bit brown. No new growth was evident at all, until last week. There are now several new branches putting out leaves and setting flower buds. I am so pleased. I put this plant at the front entrance to the house hoping that it would be worthy of being showcased.

Manage Fire Ants Organically

One of the most annoying pests in my garden is fire ants. They seem to infest any area that is moist, which means that all of my plantings are susceptible to becoming infested with these industrious creatures. I frequently encounter them as I am weeding or planting, and I have seen them infest root areas of plants so completely that they actually kill the plant. Add to this the painful bites that they inflict on humans and animals, and they quickly become number one on my hit list.

Hello Dolly

I’m sitting in my office watching Ron watering the vegetable garden wondering if we are going to get any rain from Dolly up here in Austin. I was hoping for an inch or so at least, but the local forecast at noon wasn’t very reassuring at all. Oh well….I guess that’s why Ron is out there watering.

We have been installing drip irrigation systems in all of the vegetable and courtyard beds, and we have laid soaker hoses in the in-ground planting areas. I have also been applying an inch of compost and a couple of inches of native Texas mulch to all of the beds. These are the best insurance against the relentless heat and dry conditions that have become the norm around here this summer.

Later Winter Seed Starting

I chose the seed varieties below for the late winter garden. I love the new Seeds of Change seed packaging. It is much easier to use, waterproof, re-sealable, and environmentally friendly. The descriptions below were copied from the Seeds of Change web site (with a few comments added by me), and links are provided to […]

New Views and Greenhouse Tomatoes

I planted about twenty broccoli plants in the fall this year. Some have done really well, and others have struggled. The one pictured below is the biggest one we had all year. They are the most tasty broccoli I have grown to date, equally good raw in salads and lightly steamed with a little butter, […]

Another Day In the Life

Sunrise this morning was spectacular. The air was crisp and cool when I went out on the terrace to take these shots this morning. What a great start to the day. Dripping Springs Sunrise Dripping Springs Sunrise The Big Beef and Celebrity tomatoes that I planted in the greenhouse last month are doing wonderfully. The […]

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 […]

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 […]