By Jannie Vaught A few of this and that, soil carbon indicators, minerals, and planting dates for zone 8A. We have had snow! Now that is a date to remember! With this comes questions about soil, planting times, and when to keep a weather eye out. Let’s look at soil organic matter in the soil. This is focusing on Garden location, not lawn or wild … Continue reading Snow And This And That
By Jannie Vaught As the year 2021 starts I often find myself looking forward to all the possibilities ahead. One has been to become acquainted with the Honey Bee. I have observed them and watched them pollinate my garden and flower beds. And fly away to unknown locations, but always happy to have them visit. What got me wanting to understand the bee was watching … Continue reading The Lessons We Can Learn From The Honey Bees On Family And Community
By Jannie Vaught Yesterday afternoon I was enjoying a stroll through our back garden and now leafless fruit trees and I noticed that there were wild or feral bees going after some outdated fruit jam I had placed in a dish for the 4 chickens who live in my back garden area. They were eating like they were starving! Maybe they were as this early … Continue reading How To Help Pollinators This The Winter
Jannie Vaught Seeds for this gardener have very personal meanings. As a seed grower and a seed saver, I am constantly looking close at many varieties of seeds. And I have a great fondness for seeds that are very tiny. It seems that these tiny bundles of potential hold a big productive plant, producing large tubers or leaves. As a small child, I was given … Continue reading The Faith of The Humble Mustard Seed
By Jannie Vaught Today as I was enjoying my morning walk through the garden and fruit trees I was thinking. “What fruit tree inspires me for being thankful?” It is surprisingly the Persimmon, Diospyros texana. Texas persimmons are native from Northern Mexico to Central Texas. Extremely drought resistant and a graceful slow-growing tree, bearing a black fruit. Often called black persimmon. Another reason to “go … Continue reading A Walk In Gratitude
By Jannie Vaught The leaves are falling. Just the other day there was a warm breeze and with it, the leaves began to tumble to the earth. There is a scent to Autumn and for this gardener, it is the drying of the leaves and the sound of them as I walk across the yard under the trees. That’s the scent of Autumn. With that, … Continue reading The Scent Of Autumn
By Jannie Vaught I would like to begin this week’s column by sharing a quote. ” When you have hope in the future you have power in the present.” John C. Maxwell American author, speaker, and pastor who has written many books on leadership. This is at the core of Farming, ‘gardening, small or large grower and seed saver is for this gardener the grass … Continue reading The Core Of Gardening
By Jannie Vaught As gardeners, we understand the “Need to know” weather and temperature fluctuation. And it has been a bumpy ride. For the last week, I have been preparing for a Cold Front to be heading this way. It has arrived with a sudden drop and wind. Watching the weather news I thought I was ahead of it by half a day. I moved … Continue reading A Gardener’s Need To Know
By Jannie Vaught More than a Spice latte, this “Fruit” has been feeding humans for over 5000 years. Cucurbita pepo is originated from Mexico. Yes, it is a fruit and is known for its hard skin dense pulp, and many seeds. From orange to yellow to white this fruit is a nutritional plus. Low in calories and dense in vitamins and minerals. The word Pumpkin … Continue reading It Is The Season For Pumpkins
By Jannie Vaught With cooler weather, my personal time outside has greatly increased. That means plants, feed the soil turn the compost, and plant the seeds. I am having some insect pressure and that just tells me that all of the living creatures are preparing for the winter. Pecans are falling and some leaves are turning. With that, the thought of turning on the oven … Continue reading This Autumn Is Looking To Be A Very Good Growing Season
Jannie Vaught, Along with rain and schoolhouse Lily, it has been a long hot dry summer. But as I remember Autumn is good here in the Hill Country. What I’m planting, it is “Roots and Shoots”. Beets, carrots, turnips, and rutabaga. garlic, bulbing onions, and Artichoke are coming back after their end of summer trim back. Greens are; Collards, mustard, kale, and lots of lettuce … Continue reading Autumn Has Arrived!!
By Jannie Vaught Last week a fellow gardener showed up at my door. Her question was “why aren’t my tomatoes setting fruit? We went through the regular questions, are you feeding them on a regular time schedule? Are they in cages or staked? Are you pinching off the lower limbs and removing the succors? And are they in the shade, full sun? Do they have … Continue reading It Can Be About Temperature And Humidity
By Jannie Vaught, Orach, Atriplex hortensis also known as Mountain spinach, Red Orach, or French spinach or Sea purslane, saltbush, is a distant cousin to spinach. A cool-season plant is a warm-season alternative to spinach. Touted as an alternative due to its lasting in heat and not bolting as spinach does, giving a longer time to harvest. Here’s more on this ancient now becoming a … Continue reading Orach the “New Kale”
By Jannie Vaught Today’s topic of conversation is peas and growing squash, melons and pumpkin in pits. In Texas peas, Pisum sativum, English peas, sugar snap, and snow peas, not to be confused with Southern peas, black eye, and crowded peas. They should have already been planted. as they are a cool-weather crop. They go in the ground in the fall. They are either bush … Continue reading The Beauty Of A Humble Garden
By Jannie Vaught Our gardens are beginning to shape up! Our potatoes have been hilled for the first time, Compost and Phosphorus and Tomato Tone along with some Calcium Nitrate granules all measured and mixed into the compost, wheelbarrow going down the rows and placed at each plant and a handful between for the growing roots to find. All this done or still in process. … Continue reading The Whole Picture Of The Garden
Jannie Vaught, Suddenly growing a garden and raising a few hens for the eggs is not a Hobie but something very important. Seeds are now hard to find and laying hens are also. Chicks are available but those seem to all bought up and under the brooding lights till they get some growth. As this gardener has been steady at doing this using Permaculture methods … Continue reading Growing A Garden
By Jannie Vaught This sweet-faced flowering plant is one of the first to arrive from greenhouse growers as it is a cool weather plant, spring, and fall. They are swept up by eager gardeners and flower growers as we are weary with the winter blahs! And nature is true to us and gives us a bright colorful Pansy. Pansies are descendants of wild violet, Violets … Continue reading Pansy, The Flower With A Face
By Jannie Vaught Vernal Equinox has finally arrived and with it “The Days of Uncertainty.” As the world is placed on hold from a sweeping illness from day to day we never really know or understand the full effect. It has emptied our grocery stores, closed us in our homes and had us elbow bump instead of a handshake or hug. And now the elbow … Continue reading The Days of Uncertainty
By Jannie Vaught As with all season transitions, it is always tumultuous. That’s a nice word for Stormy! Just when we get the tiller and digging tools ready it comes to a storm, but as a generational farmer and now a gardener it just seems normal. Rush get ready, now wait. And in the waiting time get out all those seeds and your garden planner … Continue reading Count Down To Spring Has Begun In Earnest
By Jannie Vaught Preparation is simply improving fertility in our garden soil. There are tests you can have done, check the Ph. and look closely at the soil for how much clay, sand, and silt. Place a good deep amount of soil in a glass jar filled with water shake and let it settle. You will see the many layers and the carbon or plant … Continue reading Using What We Have At Hand For Our Gardens
Dreamweaverarts 
You must be logged in to post a comment.