By Jannie Vaught Last year I purchased 4, 2-year-old Arkansas Thornless blackberry plants. I prepared the bed and placed them in a fence line to use as a trellis. They arrived within 4 days and were fresh and undamaged. I planted them and placed a low fence around them to keep the chickens out when they free range. They are possibly the best berries I … Continue reading The Best Berries I Have Ever Grown
By Jannie Vaught We had been unseasonably warm through November and December. We entered winter, but it felt like T-shirt weather. For this gardener, this puts me in a constant weather alert position. As I watched what was happening to the north of us it became very concerning that we may have another “Killer” freeze. We have been preparing all summer and repairing the old … Continue reading We Are Into Some Frosty Weather
By Jannie Vaught I would like to recommend a book for those of you who seriously save seeds, beginners or those of us who have saved for generations. Many rules have changed from my Grandparents day. They just grew with experienced know how this wisdom passed along from gardener to gardener often in one family and they simply saved seeds, but we are much more … Continue reading The Wisdom Of Saving Vegetable Seeds
By Jannie Vaugh George Washington supposedly thought it was “disreputable” for farmers to buy seeds every year. If you want to save seeds from one year to the next, you need to grow open-pollinated varieties (not hybrids) and know if a plant is self-pollinated or wind or insect-pollinated. If it is self-pollinating, seeds are easy to save, and the plants next year will look like … Continue reading Seed Saving Is A Practice As Old As Humankind
By Jannie Vaught There are many people working together to bring biological diversity and food production together to bring food to our table and growing native forests and plants together for a truly sustainable healthy practice. For example here in our Texas farm ranching the use of planting Daikon radishes as a cover crops between seasonal crops using “No-Till” practices by simply using a seed … Continue reading Beyond Our Garden
By Jannie Vaught Fall is here and for this gardener “Most” of the planting is done. As I was reviewing the plan, I realized I’d forgotten the one staple we depend on the Turnip! Thankfully I still have room to plant a substantial amount. Let’s have a look at the Turnip. Turnip is also known as a white turnip. Family: Brassicaceae (mustard family) Genus: Brassica. … Continue reading Fall Is Here
By Jannie Vaught Welcome to Autumnal equinox also called Fall equinox. One of the two equinoxes, when the Sun is exactly above the Equator and day and night are equal length. And it ends on December 21. As we finally have a focus on finishing the Fall planting, I have to say due to the high temperatures and low moisture I have delayed my seed … Continue reading Autumn Is The Air
By Jannie Vaught We may get some rain if storms flow in our direction from the gulf. But you never know as this can change in a short time. Although we are in this part of late summer there is still much to do. My compost is finished and it has begun its journey into the raised beds and in-ground garden. I still have some … Continue reading The Heat And Dry Weather Are Intense
By Jannie Vaught What is the definition of permaculture? Originally the word “Permaculture” was the combination of two words “permanent and “agriculture”. Two Australian men named Bill Mollison and David Holmgren coined the term in the 1970’s. It is an agriculture philosophy that allows us to use the resources that we have around us to the fullest potential. The principles of permaculture are. Observe and … Continue reading Stacking Functions In The Permaculture Garden Homestead
By Jannie Vaugh For many of us, the spring garden is being harvested and preserved. I have re-planted some sweet corn a 70-day variety. Along with this Red Kuri, winter squash was planted a few hills of a small sweet melon. Using the Moon Calendar the New Moon for July was the 9th. But the corn was finishing and Not finished. It went in on … Continue reading We Are Deep Into Summer
By Jannie Vaught I seem to have a fascination with all things Fall and it is August, the heat is on and harvesting is a daily event. As the season progresses, I see the fading of this spectacular garden. Yes, I always have a wistful sadness when the tomatoes begin to finish and the planning for fall begins. So here we go. Plan 2 seasons … Continue reading Planning The Fall Garden
By Jannie Vaught When we plan our gardens and carefully prepare, plant and tend, we never know what the weather will do, our time we can spend watering and fertilizing, the outcome of our harvest is a question. This year is a bumper tomato crop, a bumper pepper, and cucumber, some are getting squash and now the time of sweet corn is here. When we … Continue reading This Is The Season Of Harvest
By Jannie Vaught A real roller coaster ride for those who garden. One day you’re in a cloudy sky with tolerable humidity and garden tending is moving along. Then it so hot you’re out very early with the soaker hoses going and hand watering the fruit trees so they can finish their fruit cycle. I am not a climatologist, just a very dedicated weather observer. … Continue reading We Are Moving Into That Summer Season Of Gulf Storms And Intense Heat
By Jannie Vaugh Time for vacation, family meals and gatherings and of course the gardens are in full production. Tomatoes, Peppers and basil to name a few. The corn is tasseled and the pollen is falling on the silk it won’t be long for corn harvest. During this heat-soaked busy time it is where you will see the impact of watering and intense sun. Consistent … Continue reading Summer Has Arrived With All The Fun Of This Season
By Jannie Vaught We have had a very wet rainy spring and with that comes to some challenges found with deep moisture and humidity. Powdery mildew and root rot are just a few, large leafed plants like gourds, squash, and pumpkins are susceptible to powdery mildew. It is a fungus on the leaves, a powdery grey film shows on the leaves, or a white coating … Continue reading Summer Is Here And The Heat Is On
By Jannie Vaught With all the very stormy Spring we are having and all the up and down temperatures I am looking forward to Summer. We need sunshine to ripen the tomatoes and kick start the lagging flowering. It is just an unusual weather year. This week I would like to bring up some issues I am having this season with insects. Cabbage moths and … Continue reading This Year The First Day of Summer Came On Sunday, June 20
By Jannie Vaught Here we go: Cantaloup, Warm Greens, Okra, Peas Southern, Pumpkin, also if the vine borers got your squash, re-plant at the end of June first of July. Things to transplant Sweet potato slips. Flowers for this month. Mexican heather, Marigold, Flowering balsam, Lantana. Impatience, Nicotina, Periwinkle, Verbina, Hamelia, Begonia, Salvia, Purslane, Zinnias, Petunias, Pentas, Gomphrena, Cosmos, Cleome, Coreopsis, Dusty Miller, Coleus, Aster, … Continue reading June Veggies To Plant With Seeds
By Jannie Vaught Not being used to such a wet season after the debilitating freeze there are new chapters of observation and working with nature. At this time of year, I begin seed saving from the winter lettuce. These plants stood through the freeze and I did a little trial and covered a portion with frost cloth and some I left open to the weather. … Continue reading With More Spring Showers Again The Gardening Learning Curve Is Underway
By Jannie Vaught Although the gardens are slower than normal the fruit and nuts trees are hanging full. And when the sunshine breaks through the cloud cover it will be a garden extravaganza! I am referring to this season as my adapting to the weather experience. Every day is a new learning column in my personal book of how to garden. I would like to … Continue reading This Spring Has Been Challenging And At The Same Time Abundant
By Jannie Vaught From Fruit to Vegetables the lasting result is a pantry full of healthy preserved food. About this time of the growing season, I am taking stock of what I am going to need in a few months. My preserving methods are easy. I can tomatoes and all the stone fruit according to the USDA food safety and use the Blue Ball canning … Continue reading A Large Part Of Growing Food Is In Preserving Your Crops
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