By Jannie Vaught It seems to be a daily challenge. we are expected to again dip in the low twenties by this weekend, then bounce up to the forty’s. Well, this makes more work of covering the fall garden plants and disconnecting hoses and covering the faucets. Or as many just shake their heads and let it freeze. As an “Old Woody in the Stem”gardener, … Continue reading The Ever-Changing Highs And Lows Of Our “Weird Weather”
Jannie Vaught The month of leaves, is this why it is called Fall? Anyway the bamboo leaf rake is out and the leaf re-distribution has begun. Don’t loose a single leaf! Break down thick layers of leaf accumulation in beds and lawn. Thick heavy matts can encourage mice, voles and pests. Break up the matted build up and take to your compost bin to be … Continue reading Welcome To The Month Of November
By Jannie Vaught Definition , the climate of a very small or restricted area, especially when this differs from the climate of the surrounding area. Conventional wisdom states that what a gardener can grow is limited to the USDA Hardiness Zones their gardening in, but i have found that this is not always right. We see one garden area thriving and another struggling to survive. … Continue reading Microclimate In Your Specific Garden
By Jannie Vaught There are two topics to cover this week, the effect of our drought on our trees and the Monarch Butterfly migration. The health of our native trees is evident as we travel out of town, and the many lost trees in town and also native shrubs and plants is a witness to the long and hard summer we experienced, and it hasn’t … Continue reading Trees and Monarch Butterflies
By Jannie Vaught Time to start planting and preparing for your fall and winter garden and flowers. Kale is a wonder green and will give your food and add to your flower beds through winter. Kale or leaf cabbage is one of certain cultivars grown for edible leaves, although some are used for ornamental purposes. The variety’s are many from curly leaf to … Continue reading It Is late October
By Jannie Vaught Gourds, Wiki definition, includes the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, also called Cucurbita, or the gourd family, the term refers to a number of species and subspecies with or without a hard shell. One of the earliest domesticated plants the bottle gourd. Gourds have been used for storage vessels, musical instruments, drinking cups, eating bowls, platters, dishes … Continue reading A Request Has Arrived Gourds, From Seed To Use
By Jannie Vaught Garlic ( Allium sativum), is a species in the onion genus: Allium. Close relatives include onion, shallot, leek, chive, and Chinese onion. Is a bulbous plant growing up to 3.3ft. in height. If planted at the proper time and depth it can be planted as far north as Alaska. It produces hermaphrodite flowers, it is pollinated by bees, butterfly’s, moths and other … Continue reading Garlic Easy Natural Health Boost And Loves Our Area
By Jannie Vaught Just last week I received notice that the fruit trees are available for purchase in local nursery’s. Already? I’m surprised simple due to the ever oppressive heat and no rain for so long. Yet it is time for fall tree panting and early purchase gets the good ones. Would I plant them now? Personally I would wait and plant when these temperatures … Continue reading Surprised Fruit Trees
By Jannie Vaught Water, pull unwanted grass, plant some radishes and learn and plan for that cooler wet weather. Here’s whats growing in this permaculture garden, beets, radish, the peas that were supposedly OK to plant now died the baked inn the sun death. So more will go in next week, still trying, The stored rain water is coming out of storage this week, And … Continue reading When Its Extremely Hot And No Rain Is In Sight What Is A Gardener To Do?
By Jannie Vaught, With the intense heat and no rain every living thing is struggling to get through another day! The tomatoes are either done or the strong are actually slowly growing, with even a hint of ripening, they need consistent watering same amount same time everyday. Seems plants like consistency also! Yes, my fall garden is sprouted and the radish are the first to … Continue reading The Personal Garden Library
By Jannie Vaught Texas with its hot and steamy days. There aren’t many of us who just can’t seem to face another hot day. We start watering at dawn, weed and tend till were exhausted, rest, water ourselves and then attempt another go in the evening. And we have a month to go. Time to readjust the sun hat wet the neck handkerchief and get … Continue reading Ok, We Made It!
By Jannie Vaught And for this gardener, it has been a high priority for building and growing habitat for them. Here’s what we all can do to help our pollinators survive and thrive. As you plan your gardens make sure there are many flowering plants that are blooming well into the fall. Plant native plants and even grasses that sustain places … Continue reading Pollinators Are High On The List This Season
By Jannie Vaught, Planting in mid -season or shoulder season, generally there are 2 garden seasons, but if your are a gardener in a warmer climate with less frost or deep freezing the shoulder or mid-season are very productive. We have annual and perennial plants in our gardens. And many of the annuals are actually perennial, meaning they will grow year round for m zone … Continue reading The Mid-Shoulder Season
By Jannie Vaught, Lets have a closer look at when, why and what to plant. Definition: A cover crop is a crop of a specific plant that is grown primarily for the benefit of soil other than crop yield. Cover crops are primarily used to suppress weeds, manage soil erosion, help build soil fertility and quality, control disease and pests, and promote biodiversity. For growing … Continue reading Cover Crops
By; Jannie Vaught Well here we are almost at the end of a hot July! What to do in the garden? Sow seeds: Amaranth, Black eye peas, Corn, Cucumbers, New Zealand spinach, Okra, Pumpkin, Squash (winter and summer). Fruit: Cantaloupe and Watermelon. Herbs: Anise, Basil, Bay Laurel, Catnip, Cumin, Horehound, Lavender, Oregano, Perilla, Rosemary, Sage, Santolina, Savory, Sorrel, Tansy, Tarragon, Thyme, Transplant: Eggplant, Peppers, … Continue reading July In The Garden
By Jannie Vaught Yes, it is July and a stormy one at that with high wind and cloudy skies that are turning our spring summer gardens into a mess! But after the downed limbs are removed and the tomatoes righted were are in a good place to prepare for the fall garden. The rotation of crops and recycling of space is known as “succession … Continue reading Starting On The Fall Season Garden
By Jannie Vaught All the ups and downs of the season have made for a very off the chart growing season. I do use growing guides for zone 8a and some of the days to ripen are either early or still hanging on for that bright sunshine to build their sugars and turn that lovely pink-red of the tomato. I am getting a few tomatoes … Continue reading Summer Is Fully Here
By Jannie Vaught With this season arrives all the issues of heat, bugs, and water. Let’s remember some basics, if possible cover tender plants with shade cloth or ahead of time plant where it has a little shade from larger plants or a tree, Water consistently and check soil by digging a little hole to see if there is moisture deeper in the root system … Continue reading Happy Summer
By Jannie Vaught After the devastating storms, the cleanup and restorative care have begun. We as gardeners lost gardens, trees and a full seasons work. But nature is resilient and through the cleanup, there were survivors. Plumbs that stayed on the trees, corn that was still good even though it was blown over and yes, tomatoes hiding inside the tristed branches! I am a Permaculture … Continue reading Another Great Day In The Garden
By Jannie Vaught So suddenly that it caught many of us off guard. When the intense sun and heat bears down on tender leaves you get what looks like a blow torch has scorched them. I went out the next morning and was suddenly snapped into the reality that yes it’s Hot! I trimmed the burnt leaves, watered and started a batch of compost tea … Continue reading For Many Of Us, The Heat Is On
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