By Jannie Vaught Have you ever wondered about the USDA growing zones and what does it mean to you as a gardener or a farmer? Let us get a definition. The USDA Hardiness Zone map divides North America into 11 separate planting zones; each growing zone is 10*F warmer (or colder) in an average winter than the adjacent zone. Zone 8 Texas is one of … Continue reading What The USDA Growing Zones Mean
By Jannie Vaught “The beauty of seed is rivaled only by their purpose.” Seed Savers Exchange. Definitions that will clear up the usage of these terms. Sustainable: able to maintain at a certain rate or level. Renewable: not depleted when used. These are just two of the many descriptive words now used when someone is describing their “Natural ” lifestyle choice. I find this overuse, … Continue reading The Beauty Of The Seed
By Jannie Vaught Which is a good time to brush up on seed saving, I am using the Book The Seed Garden The Art and Practice of Seed Saving from Seed Savers Exchange. If you are interested in going deeper into seed and plant identification this is a good book to have. Definition; Taxonomy and Nomenclature is the science that identifies and classifies plants according … Continue reading It Is The Quiet Time In The Garden
By Jannie Vaught Being born and raised in a farming and gardening family, now it is called “homesteading” my grandparents and parents always saved seeds and plant cuttings. This was as normal as cooking dinner. They walked the Trail of Tears, with seeds, and were relocated to central California after the dust bowl. My Uncle Coy Vaught farmed with a mule team and worked the … Continue reading Why I Save Seeds
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 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 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 So many gardens were severely frost bitten, or should I say froze to death, that my message box became full in one day! What do I do and will it survive? If any tender vegetables were out it probably will not be a good producer if it survives. Even my hardy winter worn mustard greens were bent over double. Most of my … Continue reading Trimming Back What The Frost Got
Jannie Vaught Most of the stone fruit trees are budding and many in flower. The Blue Bonnets are showing with their bright blue sparkles. I didn’t realize how color hungry I had become, then the first flowers and the Bonnets show and I think I’ve been living in black and white. I have 2 subjects to cover this time. Perennial, Annual and Biennial vegetables and … Continue reading This Is The Time Of Year We Look Forward To
By Jannie Vaught Yams, beets, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, carrot, yucca, kohlrabi, onion. garlic, celery root (celeriac), horseradish, daikon, turmeric, jicama, Jerusalem artichoke, radish, ginger are all considered roots. Because root vegetables grow underground they absorb a great number of nutrients. Botany distinguishes true roots such as (tap root and tuberous roots) from non- food roots (such as corms, bulbs rhizomes, and tubers). The term” … Continue reading Roots, My Favorite Vegetable To Grow
By: Jannie Vaught For this Gardner, it is a big Thank You! The heat did cause some heat issues and with consistent and deep watering most of the garden is still in production, although slowed down or gone off the rails with ripening. I got plums galore and my later ripening peaches have slowed a bit. The blackberries for me are recovering from a full-on … Continue reading Rain! A Respite From The Searing Heat
Dreamweaverarts 
You must be logged in to post a comment.