Many Gardeners Grow Herbs

By Jannie Vaught It is either in a specific herb garden or right along with all the vegetables. We often think of basil, chamomile, fennel, catnip, coriander, lavender, mint, summer savory, marjoram, tarragon, oregano, chervil, lovage, parsley, dill, lemongrass, verbena, rosemary, bay, melissa, hyssop, thyme, and the wide variety of sage. Sage is our simple, beautiful, and delicious cultivar today. Salvia Officinalis is one of … Continue reading Many Gardeners Grow Herbs

The Pecan Is the Texas State Tree And Is Native To 150 Counties

Agri Life Extension, Home Fruit Production-Pecans This reliable source will give you everything needed to grow this magnificent tree. Soil and site requirements, purchasing. Bare root, container and large transplanting. Varieties and a good chart that shows which variety does best in certain areas of Texas. Pollination, early pollen shedding and late shedding varieties. Planting, spacing and training. Pruning mature trees “No Topping!” Fertilization for … Continue reading The Pecan Is the Texas State Tree And Is Native To 150 Counties

Understanding Seed Packets

By Jannie Vaught Pretty pictures with growing information. The pictures are often photos of the “Best” fully-grown vegetable. And when the one you planted didn’t look like that picture you are wondering what happened? Let’s start out with Your growing zone. Most packets will have a small picture of North America with colors going across from top to bottom. Find where you live and there … Continue reading Understanding Seed Packets

My Experience With Gardening This Year Has Been A Learning Curve

By Jannie Vaught I am following the growing schedule and watching weather and temperatures but I am back on all of my work for at least 3 weeks. I finally have gotten to a “normal” garden season. Not withstanding the potential of more heat and cool cycles. We are learning to meet each day on its own merit. Remember that song “One day at a … Continue reading My Experience With Gardening This Year Has Been A Learning Curve

It’s officially Spring And There Is A Large Interest In Gardening

By Jannie Vaught With the past year of empty shelves and higher prices for just about everything. Many are returning to the “Victory Garden”. With this has come shortages of seeds, transplants, and the products needed to start seeds under lights. Seedling trays, Grow lights, and even seed and potting soil. Some are purchasing large amounts of bulk seeds for storage. When you purchase and … Continue reading It’s officially Spring And There Is A Large Interest In Gardening

Yes, It Is The Seed Starting Time for This Gardener

By Jannie Vaught This week I carefully went through my seed collection and did a plan for what I want to grow this year along with the much-worn garden journal. We are focusing on the variety we know to grow well for us, Celebrity is one we really like, Italian paste and a cherry for salad and garden snacking. It is pea time and we … Continue reading Yes, It Is The Seed Starting Time for This Gardener

Orach the “New Kale”

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”

The Season For Planting Is Here

By Jannie Vaught, All the preparations and soil amendments are in and the tilling, row making and planning are underway. The important need for plant starts and seeds seems to be almost as problematic as getting a pound of butter or tissue. For many of us who have been sharing the importance of heritage seeds, native seeds, and plants, has been going on for years. … Continue reading The Season For Planting Is Here

The Beauty Of A Humble Garden

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

The Whole Picture Of The 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