UPDATES
5/19/2009
Last March, I asked the
mowers not to cut the grass back behind the TIKVA planting beds because the
native Blue-Eyed Grass was blooming everywhere, and it’s always been one of my
favorite little wildflowers. Well, the mowers haven’t touched it since then, and
amazing things are happening! Yes, we have more than enough speargrass (if you
didn’t have speargrass thrown at you on the playground as a kid, then you missed
a special child-based torture), but if you look past that, you’ll see all the
By the way, speaking of
insects, I have been seeing a healthy, happy society of ladybugs on the garden
beds. That says we’re all doing something right!
This is a shot of the Prairie
Verbena that’s appearing. That sells for a buck forty-nine per 4-inch pot
retail.
I’m serious about thinking about making
a wilderness trail back there- can you see it? Little wooden signs about the
native species, and descriptions? Do you think we could get a grant? Designation
as a Protected Species Area? Okay, okay- just by not mowing, maybe not. But
watching all this wonderful stuff popping up just gets me feeling like anything
is possible. It’s energizing.
Other amazing things are appearing as
well. Have you noticed those old peach trees that have been ignored at the back
of the property? Guess what? There are golf-ball sized peaches on them! For
free! I saw them and freaked out. Now I have fertilized around them- I don’t
know if the trees are ever going to bear again, but it won’t be because we
didn’t try. I don’t know how to
spray them, or even if I’ll need to, but it’s obvious that at one time they were
tended- they have been pruned correctly at some point. I’ll do what I can to see
if we can’t get a crop of sun-ripened peaches…. I think I’m hungry….
April 2009
WooHOOOO boy howdy.
Okay- we have peas (you have heard, right? More than once?)
I have been wanting to grow things for the kiddush table and also to donate, and
we're starting to get our first real crop. It'll work this way: Whatever is
ready to harvest by Fridays will go to Kiddush (sp? right?) and whatever is
ready to pick the rest of the week goes to the Jewish Food Bank. Ed called them
up and they seem delighted!
Dr Reiman planted his peas a few weeks later than I did (I pushed it too early,
really) but his are blooming and *if it doesn't get too hot too soon* should be
producing in about a week.
The Wolanow's bed has had a bunch of seedlings sprout, and then sit there, but
they have officially won the Radish contest- they have one that looks ready, and
a little cluster that will be ready this weekend? They beat me- I planted 2
different varieties and I have seen bupkus. But at home, radishes do well in
fall, so I'll reseed. I did get some seed from the feed store in Garland, and I
think it was old- should have used it for mulch instead. :-)
And what's up with the carrots? Again- spring is tetchy in Texas (it's 80, it's
30, it's hot, it's sleeting) and fall is when you actually get the 'spring'
weather long enough to get a cool-season crop. My carrots- again, Zip- but Dr
R's (SAME SEED) are at least showing some green, and Kerria's are trying to make
tops! You always second-guess, but since this is happening, I'll say that Kerria
actually planted later, and at a better time for sprouting. The soil really does
have to be a little warm. I had thought that- being compost- it would actually
be too hot, but.... whatever.
We all got lulled last month by the 80 degrees and put in our tomatoea and
peppers, then it got into the 30's (of course) and they got blasted. But!- I
planted real deep and it looks like most will come back, and yesterday kerria's
looked like all but a couple are coming back! So not a total loss- but I'd love
to put in a bunch more. Jerry's potatoea are greening up- I plan to built little
raised beds around them and grow them vertically. It's a technique I've read
about but never tried- so keep watching and we'll all learn together.
I just about have the rabbi's planting bed ready- I can get (hopefully) the last
load of soil in today. But we have another bed to raise! Steve G has ponied up
and has been whinnying like a racehorse, ready to get his hands in the dirt. I
have the boards ready, so Sunday we can start that. If it's raining *a little*
no biggie- it'll keep it from getting too hot.
Okay, Gang- this is my big call! I need you, your friends, your relatives,
people you can grab off the street. This should be GREAT- I have about 7
different kinds of sunflower seeds, and I want to plant this Kid Fort I heard
about- you plant in a giant circle, and the tall flowers really make a kid
magnet. They can play inside the circle- OOooOOO I want this BAD. So - we need
the grass removed from an area where we think this should go. We could put it
inside the fence where the plot is empty of the 2 final beds, or we could put it
outside the fence but nearby.... it'll only last one season, so it can move
around from year to year.
It would be best to get this in before the predicted storms come this week.
ALSO- ok, Naomi- tell Kerria that I've been watching her mint (love mint)- but
it IS starting to root ....it's going to take over the whole bed and half of the
county. I know. My own mint is coming up in the lawn. (not a bad weed to have)
BUT- she really does have to put in into a pot, and put the pot where roots
can't sneak out into the bed. If she doesn't have time, I can do it- no prob.
Let me know.
Ed saw a rabbit inside the fence- (got any recipes?) but we had to expect it.
But I've heard that using blood meal as fertilizer discourages them. I've
already used my own blood meal/bone meal (I've cleared it with the rabbi) and
encourage gardeners to do the same. I'll plan to bring in a little manure to
compost as well.
OOO speaking of- I need guys to wire us up a few compost bins! We have the wire-
so come volunteer. You will be admired for your great manliness. What is the
Brotherhood planning for Sunday?
That's the news, Gang- it's time for all the summer stuff to go in- this'll be
the fun part! Until it gets to be 110... phht. Gardening in Texas.