hello, 2012

Sunday 1 January 2012


Last week CoServ came rolling across the garden and into the back yard with an ENORMOUS truck, and cut down my dead oak tree. BEFORE it fell on the electric drop from the transformer.






I'm happy about that. But the black vultures won't be. They will have to find somewhere else from which to survey the countryside.




There was a pretty good freeze last night -- the surface of the bird bath was pretty well iced, though Alabaster seemed to be able to drink from it around 8am. Cold tongue, brrrr! Agate declined to go out till after 10, when it had warmed up into tho 40°s.

There is unlikely to be another freeze for at least a week, and also little chance of precipitation. I will try to get both Eddie and Steve organized to cover up the playhouse roof next Saturday. Listening to Michael Pollan read his A Place of My Own audiobook has motivated me to try and save my “hut in the woods,” though I am unsure of its future. [update -- I spoke to Eddie about noon today as I post this, that is, Jan 8, and he got the tarp on]

Yestorday Eddie did a real nice job of replacing the short fence segment that CoServ rolled over (buried in briers as it was) at the sw corner of the garden. He made a wire-gate wide enough for a vehicle, if needed. There is a lightweight white plastic post in the center of the opening part that both makes the gate-span visible, and can be easily removed to allow a pickup through for access to the back of the house.

This shows the new section of fence, as well as my volunteer mustard greens in the garden. They came up after it started to rain this fall, and I have been nibbling away on them, picking 4-6 leaves at a time. The chickens like them, too ;-)

festive Saturday, buggy Friday

I've just been to Redbud Day and the first Community Market. The market will be every second Saturday, in the area behind the farmers' market. Got Amy a knitting-needle holder for works in progress (though I think she's using a circular needle now, come to think of it). Talked to a Flower Mound alpaca-raiser and a glass artist.

At Redbud Day I spent $30 with the Native Plant Society on 8 plants - missouri primrose, evening primrose (2), standing cypress (2), columbine, Texas germander, and a cedar sage. Also $5 on funnel cake. Many freebies - shopping bags, drain cleaner, pen, mosquito dunks, etc.

Before I went I got my order in to Wilhite Seeds for green soybeans. I have that vacant tilled row, and three hils for pumpkin, winter squash, and luffah gourd. Aside from those, the garden is pretty full. I have got 4 pole teepees up for the pole beans so far, not planted yet. I swapped my bush blue lake beans for the pole variety, and got bush limas which I planted alternate with the okras.

Last night I "harvested" about 50 radish sprouts to put in a sandwich. Mustard greens still badly need thinning. About ten of my potatoes are up, and a dozen or so onions. Also the peas are going to town, at least 4" high.

Yesterday the benthic group went out -- sampled all four sites, picking the samples thoroughly on site, also breaking for lunch. 5 hours total. Some odonates and mayflies, many many mosquito larvae and a fat-bottomed critter-- Simuliid? ID in lab next week.

2 more April days in the garden

planted so far (4 April)
tendergreen mustard, radish, lettuce oak leaf
white onions, red norland potatoes
sugar snap peas
peppermint, chocolate mint, candy mint (?), orange mint
bouquet dill (split in two)
ruffled basil, Italian flat parsley, stevia
mammoth dill
elfin thyme, golden thyme, lemon thyme
sweet alyssum (2), bluebonnets (2)
Fairy Tale eggplant, Brandywine tomato, yellow plum (pear)
Celebrity tomato, Sweet 100, Mr. Stripey, Green Zebra, Old German, Jubilee
Lilac pepper, sweet banana pepper
Classic eggplanto, Ichiban eggplant

still waiting
cucumber
yellow squash, zucchini, cantaloupe
winter squash
pole beans
sweet almond verbena, lemon verbena, lemon balm
purple sage, purple small-lvd basil, compact oregano
oregano, rosemary
zinnia
morning glory
nasturtium

April 5 - finished herb bed w/8 herbs above plus 3 portulaca and expensive gallon Mexican mint marigold from Meador’s ($6.95). While preparing the last part of the bed, I succeeded in digging out a quite sizeable brier root. Proud of myself.

Discovered that the Blue Lake beans I got at Meador’s were bush, not pole. Oh, well. Have to squeeze out a row for them, and get limas for the poles in the squash hills. MUST get seeds in ground tomorrow.
The little Ichiban eggplant is looking much better. Something had unearthed one onion set; stuck it back in again.

Cloudy this morning, clear afternoon, still (or again) very windy. 80°F. Spring will be very short at this rate.

Birdfeeder -- cardinals, 2 towhees, dove, Harris sparrows, chickadee, titmouse. I hear a bird that sounds like the last three notes of whitethroat - just three long whistles - maybe it’s Harris.
Photographed black vulture on transformer pole, and movie. Turned off camera JUST before it took off. Drat!

11pm and still 72°F!



6 April Tuesday

mostly cloudy, still windy, 66°, 70s by midmorning
Buddy’s hair coming out in huge mats. Seems to be almost no hair on his shoulder and back of thigh, I can see dandruffy skin. Flies getting bad. Will ask at D&L.
Bacon, onions, and poke sallet on toast for breakfast.
One potato is up! and an onion.
I’m procrastinating. Must go out and till okra and squash space.


Later -- all tilled, 10 squash hills, rows for okra and beans, spots for cukes. Planted 3 hills, cantaloupe, 2 each yellow squash and zucchini.
S'posed to be way cooler tomorrow, sixties instead of eighties, and near 40 overnight. Protect eggplants?