Seeds are Coming!

Imagine my excitement when I read about sowing seeds in the fall for spring blooms! I knew about planting bulbs in the fall like tulips and daffodils, but not seeds! I’m beyond thrilled!

Just one of the articles I read was found on The Herb Cottage website. Since I successfully grew Cotton from seed, I thought, Why not! 

Saturday I got back to the herb garden, out in the area I call the “West Yard Project” that went by the wayside. I decided the later part of January I needed something closer, just outside the house. That’s when/where the vegetable garden developed in the front yard.

But it’s never been forgotten.

My heart soared with the thought of flowers and wildflowers mixed with herbs in the garden. Albeit a garden far away from the house. That’s okay. Once the dead rosemary is cut away, I will be able to see it from the house.

I ordered these seeds from Botanical Interest. Seeds are coming! Any day!

Blue and Breezy Flax Seeds
Bring Home the Butterflies Flower Mix Seeds
Lavender Hyssop Seeds
Pixie Delight Lupine Seeds
American Legion Corn Poppy Seeds
Black-Eyed Susan Seeds

I'm trying to decide to sow the seeds types separately, or mix all together and see what happens! From the photos I've seen I like both looks. Like the old English Garden style.

Because I need to build the soil in the veggie garden I also bought some Common Buckwheat Cover Crop Seeds! The write up about it peaked my interest:

Buckwheat has been used for centuries to improve soil health and smother common weeds. It grows better than most cover crops in poor soils and is better at retrieving phosphorus, a macro-nutrient that contributes to later crops' root, flower, and fruit growth. Buckwheat not only grows quickly, it also breaks down quickly in the soil, allowing for planting in the same area just 3 to 4 weeks after incorporating it into the soil. It can also be used as mulch on the soil surface. If allowed, white flowers will form about 35 days after sowing and are loved by beneficial insects and even make pretty filler in bouquets! Turn buckwheat into soil before seeds begin forming. Because buckwheat is cold sensitive, it is grown spring to fall frost, except in mild climates that may be warm enough to grow into fall and possibly winter.

Seeds are wonderful hope for the future.

Pray for rain!

9 Lessons Learned

Not long after the garden began growing I started making a list of what I need to do (or not do) next time. I know I didn’t get to pen/paper in time on occasion because I was in the process of watering the garden. Each time I thought, Oh, I will remember this!- nope. I have a nagging, What was it?

If important enough, someday it will come to me.

A few lessons learned after a bit of tidying up and planting the fall garden:

1.  Newspapers actually killed the grass & weeds. The dirt is nice and crumbly albeit not very deep. Maybe I didn’t put down enough layers of cardboard because underneath it the grass only lost its green but it’s still there, ready, waiting for the sun again!

2.  The repurposed black tubs used for “raised beds” did keep the armadillos at bay! In the future, however, I will add drain holes around the sides close to the bottom instead of the actual bottom. I had to place the tubs on rock to allow for drainage - those few times we got a gully washer. It doesn’t seem like it right now, but we will get rain again - someday.

3.  I will never EVER again plant a vine to travel across the ground... like cantaloupe or cucumber. It uses way too much footprint. I am planning to use cattle panels and build trellises/arches like Roots and Refuge Farm. See Jess explain perfectly...

I’m already collecting mesh bags (such as repurposed onion bags) to help support the fruit so its weight will not be an issue. I also found on Amazon what they call “melon hammocks” that I would rather make than purchase. It would be a nice winter project!

4.  Document Document Document! I failed to keep records of what I planted, when they were planted, and where I planted! Starting with the fall garden, I now have a book at least documenting what/when. I’m taking more pictures of where I planted!

5.  I tried several methods when planting INDETERMINATE tomatoes. The first was adding a banana peel and two aspirins in the hole before the tomatoes were planted. They produced very well. I then heard about placing an egg in the hole and barely cracking it before planting the tomato plant. The three plants with an egg are growing very nicely and have a lot of blooms! Time will tell if they produce nicely.

6.  I made the mistake on 3 tomato plants whereas it’s difficult to get behind the plants to check for hornworms or grasshoppers or to simply stake them better. This won’t happen again.

7.  Also when planting tomatoes, I will continue to add dill, basil, and marigolds in the same area. Just a lot more!

8.  Never again will I allow a spider to form its web anywhere near the garden. I was heartbroken when I discovered 3 honey bees trapped.

9.  A better watering system needs to be created. I’m gathering the pieces and parts to make a modular irrigation system like Texas Prepper 2 explains here:

Although every day I will continue to carefully examine each plant for unwanted critters because it’s my most favorite time out in the garden! I’m just tired of dragging a hose around! Not too mention I'm wasting precious water!

I still can’t remember what it was I was going to write down...

Pray for rain!

Making Dirt

Yes. I am grateful. I know I'm blessed! This 2019 season’s garden turned out amazingly well despite the poor soil conditions. It’s horribly compacted. It looks and feels dead.

I plan to expand the 2020 garden so I need to start adding amendments now. But then I need mulch to protect it from the sun’s bleaching effect.

I would also love to get rid of the layer of rock 6" to 8" below the surface. Short of using dynamite it’s not going to happen. It is what it is. Someday I may find where the rock ends and plant a peach tree, but not any time soon!

I brought home 3 additional plants the other day - Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower and Collards - to add in the fall garden with the tomatoes and herbs. I hope they will enjoy the raised planters and store-bought dirt mixed with a bit of the old dirt.

I need to do much more of what/how Morag explains here:



One tub at a time...

Taking her advice ~ in part ~ this is what I did:

In the tall tub I grew pumpkin (got one tiny pumpkin and that’s it!) the old tired dirt was so hard and compacted I had to use the turning fork just to pierce it! I ended up scooping out half of the dirt into a wheelbarrow. I then took our container of small chunks of kitchen scraps and put down a layer. I watered the layer. Next I put the used coffee grounds and filters I’ve been saving. I watered that layer. Then I put the dirt back in and planted three “extra” veggie plants. I covered the surface with several layers of newspaper. I used rocks to hold the paper in place and to also make it uncomfortable for the cats. They have a tendency of laying on the wet cool newspaper/dirt after I water, crushing the plants.

We’ll see what happens, how well the plants grow (or not)!

Here is to someday digging in the dirt in my bare feet!

Pray for rain!

True Beginnings

A traditional front yard lawn...

Boring. Wasteful.

We had to have "Mr. Mesquite" trimmed back to stumps in 2017.

Over the years I dabbled here and there, but 2019 saw the first real garden!

The planning started in January.

A friend dropped off the barrels - thinking of using as rain catchers

A layout began in March...

Our friend also gave us SEVERAL of his black tubs!

I used pvc pipe to layout where I cannot dig due to underground cables

Almost a month to the day, the asparagus appeared! The pumpkin is coming along nicely as well!

Then in August...

I did a walkabout a couple of weeks ago...


Now I'm working on the fall garden!

PRAY FOR RAIN!