I am super lucky to live in South Texas for about 8 months of the year. The end of September ‘til May I can plant almost anything because whenever really get very cold. If we do have a freeze it doesn't last long here at my house. We live about 4 blocks from the water and that means we are always warmer than other parts of South Texas. I can literally plant and grow all fall, winter, and spring.
Summer? Summer is a whole different thing. It gets HOT here. Like days of 100 degree temps. Keeping the garden going means A LOT of water and that can get expensive and wasteful. So when I redid the garden I put in soaker hoses. I figured as hard and yucky as our water is I wouldn't get very far with a drip irrigation system. The soakers run for less than 15 minutes and do a fine job right now, in February, but I'm waiting to see how the summer goes.
Last year, in September, it was still super-hot. I wanted to get some peppers and tomatoes in so I tried something new - making shade. I used old sheers and lace curtains that were just taking up space in the cabinet and shaded the plants from about 3 o'clock until the shade from the garage hit them - about 5 or so. It seems to have worked great. This tear I'll be looking to put the material on frames or something to make it easier than trying to sort of drape the material over the cages.
We'll see. Half the fun of gardening is trying to figure out ways to work with Mother Nature. I love a challenge!
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Trellising
I planted pole beans and peas this year so I have to come up with trellising options. Last season I had some cucumbers in pots that grabbed the plastic fence that used to be around the garden so I want to trellis those. And I have some watermelon I might try it with as well.
Going vertical can save A LOT of room in the garden and because I sell at the market, more room for plants means more money. So vertical I go.
We replaced our old wooden windows this winter and I have a lot of the old windows stacked against the back fence. I wanted to do something with them that didn't involve just throwing them out, so I never had the construction guy take them to the dump. Turns out we used some on the chicken house, so that was cool. And I am thinking of attaching a couple to the fence to block where Winchester keeps trying to rendezvous with his Husky friend next door. I might paint the panes on those so they add art to the yard.
But I am definitely using several for the trellises I will need. I think it will look really cool in the garden to see these old windows there. Here is what they look like before I mess with them.
And here is what they look like when I take out the glass panes.
I plan to run garden twine in the openings because the plants will need that support, and I am also going to put them in with stakes that will let me make them two frames high. I think it will be awesome when the vines are wrapped around frames. I'll let you know!
Going vertical can save A LOT of room in the garden and because I sell at the market, more room for plants means more money. So vertical I go.
We replaced our old wooden windows this winter and I have a lot of the old windows stacked against the back fence. I wanted to do something with them that didn't involve just throwing them out, so I never had the construction guy take them to the dump. Turns out we used some on the chicken house, so that was cool. And I am thinking of attaching a couple to the fence to block where Winchester keeps trying to rendezvous with his Husky friend next door. I might paint the panes on those so they add art to the yard.
But I am definitely using several for the trellises I will need. I think it will look really cool in the garden to see these old windows there. Here is what they look like before I mess with them.
And here is what they look like when I take out the glass panes.
I plan to run garden twine in the openings because the plants will need that support, and I am also going to put them in with stakes that will let me make them two frames high. I think it will be awesome when the vines are wrapped around frames. I'll let you know!
Friday, March 1, 2013
Booots :)
I FINALLY got garden boots.
Well, if you're form Corpus, they're shrimper boots. Because shrimpers wear knee-high rubber boots.
And I notice that lots of girls on the campus wear them. Which I do not understand because rubber boots are HOT and they have to get stinky.
But that won't matter for my boots. They are intended to get stinky. I am going to wear them in the garden as much as possible. I think they will really help when it's time to weed-eat. I spend 10 months of every year in shorts and weed-eating is a dangerous issue to say the least. The boots should protect the tender bits on my lower legs.
For now, they are really warm, and really dry, and really easy to wash various kinds of poop off of.
Which is the biggest bonus.
Well, no, the biggest bonus is that they are blue. And really cute.
Hey - priorities!
Well, if you're form Corpus, they're shrimper boots. Because shrimpers wear knee-high rubber boots.
And I notice that lots of girls on the campus wear them. Which I do not understand because rubber boots are HOT and they have to get stinky.
But that won't matter for my boots. They are intended to get stinky. I am going to wear them in the garden as much as possible. I think they will really help when it's time to weed-eat. I spend 10 months of every year in shorts and weed-eating is a dangerous issue to say the least. The boots should protect the tender bits on my lower legs.
For now, they are really warm, and really dry, and really easy to wash various kinds of poop off of.
Which is the biggest bonus.
Well, no, the biggest bonus is that they are blue. And really cute.
Hey - priorities!
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