So this is it... introducing our "EDIBLE YARD!"
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Introducing... (drumroll please) MY EDIBLE YARD!!!
Well, when the dirt was delivered I planned a French garden "look". But, I decided that food, my own food, growing naturally in the Texas sun was best for me and my family - not to mention my budget. Charles and I love nothing more than picking fresh vegetables, then instantly transforming into dinner. And the Basil... oh, the BASIL! Can't wait to make fresh tomato, basil and mozzarela salad...it's like a "bowl of summer". (ps - does anyone know if blogs can spell check??? uh oh...)
So this is it... introducing our "EDIBLE YARD!"
So this is it... introducing our "EDIBLE YARD!"
More newbies...
Green squash decided to enter the world today! From that hard, dry seed to a two leaf newbie... Once I soak up the sun, watch me grow!!!!!!!!!
And baby carrots - little green leaves, soon to be fluffy green tops shading the beautiful sweet carrots (1/2 short) growing below! These are growing in the blocks that are the garden's retaining wall. Can't waste an inch of growing space!
Tomatoes - nestled in the rye grass. I hope the grass shades the young tender plants from too much sun and wind... I planted Early Girl, Heirloom and my favorite - Roma tomatoes. I think I'll end up with a hedge of tomatoes - YEA! I'm sure they'll taste better than boxwood!
And baby carrots - little green leaves, soon to be fluffy green tops shading the beautiful sweet carrots (1/2 short) growing below! These are growing in the blocks that are the garden's retaining wall. Can't waste an inch of growing space!
Tomatoes - nestled in the rye grass. I hope the grass shades the young tender plants from too much sun and wind... I planted Early Girl, Heirloom and my favorite - Roma tomatoes. I think I'll end up with a hedge of tomatoes - YEA! I'm sure they'll taste better than boxwood!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Baby plants everywhere...
Yellow squash - the first to surface! They love the Texas sun and are growing fast - how amazing that these plants change every day - right before your very eyes!
Beautiful pansies...
My beautiful little pansies keep hanging on... they are truly on of the prettiest flowers - such delicate petals but winter hardy... go figure!
Monday, March 28, 2011
In the beginning...
Spring is in the air and I can hardly wait to start my spring garden... then reality hit! Where is there enough dirt to have a garden? The Texas hill country is made for sheep and goats, not tillable gardens! But I'm an optimist and so here I go!
We put in a new house last summer - smack dab in the middle of 40 acres.It was too hot and I was too busy getting settled in to even think of gardening. And July is NOT the time to start a garden, or any other outside activity. So, I busied myself with other things... but, when my grandsons arrived from California I decided that they needed to see something grow - from a simple little seed, to a plant that bears fruit - food. Not on a shelf in a grocery store... but from the dirt... grown under the sun. So we planted a few things and watched them grow but didn't get anything in early enough to actually get a "fall harvest"... it was fun never-the-less. The boys loved "watering" the garden... and each other... and sometimes even, yes... me!
So that patch of very rocky soil offered quite a bit of entertainment for most everyone - I was teased "nice rocks you are growing there". Hmmm... Meanwhile we had one truckload of beautiful soild delivered and dumped where we hoped to someday soon have a nice front yard... a small patch that would be easily managed. I planted rye grass / winter grass seed to "hold the dirt down" and to keep the dogs from constantly tracking mud on to the new front porch. Well, fast forward through the Texas winter. Boring... no flowers. Spring arrived and I wondered if I would be able to revitalize the garden patch, and move rocks for days in hopes of finding enough dirt to plant something. But, oh, does God have a sense of humor. Just when I want to start tilling, I see a beautiful patch of Texas bluebonnets emerging. So, what to do? No garden patch. OK, well I'll concentrate on the front yard.
Wait... Am I really going to give up on a garden? And then take the only patch of good dirt, that I paid good money for, and plant grass? Then feed, weed, water, mow, feed, weed, water and mow some more? NO WAY... I'm going to plant a garden... an edible yard! Why not? Makes sense to me. And, I pretty much decided to "make do", my new motto... use what I have, repurpose things that might be useful... and be CREATIVE!
Afterall, you have to understand that my nearest neighbors are not even visible from my house - so who's going to complain? So... here I go!!!
We put in a new house last summer - smack dab in the middle of 40 acres.It was too hot and I was too busy getting settled in to even think of gardening. And July is NOT the time to start a garden, or any other outside activity. So, I busied myself with other things... but, when my grandsons arrived from California I decided that they needed to see something grow - from a simple little seed, to a plant that bears fruit - food. Not on a shelf in a grocery store... but from the dirt... grown under the sun. So we planted a few things and watched them grow but didn't get anything in early enough to actually get a "fall harvest"... it was fun never-the-less. The boys loved "watering" the garden... and each other... and sometimes even, yes... me!
So that patch of very rocky soil offered quite a bit of entertainment for most everyone - I was teased "nice rocks you are growing there". Hmmm... Meanwhile we had one truckload of beautiful soild delivered and dumped where we hoped to someday soon have a nice front yard... a small patch that would be easily managed. I planted rye grass / winter grass seed to "hold the dirt down" and to keep the dogs from constantly tracking mud on to the new front porch. Well, fast forward through the Texas winter. Boring... no flowers. Spring arrived and I wondered if I would be able to revitalize the garden patch, and move rocks for days in hopes of finding enough dirt to plant something. But, oh, does God have a sense of humor. Just when I want to start tilling, I see a beautiful patch of Texas bluebonnets emerging. So, what to do? No garden patch. OK, well I'll concentrate on the front yard.
Wait... Am I really going to give up on a garden? And then take the only patch of good dirt, that I paid good money for, and plant grass? Then feed, weed, water, mow, feed, weed, water and mow some more? NO WAY... I'm going to plant a garden... an edible yard! Why not? Makes sense to me. And, I pretty much decided to "make do", my new motto... use what I have, repurpose things that might be useful... and be CREATIVE!
Afterall, you have to understand that my nearest neighbors are not even visible from my house - so who's going to complain? So... here I go!!!
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