The Bayam plant of which I have been posting pictures is blooming. It is difficult to tell in this picture because of the cucumbers, but it is almost as tall as the fence.

I noticed this native Redbud Tree blooming today. What a surprise!

More Rain

We have gratefully collected another half inch of rain over the last two days. The weather is cool and beautiful. This hibiscus has four blooms on a 30" plant.

Canning Weather

Today I canned 7 pints of Bread & Butter Jalapeños with purchased jalapeños and onions. I had a little vinegar solution left over, so I made refrigerator pickles out of the Hungarian Wax Peppers from the garden. The B&B Jalapeños are a favorite, so I am anxious to try the milder peppers. I did not slice them, but left them in halves.

The weather is cool and cloudy. We have received another .2" of rain. It's a great day for canning, even if the vegetables did not come from my garden.

Good Timing

After the big rains, I worked to repair the rows and prepare for the next rains. We received 2.25" overnight and during the day today!

Before the big rains, I planted 4 rows of seeds. All of the seeds have sprouted except the Parade Onions. In addition, we have Dill, Parsley, Cilantro volunteers, and lots of Bluebonnet sprouts! The Fall garden plants are doing well also. Pictured is the third of a series depicting the growth of Bayam and Cucumber. The other photo is of Butternut squash which is doing very well. What you cannot see is the cucumber virus,the plague of aphids, and the mosquitoes which have become very pesky.

Yesterday, I transplanted the broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage seedlings. I planted a dozen shallots. I mowed and fertilized the lawn. I feel that the timing was good.

Back to the Garden

After so much rain, I took a few days off from gardening. Then, I went back to repair the rows. The rows in my garden are separate, with walking paths between. Some are double, but most are single. The vegetables are planted in raised rows, with what I call a moat around them. The most is used to channel the water around the outside of each row. Since I water with a hose, this method works well. When it rains really hard, the rows are all flattened out. So, I set out to repair the rows. I have a special tool for this task. It is a hoe head on an axe handle. I use it to make a shallow ditch and to scoop the dirt back up around the ditch. Once this was done, I side-dressed each row with fertilizer plus greensand then scrabbled the fertilizer into the top of the soil with a claw tool. Pictured is a repaired row with 4 tomato plants and parsley on each end, which has just sprouted. A few basil volunteers are left for good measure. Butternut squash in trying to encroach and garlic chives is blooming behind the row.

Rain Lilies

Our neighborhood is displaying abundant rain lilies after 8.7" of rain in September. During the months January through August, we totaled only 11.3".

Rain

We have received 7.6" on rain in the last 3 days. The chard is shredded. The bayam and the cucumbers are happy. The sunflowers are doubled over. The chives are starting to bloom. I believe the fall garden has been saved.

Bayam

This bayam plant has more than doubled in size in the past week! We received 1/2 inch rain on Friday and with cooler temperatures, conditions are right for excellent growth of the fall plants. The cucumbers behind the bayam are blooming.

Today I planted Parade Onions and Choy Sum, another Malaysian vegetable, in the row next to the Swiss Chard. In the next row, I planted Azur Star Kohlrabi. The next row is waiting for Broccoli or Cauliflower transplants, so I planted carrots around the outside of the bed.

Bayam

Bayam is the Malaysian word for a leaf amaranth which is popular around the world. It is known as callaloo in the Caribbean. My cousin brought a packet of seeds back from her trip to Malaysia this summer. I planted some seeds in front of the cucumbers on August 1. Pictured is the one plant which survived. I replanted about August 15 with much more success. The seedlings have been transplanted and are thriving.