Romaine Lettuce

This year I planted more lettuce and less greens which are generally eaten cooked. I have found this lettuce to be my favorite. It is an heirloom selection from Botanical Interests  called Parris Island Cos. It is named for Parris Island, off the coast of South Carolina. It is delicious, hearty, transplantable, prolific, and downright beautiful!

Live Oak Trees in Spring

Welcome to Spring in Texas! One of the favorite sights of spring is the fall looking trees!  The Live Oak leaves are turning yellow, orange, and brown. They are falling! People are raking these leaves! I heard one homeowner say that he had just finished raking the Pecan tree leaves from fall and now he has to rake the Live Oak leaves. These trees then flower and make new leaves. Sometimes, we have many  irritating worms hanging from the flowering trees. I have not seen one worm yet this spring, but I am waiting.

We have received another 1.4" rain this week. Today has been drizzly with a chance of rain tonight. The bluebonnets in my yard are starting to bloom. When I get the Live Oak leaves raked away (into the compost area) I will post a picture.

Garden Today

Actually, this is the garden yesterday, before 1.4" of soft spring rain! On the left is the row of new Swiss Chard. I had planted the Bright Lights, but didn't like it as well as the heirloom type I had been growing the years past. Even though the seeds were 2 years old (Renee's Garden), they were still viable! Surrounding the chard is onionis. On the right is a row of Sugar Peas.

This oregano has been in this pot for several years. It sat out all winter and is obviously ready for spring. The pan underneath is a water heater pan. It holds water and keeps ants out! On the right, Romaine lettuce with onions.

Kohlrabi, on the left, is going to seed. Some are still producing, but this row will be turned over to other purposes soon. On the right, a mixtyure of cabbage, cauliflower, and romaine lettuce.

Left photo shows shallots surrounded by onions. Right photo is broccoli row!

This row still has the last of the older lettuces. On the right is cauliflower (not doing great) and romaine lettuce (doing really great).

The row on the left has garlic with a random cilantro and a few lettuces. I failed to take a picture of the collards but I can say that they are knee high because they are starting to bolt, so they will be pulled soon. And there is one more row with onions and some unphotogenic turnips.  On the right is my set up for sifting comport. the compost pile you see is not the finished product, but the middle stage. 

And the little upstarts: tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, melons, squash, jalapenos. 

I have planted one row of squash. I like to get them in the ground early because the bugs really get them.

Winter Vegetables

These cabbages and carrots are the last from the row of the earliest planting of winter vegetables. Pictured behind are my little tomato upstarts. This photo was taken 3-8. 

Winter to Spring

This picture, taken February 4, is typical of the look of the garden all winter. The plants grow slowly and are close to the ground. The row on the front left is collards, which can be eaten all winter. On the foreground right side is a patch of garlic chives and a row with onions around the periphery. In the background are rows of cabbage, broccoli & cauliflower. Wet! We had wonderful rain all winter. The rain has continued the last 2 weeks, about 1/2 inch each week.

I took this picture today. The garden has dried out and the rows are ready to turn for the spring planting. In the far left of the foreground is a row of carrots. The far right is garlic with small lettuce plants in the row also. The collards are going to seed, so I will pull them today. Beyond the collards is some cilantro going to seed also. they have such pretty flowers, I may leave them for a while. 

Snow and Spring

I have been away from my blog for so long that I have decided to return to the last blog in an effort to become current. This photo was also taken 2-23-10. Depicted, in the foreground, if my plum tree which is beginning to bloom even as the snow falls.

Nineteen days later the plum tree has some blooms and some leaves. The more vertical tree behind it is the pomegranate. This fruit tree is sprouting leaves, but will not bloom for months.