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July 2008
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November 2007 ArchivesHarvest days
Sure... Thanksgiving has already passed. But for me, the harvest isn't over -- it's just around the corner. I may have had a less than fruitful fall garden this year, but some of the veggies and fruit are bountiful. I can't wait to pick persimmons off the tree. They are SOOOOOO close to being ready. They could ripen on my counter, but I really like the taste of "fresh off the tree," which is why I'm waiting. My son loves persimmons, but I'm pretty sure he won't be able to east all of them before they go bad. That's why I'm compiling recipes for persimmon cakes and breads. I've never baked with persimmons before, so this should be an adventure. Continue reading "Harvest days" » Do's and don'ts this winterOne of the benefits of working in television is I get to see all the news releases from local agencies. One came in last week from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), which I thought was great advice: Dos and Don'ts for Early Winter Gardening By ELIZABETH DROZDA-FREEMAN/Lower Colorado River Authority With the holiday season approaching, many of us trade time in the garden for time preparing for upcoming festivities in the kitchen and at the shopping center. But even as our efforts move indoors, here are a few dos and don'ts to consider for our landscapes. Continue reading "Do's and don'ts this winter" » Want to help Austin parks? Here's your chanceYou don't have to have a garden to get out there and help promote green spaces in Austin. Austin has tons of parks and lots of need for volunteers to help maintain them. Continue reading "Want to help Austin parks? Here's your chance" » Whoops... powdery mildew attack
In my enthusiasm to protect my garden from chilly winter nights, it looks like I've caused more harm than good. Those row covers I used when the plants were just seedling made a reappearance when we had that cold snap a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, I should have removed them when the weather warmed up. The moisture and crowding of the plants invited powdery mildew to take hold of the squash plants. With little airflow and humidity, the mildew grew and grew. From what I've been reading, powdery mildew usually doesn't settle on the fruit... just the leaves and stems -- but it can affect the taste. Rats. Continue reading "Whoops... powdery mildew attack" » Lessons on 'Limey'
Soon after I moved back to Austin, I bought a small Mexican Lime tree and planted it in a pot. We put it on casters and rolled it inside during the winter and outside in the spring summer and fall, because I was concerned the delicate citrus would not survive a winter freeze. I had reason to be concerned. I accidentally forgot to bring "Limey" inside during a cold night last year, and the little tree dropped all of its leaves. It spent the next YEAR recovering, and is only now starting to flower and produce fruit. But this year, Limey won't be coming inside. We have a 15-month-old in the house this winter -- who's into EVERYTHING -- and there's just no safe place for Limey, which is covered in long SHARP thorns. This year we made the decision to risk planting Limey outside. The best place to plant a citrus tree is in a warm, sunny place along a south-facing wall. We already disregarded that piece of advice. Continue reading "Lessons on 'Limey'" » Monarch migrationMonarch butterflies moved through Austin on their yearly fall migration to Mexico in October. I really enjoyed watching them flutter around my front yard garden among the Queen butterflies. Continue reading "Monarch migration" » |
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