garden laughs: December 2008 Archives

Let the winter catalog barrage begin!
Now that Christmas is behind us, seed catalogs have started arriving at my house, and I'm just about drooling over the gorgeous color photographs and the prospect that I might actually be able to grow the vegetables and fruit I see inside the slick covers.
My husband says he wants us to give seed-starting another try, despite my raised eyebrows and memories of brilliant failure in the past. I had resolved myself to buying tomato and pepper seedlings from nurseries for the rest of my gardening days, but he says we should give it another try.
This year, we're going to use heat mats and peat pellets. In years past, even if something grew in the seed-starting soil, its roots were not strong enough to keep the soil together when I attempted to transplant, and I ended up shocking the plants.
I am dreaming of a garden full of tomatoes, though. Who doesn't love a homegrown tomato? But I know one of the biggest fans -- my son. He's the king of eating tomatoes like apples and is recognized at the downtown Farmer's Market as the kid who eats tomatoes. Most people just can't believe it when they see a toddler devouring an entire basket of cherry tomatoes or walking around with a giant tomato in his hands.
So tonight, we're ordering what we need, and hopefully we'll be pulling out our table and lights in the next couple of weeks. If for three years you don't succeed -- try, try again, right?
I'll keep you updated.

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Categories: garden laughs | vegetables and fruits |

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I admire folks who can go out into the garden in the winter and tend to their plants -- I really do. It's something I aspire to, but so far I haven't gotten very close to it.
Since I moved back to Texas almost 4 years ago, my body has become acclimated to this area, and I have lost my ability to withstand the cold. So when the wind starts blowing that frigid air, I head inside for hot chocolate and hope that all my plants make it.
I LOVED working in the garden this past weekend -- just before the cold front moved in. It was 75 degrees, and I raked leaves. I raked and raked and raked. I'm sure I will have more leaves to rake because that beautiful pecan tree in my yard wasn't done dropping them.
A huge pile of leaves awaits in the backyard, and hopefully it will warm up again so I can grind up the leaves and turn them into compost and mulch. I have not done a very good job of mulching all of the garden beds. Some have a very thin layer that can't possibly do very much to keep the plants warm. Unfortunately, buying extra equipment and supplies for the garden became a casualty of the economy at my house, and I have been waiting for Mother Nature to give me leaves so I can make mulch. While not what I would call an ideal mulch for landscape plants, they work in a pinch.
And oh yeah -- did I mention they're free?

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Categories: garden laughs | general tips |

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