2:17 PM Mon, Mar 31, 2008 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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At least the green beans look good
One of the garden beds is right outside my bedroom window, and I did a double-take the other morning when I cracked open the blinds.
"Andy! Did you see the beans and peas sprouted?!"
"Yeah! You hadn't noticed yet?"
I guess I hadn't. I have been so bummed at my third losing attempt at starting seeds indoors that I have been avoiding my garden of late... only lingering long enough to make sure the rain didn't wash anything away.
SIGH.
Well, the beans and peas have encouraged me. I planted some of each in two different place in the yard, in an effort to hedge my bets. I did the same with several herbs and leafy greens... testing different configurations to see what works.
Since my seeds didn't do much, we bought a small number of transplants -- peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos. I knew we weren't done with the cold, so I tented them, and almost everything is thriving. A tomatillo was obliterated by the wind and a tomato looks like its suffering, but I'm pretty pleased.
In fact, the chard I planted last fall is huge and beautiful, and we're eating chard nearly every night. Plus, I can't wait to harvest the garlic in the next couple of months, because the tops are giant!
My next step is to mulch all the beds to help keep the weeds down. I really like using cedar shredded mulch, because it breaks down nicely and has fewer weeks. It hasn't been essential so far, but the heat is on the way!
1:30 PM Fri, Mar 14, 2008 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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Springtime in Austin
This is my favorite time of year, especially in Austin. Early spring. The elm trees are bursting with bright green leaves, but the pecans are still bare. The red buds are gorgeous shades of pink and the mountain laurels fill your nostrils with the enticing scent of grape bubblegum.
I fell in love with spring in Austin years ago as a student, because spring meant school was almost over, but also because it felt like everything was alive. It's intoxicating, that feeling. It makes the hair stand up on my arms, and I tend to slow down and take a renewed look around at nature and my garden.
I haven't done much gardening to speak of recently, except tend to the seedlings and check that the plants outside are warm and watered. But each evening lately, I have been making the rounds in my garden, taking mental notes of what needs to be done and making sure each and every plant has what it needs.
The plants I have been most interested in lately are the young trees, especially the ones just planted -- Mexican plum and Texas red bud. Both are just now showing signs of bud-break. I had been a little worried because so many other trees have already bloomed.
I was really excited last weekend to see the Kidneywood well on its way to leafing out, and my husband and I both stood on the sidewalk admiring the larger mountain laurel, which has one gigantic bloom.
Yep, everything is coming alive.
I plan on doing some outside garden maintenance this weekend... clearing away the leaves that helped keep everything warm through the winter and composting the dead stuff. I also plan on hardening off the seedlings and planting a few outside -- under cover of course. I was thinking of trying some tomatoes in the ground and some in pots, just to see how they do.
And I've have a request from my family to plant strawberries. Well, I'll guess I have some reading to do.
