The Fabulous Bob Pool!

Bob Pool came to my house 3 years ago when we were on the Master Gardener Tour in '08...I think it was '08. Anyway, he marched up and introduced himself and his lovely wife and reminded me of our conversations over blog chatter. He's loud and boisterous and funny and off color about lots of stuff and doesn't care and, that's just part of his charm. He invited me out to visit his garden and a few months later, my old garden buddy Randy and I took the drive out to Georgetown to check it out. It IS wonderful...all of it, the log cabin that he and his wife built, the pristine land, awesome pond and of course garden. We had a great time, we went out for Mexican food, threw back a few margaritas...wait...that was me (Bob had tea...he had some welding to do that afternoon so he stays clear of mind).

Gun rack for my pellet gun. I painted them bright orange...still need to get 'em hung!

So...we became friends. But more, because he inspires me...a rare friend indeed. If you go to his blog Gardening at Draco and read his profile, he claims that folks say he's the hardest working man they've met, and I agree.

Spider web arch-way for Cecile Bruenner rose to climb.

The second time he came over, I asked him if he wouldn't mind making something for my garden, since he's a welder and makes cool garden stuff and he said "well, let me take a look and I'll see what I can do." I showed him my giant rose with no place to grow and explained that I'd like a spiderweb type arch and I scribbled the drawing on a napkin and held up my hand as to how high I'd like it to be.



Bob on the phone to a perspective client...doing the math on my stump!

With my napkin and a few measurements he was gone. A few days later, I came home and found my idea, only better...with attachments that allowed for the difficult angle of the vertical part, sitting on the front porch. A year later, the rose has jumped in a different direction and Bob did the same assessment...a few scribbles from me and he was back! The pictures don't do it justice.

Rescue bench that Bob made a stand for!

Bob loves to do this stuff, and loves a challenge! I've had him fix things and design things as well...he's wonderful! I cannot sing the praises of this man enough...I only wish he lived closer and that more people took their jobs as seriously as he.

I did make him share a beer with me when he was finished!

Happy Gardening!

The Blooms of July

I just had to take a stroll this morning and catch the blossoms before they wilt n' melt in the sun!

Datura

Plumbago

Crown of thorns.

Not a great shot, I know, but I was trying to get several blooms in one...yellow and orange

pride of Barbados, sunflowers and majestic sage, in the shade.

Up close they look ratty, but from the road, they're cheerful as ever!

Okra! Destined to part of dinner tonight with the last of the tomatoes.

Pigeon berry...spreading from the one that remained after the garden tour 3 years ago. I had planted 6 small 4" pots that I'd found on sale...only to have them trampled by wee ones. Anyway, of the one that made it, several have sprung up!

Inland sea oats...for the birds.

Empty chilli petin caps...burdz done et 'em.

Texas Hibiscus...hummer food!

Passion flower vine...for the Fritillary butterfly.

Butterfly weed... Monarch butterfly food.

This is the Rocket Crape Myrtle that I planted across the street to replace one of the trees that didn't make it. Isn't she a lovely color?

People food...figs, arugula and persimmon...squint hard or enlarge to see.

Beans!

My first cantaloupe ever!

I was unable to get a great shot of the buddleia or butterfly bush and the Chaste tree with the cantaloupe vine climbing up to the top...but you get the picture. Two truckloads of mulch has really made a difference! I hope you are out in your garden in the wee hours of the morning...the best time of the day! Plus, today I got the extra benefit of watching the purple martins do their acrobatics while petting my sweet orange porch cat Sappho Moon.

Happy Gardening!

Home again...

Where to begin? I've spent most of the summer on the road with one or the other of my daughters, traveling to see 6 National Parks, family in 3 different states and several friends from all over. My loving spouse has done a great job keeping things alive and I'm having a hard time feeling motivated to get out there and continue moving the mountain of mulch...which still sits in my driveway (I'm sure my neighbors are less than thrilled.)

This past week I was in Kansas City, via Stillwater, Oklahoma to see my wonderful friends, the Homer's at their homestead...21 acres of wild native plants, chickens, bees, a fabulous garden and a wonderful blog...Meadow Sage. We had a fantastic time on all of the travels.

While I was gone though, I lost my beloved cat, Man. This morning was the first day I woke up before dawn on my own...which is my normal rhythm, but I've been so "off" due to traveling that it hit me hard. Man was part of my morning meditation, a big part. I'd make the coffee and sit down to check the computer and pet him. Quiet, cool mornings with my loud mewing Man-cat, no more. He was my oldest pet, the sweetest and most social, without being aggressively so. Before I left last Friday the vet assured me that he was on the mend and delivered, what we thought was the immediate bad news, that our other cat Sappho Moon is dying of cancer and most likely won't make it through the year. Then, the day after I left, Man took a sharp turn.
I miss him dearly.

"The Man" (Rasputin Swirl) 1999-2011

I'm ready for 2011 to be over. I'm ready for fall and the excitement of cool weather and planting season...I'm not going to bother with summer plantings...it's just too cruel out there. So, what to do? I need to finish the mulching, dig the swales (I'll document that) which involves a lot of rock hauling...gotta get these girls moving, and break down the spring flowers and disperse what's left of the seeds. I've already said goodbye to half of my peach tree that bifurcated on my first trip...that tree was the first thing we planted when we bought this house, my mother and I...while each of us was recovering from our own divorces. Mom left Austin 5 years ago...so in a way it's fitting. She's the one who wanted the peach tree in the first place. It's been the center of my culinary garden for years and the new view is still shocking. On a brighter side, we've got cantaloupe, beans, figs and eggplant still producing...and a few struggling tomatoes. The figs are perfect...just a few a day, makes for a lovely snack! The greens garden is doing great, the Malabar spinach is all over the place and the okra has topped the vines and is covered in flowers and bees! Yea!


I've missed the last two months of Bloom Day but here is the unofficial tally today:


plumbago


Mexican Oregano


cone flower


passion flower vine


butterfly weed


black and blue sage


Autumn Sage


Texas hibiscus


butterfly bush


Chaste tree


pink and purple ruellia


Gregg's mistflower


dwarf pomegranate


shrimp plant


Mexican hibiscus


Indian blanket


datura


Turk's cap


trailing purple lantana


tick weed

cedar sage


sunflowers

also, the loufa, pumpkin, beans and cantaloupe are flowering!

I'm most excited about the figs and the Texas Hibiscus because we've still got our male and female black chinned, and male ruby throated hummingbirds around!

It's good to be home, even if it's too hot to be outside.

Happy Gardening!

June Update...

Well, I'm leaving tomorrow for a 2 1/2 week drive up through the Pacific Northwest and haven't really had time to blog due to my daughter graduating, company, the loss of several people and planning this mother-daughter escape. But, I did want to throw out a few photos...more than are here, but Blogger isn't cooperating this morning so this is all I got!

The fabulous Bob Pool came by and built some stuff for me, but I'll be doing a story on him when I return. He did bring me these, supposedly Native Texas Tomatoes...seen above. He couldn't remember the name, but someone had passed the seeds onto him....and so he was passing them onto me, they are sweet and delicious and I'll be giving it a go next season.



This here monster is Chocolate Stripe...they are all this big and ugly, and outrageously tasty.

This is the Japanese Black Trifle, also mouth wateringly delicious.

Left to right, circular Purple Cherokee, Eva Plum, garden peach (yellow one,) Japanese Black Trifle, Brandy wine and in the center, First ladies.

Leaf miner damage has been minimum, but in the last few days the stink bugs have arrived...and in the side garden, I've got some mottling thing that's causing the leaves to turn brown and shrivel up...I don't have time to research this...and I hope they make it while I'm gone. We cut off the dead and threw away the carnage, did a deep watering and I foliage fed what was left with Alaska Fish Emulsion...cross your fingers!

I've also in the last two weeks had some splitting. We deeply water the tomatoes every morning, EVERY morning, and they are now mulched and sit in a terra-cotta tray that gets filled up to help maintain the temps...but 100 degree days, for weeks on end are just too much!

I am so going to miss this while on the road!!!

Because it's my favorite fruit! These are also my onions and basil...YUM!

Other things of note that I want to remember about what happened in June are we got our second delivery of mulch! I'm working on really building it up deep for future projects. We had a mystery plant bloom...it is an orange Pride of Barbados...I have the yellow one, so this must have drifted from my neighbor Regine's yard and our square foot gardening beds are full of greens! Yea!

The beans are still in production, the peaches are ready but riddled with worms...since I'll be gone most of the summer, another trip in July as well...we're leaving them to the birds...and the fig and persimmon are looking mighty fine.

I hope you all are enjoying the cool mornings and I look forward to checking your blogs when I return!

Happy Gardening!

More Mulch Please...

So, as I've said, I'm making my way through Gaia's Garden, this time slowly, as I apply what's needed in order to transform my lot, make it more sustainable, tackle problems and consider healing and restoring the soil.

How about this cool old bench? I love Davey's Trees...that's where all this cedar mulch came from, for free! The bench was sentenced to death by mulcher, but I saved it and am having the talented Bob Pool of Draco Gardens make me a metal stand. I also had my neighbor Dana get the same ginormous load for her house so we could mulch the trees across the street at the church. It's become disgustingly obvious that even though the minister apologized and said they would do "whatever was necessary to remedy the situation"...they intend to do NOTHING, and have done NOTHING.

Back to my story...chapter 4 "Bringing the Soil to Life" is fascinating and I'm taking it to heart. This load is just one of several I plan on using. The idea, for those of you who don't get the beauty of mulching, is to pile 8-12 inches, YES that much, to both stop the light completely from reaching weed/seed and to cool thoroughly the ground-bringing the microbes, earth worms and bugs to the surface to begin munching, tunneling, pooping, dying and generally aerating and packing your soil with nutrients while you do...nothing. We are giving one last deep watering before piling the mulch up, then watering the mulch on top as well.
There are fabulous stories about the genius of sheet mulching but I quit getting the newspaper years ago (I'm not a fan of the Statesman, and can read the Times online) and just don't accumulate enough cardboard and other stuff quick enough...plus Davey's is FREE. Just had to say that again...and here's the way to get some for you:

email Daniel at treemd@msn.com; be nice, be patient...they get it to you when they can, so know where you want it dumped, and how much.

The next chapter in the book discusses 5 steps to "Catching, Conserving and Using Water." How about this little lake that was the result of the giant mulch pile stopping the mad rush of rain from leaving my property? It would otherwise be wasted down the drain storm system of our fair city...taken out to sea, when we so desperately need to keep this free, clean water. At this point we have 6, 55 gallon drums that go bone dry very quickly...the best place to store water is in rich soil...which we don't have so we mulch...mulch...mulch...

Then....SWALE!!!

We are planing on digging 3 additional "fish scale" style swales in an attempt to stop the rush at varying intervals...the photo above shows the location of one such swale, yet to be built.

This is the same rain, there will be a fish scale swale in front of this gate, which right now creates a waterfall into the greens garden below.

Here's my loving spouse watching the Crocks set sail in our upper lake. This rain was only 3 inches. The phrase I've taken out of this chapter, that makes the most practical sense is "the cheapest place to store water is in the soil." Storing above ground is expensive, storing in the ground is labor intensive.

This photo may be confusing but, it's showing the far side of the front lawn...missing, yea! We have been letting the St. Augustine die for nearly 2 years...silly, silly grass in the wrong place...now that the Sycamore isn't providing full shade. This is a long term plan to turn the front yard into an edible forest!

And this is what lawn I have left. I recently moved the steppingstones, which led to the church but that friendship is long gone...whereas the path leading to the next door, that the postman, neighbors and I use, is beaten down so, use dictates change here.

We're having a huge graduation party next Saturday for my oldest daughter so the sprucing up of the garden continues, amid transformation. I will try to snap a few photos of the merriment...until next time...happy mulching

and...

Happy Gardening!

Three For Thursday...SayyyyygoooO!

I just love to watch a Sago cycas revoluta...re-grow.

They're such an old specie...hardly changing for 200 million years now and are related to conifers and the Ginko tree. The new set of swirled leaves are called a "break."
They're like living fossils...

and can live for up to 100 years!

They will occasionally put out new growth at the base...when they decide to reproduce...I hope I'm around to see it happen.

Happy Gardening!

The Pink Island

The pink island...with this years tomato crop

So, I'm reading Gaia's Garden...this time, from front to back and taking notes. I have Autumn's graduation party June 4th, then a few trips this summer and when I return, the work will begin...probably in late fall. We need two additional swales dug to stop pooling and waste. One will be under the rose arbor in the back for the new keyhole gardens that will replace the giant Mexican Ruellia massing in the middle of the yard. The other in the front yard extending from the side~greens garden to the walkway in front of the pergola.

When I moved in, the pink island was about 3'x3' and it just kept growing. I pull up and recycle at least the size of the island yearly...it's that aggressive. Plus it's traveled under the east fence and made a home in my neighbors yard and has to be pulled out of every bed in the yard. I'll take it down to a "C" shape around the Buckeye and the rest will be for food. I'll be employing a slow "sheet mulch method" after cutting down what's there (if anyone wants some of it, let me know and I'll give you a call in the fall before I begin.) This space is perfect for a food garden because it is protected from the West Sun by the American Elm in Summer and has beautiful Winter sun. I'll be facing the entrance directly aimed at the blue gate...from where the hose will come for watering and a second keyhole will be just across the walk.

Anyway, that's what's going on now...observing and planning. The front lawn is dying off without the shade of the Sycamore tree and wildflowers have taken over. I didn't get the trees planted that I'd planned on, now it's a blessing since the plans have been updated. I do need to find a source for native edible trees...I'm looking for che, pawpaw, Mexican plum and juju and will be researching more native edibles to be mixed in with the standard veggies.

I am very excited about the idea and in spite of projected plans to relocate in a few years...I'm soldiering on. I'm loving all the birds and butterflies that are finding a temporary home in my garden and am thoroughly enjoying spending more time, not less setting things up...hoping that one day the plants and arrangement will feed itself (and us) and require less of me and resources...but for now, I must stockpile mulchable stuffs!

I'm only halfway through the book...and still in the "observation" stage of planning. I'm thinking that the transformation will take several years because I work and am using the slowest method of building my soil. That being said, I'd like to put a shout out for organic material...I'm willing to drive out and pick up stacks of newspaper (we don't take it) and bags of "Texas Gold" ya know, oak leaves...but only send me a message if you have enough bagged up to fill my pickup. I'm aiming to turn my plot into an edible forrest for critters and people...cool my property and enrich the soil.

I hope you've got something exciting going on too! Thanks for dropping by and as always...

Happy Gardening!