Dig for Texas!

Too Little, Too Late, Too Much, Too Soon

2012-01-22T11:37:00.000-06:00

Gardening in Central Texas forces you to be a whiner.

There is no such thing as “normal” here (except that nothing is normal.) As a gardener you are always caught off guard and have to constantly improvise against the shenanigans of the weather. Last week I gave a presentation to a gardening group about growing veggies, and every time they asked a question “should I do this, or should I do that?” my answer was “Yes.”

It's January 22 and my roses are blooming!

Garden calendars? What a laugh. Wait until February to prune my roses? They are blooming NOW. Spray dormant oil on fruit trees in January? My apples STILL haven’t lost their leaves. And my kumquat is still setting fruit! And what if this mild weather means that we are going to have a huge cold front in February? Am I going to lose my citrus crop AGAIN?

I’ve always been one to go by the book, follow the recipe, read the owners manual, do as your told. While these are admirable attributes and made my Mom happy, they make me miserable out there in the yard. I have had to learn to adapt.

Yes, it is winter. And yes, I need to spray, prune, propagate, weed, plant and plan, even though the weather outside is behaving like spring. So instead of just going by the book, I ask what it is that we are trying to accomplish out there, and then go ahead with what is best.

So what should you be doing in the garden? Dormant oil sprays are best done with the tree is, well, dormant. Why do we spray them? To smother insects and their eggs hiding in the bark of our fruit trees. These critters are going to hatch and plague us when the weather warms up for good. The key is to spray before the tree puts out new leaves. My apples haven’t dropped their leaves. I sprayed anyway. It is okay if the current leaves are smothered and fall off, because my goal is to avoid spraying new buds. Task in January: spray dormant oil. Check.

Um, aren't apples supposed to lose leaves in fall?

February is pruning month, but my roses are blooming! The buds on my fruit trees are starting to swell! AARGH. Should I wait? Why do we prune in winter any way? Pruning naturally stimulates growth in plants. We like to prune when things are dormant (in winter), because the plant will wait to put out new growth when the temperatures warm up. If the silly thing is already actively growing, the dormancy thing no longer applies. The plants I have targeted for pruning need it for shaping and to stimulate flower and fruit production. Task in January: prune the roses. Check. Wait for bud break on the fruit trees. Check.

Whew. I feel better all ready. Now, back to whining. When is it going to rain? When is it going to freeze? When is it going to stop being so hot? Whine, whine, whine.

Rake in the Free Mulch

2011-12-30T20:25:00.001-06:00

Around this time of year a wonderful boon occurs. I am awash in free mulch. It’s beautiful, it breaks down into great compost, it contributes to good neighbor relations, and it gets me out of the house and into the sunshine for some great cool-weather exercise. All I have to do is go out and rake it in.

My street is lined with Arizona Ash trees; the go-to tree of nearly every subdivision developed in the 1980’s. And while they aren’t exactly the best choice for Central Texas, they make perfect mulch because the leaves are small, thin and break down easily. They are also relatively tannin-free, unlike many oaks, and can be used in the landscape immediately without having to spend time rotting in a compost pile.

I stockpile leaves in several ways. If they are already bagged, I just haul them to the backyard and line them up against the fence. I use these throughout the year as needed to add bulk to the compost or as a quick cover-up for weed suppression. Be sure to ask permission before you haul off someone’s leaves. In Austin it is illegal to take other people’s “garbage” that has been set out on the street. Asking permission has proved to be a great way to meet the neighbors. Another bonus is that once they learn what I am doing, I have inspired others to utilize their leaf mulch in their own garden.

Leaves stockpiled next to berms.

The other way I store leaves is to “mulch in place”. I have water run-off retention ditches that I dug around the perimeter of my yard. I just fill these with leaves and let them soak up rainwater. They will be broken down enough by spring for me to simply rake up onto my berms for summer mulching against the heat.

I also add leaves directly into the compost bin. I bring home coffee grounds from work a few times a week and this nitrogen source makes quick work of anything I am composting. I turn the piles about once a week to make sure they are properly aerated and add water if needed to keep the moisture level up.

Dig down below the root zone

The last way I store the leaves is by trenching in my vegetable gardens raised beds. I have several beds that we made from discarded fence boards (another thing I scrounge from the neighbors.) Most vegetable plants have roots only in the top six inches of soil, so I excavate the soil and make sure to dig down past the root zone.

Then I layer about four inches of leaves in the bottom, then mix and cover back up with soil.

Mix the soil and leaves

Cover with more soil. It will settle quite a bit.

Since the leaves are lower than the root zone, they can decompose slowly without harm to the bedding plants. Plant decomposition is accomplished by soil microbes who consume nitrogen to reproduce, so sometimes adding “raw” material actually robs your plants. Burying the leaves deep enough solves the problem plus I have found that this method encourages earth worms to take up residence and deposit their castings.

So yes, if you drive down my street you will see my husband and I cheerfully raking leaves and hauling them to the back yard. And ignore that woman laughing and jumping in the leaf piles. She’s just mulching.

Fall Vegetable Gardening - What Drought?

2011-09-18T14:50:00.000-05:00

I'll admit that I have trouble with authority. When ever I am told that something can't be done, especially by experts, I straighten up and say "Yeah? Watch me."

Today's nose thumbing is courtesy of the current drought situation we have here in Central Texas. It has only rained in my yard 5" since the 1st of January. Not only are we having a drought, but I seem to be in some sort of rain shadow. My friends north and south of me have all reported soakers. I've gotten nothing but a few promising thunder claps. I check my GPS occasionally just to make sure I haven't accidently moved to Namibia.

My vegetable garden has been struggling all summer. Water restrictions and almost 90 days of 100 degree heat has really taken a toll. Plants have weakened and then been overrun by scale and spider mites. One by one eggplant, okra, tomatoes, squash, peppers and several ornamental plants have been pulled up and added to the compost bin.

But I have hope. The day and nighttime temperatures have started to drop. While I didn't get any, showers are in the weekend forecast and they are saying we might see rain next week. I grab my seeds and head outside.

I have four raised beds along my backyard fence that gets afternoon dappled shade from the neighbors trees. I decided that this area has the best chance for some seed germination during this run of cool weather.

I seeded them with a pea cover crop in July after I had harvested the spring vegetables that grew there. Unfortunately with water restrictions I cut back on the irrigation to these beds so the peas never really thrived. I went ahead and shut off their water supply last month and just let them die and defoliate.

To get these beds prepped, the first thing I did was give them a good soaking yesterday. They were bone dry and not hospitable to seedlings. The weeds weren't even growing there. I ran the hose and then turned the soil over several times to make sure I was giving it a thorough wetting.

Today was planting day. The first thing I did was check the the soil moisture. I grabbed a handful and squeezed it. It felt moist and slowly fell apart in my hand. I then raked it out and removed the remaining debris from the peas.

Next I incorporated some cottonseed meal into the top of the bed with my cultivating hoe. I like using organic fertilizers and have had good luck with cottonseed meal. I also had some earthworm castings and a partial bag of volcanic minerals. I mixed this with the cottonseed meal in a bucket. I have found that if I add this to the seed bed at planting, the meal breaks down just in time for my new seedlings to start taking up nutrients in earnest. Using this method I rarely have to add anything other than compost during the growing season.

Once the soil is prepared I broadcast the seed across the entire bed. I like to fill the space with plants versus planting in rows. I have found that the leaves of the vegetables provide shade and help retain moisture. I top with the appropriate amount of soil for the seed, and water it in. Today I planted garlic, kohlrabi and carrots. Next weekend I will plant greens if it looks like the cooler weather is going to stay.

I set my soaker hose and put fencing over the bed to keep out the neighbors cat. He is very cute and I appreciate his mouse patrol of my compost bin, but he will have to find somewhere else to contribute.

Later I will use these pieces of fence for climbing vegetables like peas, beans, and cucumbers. Sometimes I also use them as tomato cages. I have bamboo stakes and long pieces of pipe that I weave in for support.

I will have to hand water these beds every day until the seeds germinate. Once the seedlings put out true leaves I can back off a bit depending on the temperature. The trees should start losing their leaves about the same time that the plants are fully established - thus providing full sun for the remainder of the season. I will put up my hoops and drape plastic to protect against the first few freezes in November.

I have green beans and swiss chard already growing and some cucumbers I managed to keep alive under my peach tree. This should all provide us with some good meals until the hard freeze in February. I am planning to plant crimson clover on the rest of the beds as a winter cover crop and just hope for the best. The weather outlook next year is not promising, but with some planning and wise use of site and resources, I hope to keep us out of the produce aisle at HEB!

Garden’s Need Cover-ups Too

2011-06-25T16:57:00.004-05:00

Here in Central Texas we are being blasted with day after day of relentless, 100-degree sunshine. Boo-hoo my family in 100-year record rain-soaked Pacific Northwest say, but the heat and intense light can take a toll on the garden.

It’s not just the plants and sweaty humans that suffer; the soil creatures can get overheated and go dormant as well. Mesophiles, the main microbes found in composting soil, can do fine in temperatures 20 to 45°C (68 to 113°F), but earthworms don’t like anything over 65°F. High soil temperatures are also accompanied by moisture loss. Slower microbes, absent earthworms, and lack of moisture are a trifecta of problems this time of year, just when you are getting ready for the fall vegetable-planting season.

Mulching the top of the soil is the best practice to adopt during any time of extremes. You can choose brown mulch (like compost) or green mulch (like a cover crop.) I use both. In my vegetable beds my preference is using a legume cover crop. The legumes fix nitrogen from the air and convert it to a useable form in the soil. They help me keep my soil fertility constant so I don’t have to add much supplemental fertilizer, and are great for reconditioning the soil after a heavy-feeding vegetable or fruit crop.

In the summer I like planting Southern Cowpeas. There are many varieties to choose from. My favorite is the cream pea because it seems to have slightly larger leaves and does a good job of completely covering the area it is planted in. My spring vegetables start slowing in May, and most shut down when the temperature hits 100. When that happens, I harvest what remains and then throw the rest of the plant into the compost bin. I direct sow the peas right on top of the bed.

I cover the seeds with a mix of worm castings and compost. It is watered in well, and usually sprouts fairly quickly. I irrigate regularly until the plants are established and then water as infrequently as I can get away with in the heat. Some of my beds that get some shade only have to be irrigated once a week or so.

I’ll keep the peas growing until I am ready to put in my fall vegetable crops. I cut the top of the plant off at soil level and toss it into the compost bin, then plant my veggies directly where the peas used to be. I use finished compost to cover the seeds or mulch the new plants, and we are right back into food production. You can also just turn the peas back into the soil, but I am usually in a hurry and just use compost instead. On my fruit berms where I don’t do any cultivation, I leave the peas as a “hay” cover and sow Crimson Clover over the top for my winter cover crop.

So while you are out there slathering on sunscreen under your big ole hat, think about your garden soil too. It can use a little cover and will reward you with happy plants that you can show off with your tan this fall.

Don't Cry About Not Having Enough Onions!

2011-01-23T17:23:00.002-06:00

My husband and I love onions. To me, they are one of those perfect vegetables. They go with just about anything, are awesome raw or cooked, and can go from savory to sweet in a heartbeat. They are a foundation for nearly everything I cook. This makes them a staple in my vegetable garden no matter what time of year it is.

If you live in Central Texas, now is a great time to get your onions in the ground. Right now you can purchase onion sets at nearly any garden center. Onions sets look like tiny green onions. They are usually bundled together and sold as a “set”, and are not potted. I just bought two sets and there were 60 in one and 85 in the other.

That may sound like a lot of onions, but for us one bunch just won’t do. I planted all 145 of them in a 6’ x 4’ raised bed, about 3” apart. That is much closer than the 6” usually recommended; but because we “weed” them into our salads, it works for us to have that many in a small space. By the time the bulbs start to mature we have separated them out properly.

Onions are easy to grow and don’t take a lot of water. They are also quite pest resistant. The only trouble I’ve ever had was having a wet summer that caused them to rot in the ground. Planting them in well-drained, loose soil usually prevents this problem. They are also easy to transplant. Gently separate the bundle and use your finger to poke a 2” hole in the soil. Place the plant roots down and cover. As the plant grows you may need to hill soil to keep a thin covering over the bulb.

Onions can be harvested for greens or for bunching onions all through the growing season. If you want to raise them to maturity, wait for the tops to brown, dry, and flop over to give you that great tear-jerking onion flavor. If you live in a dry area like I do, you can keep them in the ground and harvest as needed. I stop irrigating them and just use the planting bed as a storehouse. Be sure to plant varieties that can keep for a few months if you want to adopt this method. I just planted Southern Belle Red Onions and Grano 1015Y Yellow Onions. Here is a list of recommended vegetable varieties for Travis County if you are interested in other varieties that will do well here.

Onions from your own yard are amazing and one of the easiest things to grow for gardeners of any experience level. If you plant them as densely as I do, you can try a couple of different varieties in a relatively small space. Onion sets are great to share too if you’re not wild about having over 100 onions in your backyard. Although personally, I think you’ll be crying later that you didn’t plant enough!

Ready, Set, GROW!

2010-12-26T11:15:00.003-06:00

I could not WAIT for the winter solstice to pass. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, the solstice was the promise that the dark, gray days would end.

Here in Central Texas, we maybe have one dark day every three months. The unrelenting cheerfulness of the sunny days has been surprisingly hard to get used to. What? ANOTHER beautiful day?!?! As a gardener, it is both a boon and a bane. I mean, when is a girl supposed to get some rest? I have had to learn to give myself permission to loaf on the couch even though it is perfect gardening weather outside. I am, after all, employed full-time elsewhere at a very demanding job. My garden is my haven, my respite, but it can be tyrannical if I let it.

But despite all of that, the solstice still chimes a bell in my psyche. Spring is on its way! Time to plant!

I have raised beds with hoops that I drape plastic over, so I can start my peas and cole crops outside. But the real work is done in the house. In order to get any sort of harvest before the summer heat drives everything into dormancy, I need to get my tomatoes and okra growing NOW!

Yes, I drool over those seed set-ups you see in catalogs and on the web. The one I really want has four tiers of grow lights, a built in misting system, and domes to keep in the humidity. At over $1,000, it’s a virtual greenhouse on wheels. Maybe some day I will lose my mind and buy it. But right now, the system I have works just fine. It consists of two TV trays, 4-inch pots and plastic flats that I saved from nursery purchases, purchased growing medium, and some plastic wrap. I considered upgrading to saved containers (with domes that fit!) that roasted chickens come in, but we haven’t bought one of those in quite a while, and I was in the mood to plant NOW and didn’t want to go to the store.

I am starting several varieties of tomatoes. Three are favorites that did well last year – Plum Dandy, Taxi, and Sun Gold. I am adding to the mix Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine (which never did well in Oregon, but people rave about it here in Texas) and Cherokee Purple. I’m also starting Tomatillos, Celery, and Okra.

I have an area by the compost bin that I use for a potting station, but today it was 32 degrees outside so I opted to work in the house. The first thing I did was prepare my seed labels. Each label has the name of the plant and the seeding date written on it in pencil. Use pencil because it won’t wash off, and you can reuse the label later. You remove the lead writing by rubbing soil on it. It’s a trick I learned from Master Gardeners. Next, it’s important that you pre-moisten the soil before you put in into pots. The peat-based potting medium that you buy is completely dry, and you can’t water it enough to get everything moist for your seeds. I used one of my big bowls and mixed soil and water right in the sink.

You want it to be just moist enough to hold together. I then filled the pots about 2/3 full. I planted five seeds in each pot, and then lightly sprinkled soil on top. I used the spray nozzle on the sink to then water everything one more time. I covered the whole tray with plastic wrap to help keep from drying out, and then put on the TV trays next to the window.

With any luck, the seeds will germinate in about 10-14 days. I will have to rotate the tray daily to keep the plants from leaning too much to one side. I will transplant them into their own pots once they have a set of true leaves. Kind of a hokey way of doing things – but hey, it works. I always figure that if I have a crop failure (or the cat or the husband knocks over the whole works), I can always buy transplants later. Not as much fun and I never get the varieties I want, but it’s as good as Plan B as I have. And it didn’t cost me a thousand bucks.

YET.

Happy planting!

Thankful for the harvest: $476 produce year to date.

2010-11-14T14:19:00.002-06:00

I’ve made it through another summer in Central Texas and have learned even more about how to grow vegetables here in Austin.

The weather is very unforgiving. There’s no dilly-dallying when it comes to putting seeds or transplants in the ground. When I wasn’t right on schedule my plants died in the heat or failed to germinate. Even though I tried to compensate, I ended up emptying my big rain tank trying to keep the seed beds moist enough to sprout fall vegetables. It was all in vain. Next time I’ll know. Start the fall vegetables in the house, then transplant outside last week of SEPTEMBER, not July. I have to keep reminding myself that I am no longer on Oregon planting cycles.

The bugs are just as ruthless. My kale, mustard, and green beans all succumbed from the onslaught of pestilence. Beetles, spider mites, locusts, corn earworms, stink bugs, scale – they all stuffed themselves at my expense. Next time I will be more diligent in my crop rotation and put the row covers on as soon as I plant.

And yet, despite all of that, we have eaten well. Even now as I stare down Mother Nature waiting for the first frost, we are eating tomatoes, chard, and butter beans. My fall crops of kale, collards, European salad greens, kohlrabi, and even my kumquats, will be ready to eat in a week or two. I’ve got my cold frames up and ready to drape with plastic as soon as the weather gets ready to turn. My citrus trees are hung with Christmas lights and I’ve rigged cold frames for them too.

So I am very thankful. I keep track of my harvest and year to date the garden has yielded $476 in produce. I weigh what I pick and then use the same prices I find at HEB to determine the value. It’s actually produced more than that, because I still haven’t come across a good way to measure the herbs and lemon grass I use. Then of course there is the produce that is consumed on the spot that doesn’t get a chance to get weighed. Green beans, tomatoes, and the blackberries are all under reported. Nice problem to have.

I am hoping to break the $500 dollar mark by the end of the year. Had my citrus trees not been nipped by the frost I would have surpassed it easily. But no matter, there’s always next time!

Eco-Savvy Projects for Kids!

2010-10-12T10:19:00.003-05:00

We made this project flyer for our friends at Leon Springs Green Fest. Included are three projects: chunky crayons, a Peter Rabbit-inspired mini-garden (thanks, Susan Wittig Albert!), and a nifty cereal box magazine holder.

Feel free to copy and distribute.

Kid Projects

TEDx San Antonio Promo Video

2010-10-07T17:03:00.001-05:00

Note that Dig for Texas co-founder Pamela Price will present with Holly Hirshberg of The Dinner Garden on the topic of gardening to fight hunger.

Inspiration: How to Start a Movement

2010-10-06T10:34:00.001-05:00

The Story of the Garden

2010-10-05T09:30:00.004-05:00

Editor's Note: One of our long-time, dedicated supporters, Christina, returns to the Dig for Texas blog again this month to provide background information on the Texas Governor's Mansion's garden history.

Story by Christina Allday-Bondy

The Texas Governor’s Mansion was first occupied in 1856, some 11 years after Texas became a state. Early first ladies of Texas were more likely to be born out of state, and many traveled back and forth to Austin from family property elsewhere in Texas which also needed their attention. The Mansion, and likely the gardens as well, frequently fell into disrepair over the years as the legislature grew to appreciate its symbolism and importance to the state’s business.

Early on, the legislature stipulated that food for the governor’s table was up to him (or her) to provide. Although the records are incomplete, the story of kitchen gardens at the Texas Governor’s Mansion seems to begin in 1856 when appropriations were made to fence the grounds and dig a well, during Elisha Marshall Pease’s term in office.

In February 1857, Mrs. Pease wrote that “we are now in the midst of gardening…Have planted Irish Potatoes [sic] & most of the early vegetables…Marshall brought me some shrubbery from Galveston…, We have just killed six hogs and I am deep in the business of lard making and curing of hams. We shall put up twelve hogs this winter and hope to have enough – last year they had to buy pork while I was away…There had been a good deal of shrubbery and some fruit and shade trees set out in the garden and yard here at the expense of the State –and I think the roses will look pretty next summer.”

Turmoil surrounding slavery policies and the Civil War left the Mansion in disrepair until 1870 when Mrs. Edmund Davis helped with refurbishing of the building, and construction of a garden house and extensive landscaping including fruit trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables. Notes from the Mansion gardener, William Davenport, include orders for 341 loads of dirt and 166 loads of manure, a hay fork, 3 spading forks, and 2 hoes, peach and cherry trees, flower seeds and bulbs, rose bushes, and vegetable seeds for celery, parsley, shallots, endive, radish, cucumber and potatoes. Mrs. Davis was from Arkansas, so the selection of cherry trees – which do well there, but certainly not in Austin – was possibly an indication of her direct involvement in choosing plants for the gardens.

Frances Roberts (wife of Governor Oran Roberts, 1879-1883) startled visiting Austin society matrons who observed her personally gathering turnip greens in the Mansion garden, according to accounts from the period. (Social groups had free and open access to the Mansion for social events until the early 1900s.)

An early photograph (1912), taken during the administration of Governor Oscar Colquitt shows rows of plants that look an awful lot like vegetables in the foreground. His successor James “Pa” Ferguson saw a greenhouse added to the grounds by 1917. Willie Cooper Hobby, wife of Governor William P. Hobby Sr. (1917-1919), planted the first “war” garden at the Mansion and kept white leghorn chickens as part of her effort. A 1920 photograph of the Governor Pat Neff family in the Mansion gardens suggests they continued to maintain it.

During Miriam “Ma” Ferguson’s first term as Governor (1925-1927) she left her office each day at 3pm to attend to her chickens (and likely a garden that at least supplied some of their vegetable needs!) Unfortunately, Mrs. Dan Moody whose husband succeeded Ma Ferguson converted the vegetable garden to flowers and the Ross Sterlings reportedly brought in groceries from their farm during the height of the Great Depression. Ma Ferguson returned to the Mansion from 1933-35. With the continued Depression we can guess chickens and a kitchen garden returned as well.

Governor Coke Stevenson occupied the Mansion from just before World War II, when Governor O’Daniel resigned in 1941, through 1947. Fay Stevenson was diagnosed with cancer shortly after her husband took office and was an invalid until her death only months later. The Stevensons’ daughter-in-law, Scottie, came to Austin as needed to hostess for the Governor for the few social events held during the war.

With some more digging – in records which become more voluminous as they become more contemporary – I hope to discover whether veggie gardens had a place on the Mansion grounds from the Stevenson administration to Governor Rick Perry, who is known to have favored homegrown tomatoes from the Mansion gardens before the fire in 2008.

Editor's Postscript: As for how this story unfolds after 2010, well... that depends a lot upon you, your friends and your collective support of our non-partisan online petition drive!

Image source, copyright Stephen & Karen Conn.

Upcoming Events

2010-09-15T17:17:00.002-05:00

Mark your calendars and look for our reps milling around at the following events, promoting our petition drive.

18 September - San Antonio - Milberger's Gardening South Texas

25 September - Fredericksburg - Renewable Energy RoundUp and Green Living Fair

9 October - San Antonio - Leon Springs GreenFest

16 October - San Antonio - TEDx San Antonio

Want to showcase Dig for Texas at your event? Then download and print a free flyer!

Dig for Texas at Milberger's (San Antonio)

2010-09-13T10:20:00.003-05:00

We'll be holding a "tweet up" at Milberger's Nursery on 1604 in San Antonio on Saturday, September 18 at 10 AM. (Use the #digforTX hashtag this week and follow us on Twitter.com for details: @digfortexas)

In South Central Texas, mid-September is a great time to think about fall veggies (esp. broccoli and cabbage starts), so we'll also be chatting with the good gardening docs, Dr. Jerry Parsons and Dr. Calvin Finch, for advice and as part of the Milberger's South Texas radio show on KLUP AM 930.

If you're a fan of the show, I promised to show a few pics of the Phoenix variety that Dr. Parsons encouraged me to grow this year. They're at right, with a few Juliette tomatoes, too. (Recognize the image? It's from one of the Dig for Texas videos, "Root"!)

Got a question for Dr. Parsons that just can't wait? Check out PlantAnswers.com!

School Days, School Days

2010-09-07T10:33:00.007-05:00

Guest post by Christina Allday-Bondy

Interest in gardening seems to be surging at schools from coast to coast to coast, spawning media articles, curricula and lots of attention.

Personally I find this very gratifying and a bit nostalgic. As a Dallas high school senior, I convinced my principal and advanced biology teacher that there was something of value for a small group of girls to have a garden for a semester. On our own, with no money, few tools, and a too-shady spot we learned mostly about collaboration and digging in the dirt as stress relief.

We’ve come a long, long way. Now there are at least 71 schools in 5 North Texas districts with gardens and a non-profit providing consulting services (www.realschoolgardens.org). School gardens have wide support including a proclamation from Dallas’ Mayor. In Houston, Urban Harvest helps schools establish new gardens - even a community garden at the University of Houston. The Sustainable Food Center and Austin School Garden Network provide various resources and training for Central Texas schools.

Funding, although still challenging, is becoming more available especially as the layers of value from school gardens are emerging more clearly. It’s not all about science lessons.
Gardens turn out to be a fulcrum for learning sustainability, economic and social skills as well. With Texas ranking 3rd for food insecurity, school gardens are one component of extending gardening knowledge to families in economic distress. School gardens are also an element of addressing alarming obesity and diabetes statistics related to poor dietary habits and lack of exercise. The benefits of teachers, families and students working together to have a successful garden, seems self-evident.

Explore More Online!

Recent Articles
• New Mexico: "School gardens are becoming more popular each year"
• Hawaii: "Garden teachers cultivate new ideas"
• Chicago: "Nurturing hope in a youth garden" for high-risk kids"
• Detroit:

A new film called "Grown in Detroit" documents the joys and struggles at one of America's most innovative school farm programs, at the Catherine Ferguson Academy for Young Women
• Virginia: "New program plants seeds for healthier kids, community"
• New York: "The rise and fall of school gardens in New York's past can guide us into the future

New Funding Resources
• A grant opportunity from the USDA
• A new fun

draising program for schools, and free garden planning software for school gardens who use this fundraiser program

Getting Started
• A wonderful new book, Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation
• And another recent publication (might still be on sale!) How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers
• A new "School Garden Teaching Toolkit" from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); download it for free!

Extra Justification for School Gardens (If You Need It!)
• A new report commissioned by the Royal Horticultural Society in England provides an extensive overview of all the health and educational reasons why we should be encouraging school gardens.

Christina Allday-Bondy, with a background in botany and natural resources policy, is a sustainability consultant and Holistic Management educator in Austin, Texas. Her experience includes stints with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The Nature Conservancy, Texas Department of Agriculture, and Texas General Land Office. She was co-founder of Plateau Land and Wildlife Management, Inc. and the Austin School Garden Network. This fall, she and her daughter are launching a jewelry boutique – Allday Creative - at etsy.com

Foodways Texas Stuff

2010-08-30T12:57:00.002-05:00

Over on MySA.com, I just wrote a post about Foodways Texas and it's relevance to our work here at Dig for Texas. Wanna read it? Click here.

- Pamela

NOW on Change.org!

2010-08-20T11:01:00.005-05:00

At the request of several would-be petitioners, we've placed our petition on Change.org, too. This move will permit non-Facebook users to sign. It's also my understanding that petitioners have the option to remain anonymous. (To do that, you'll have to sign here and UNcheck the box: "Allow my signature to be seen publicly.")

Obviously, if you've already signed the petition on Facebook (THANKS!), then there's no reason to sign again. However, if you've had trouble accessing the FB petition (it's troublesome for some browsers) or wanted to preserve your anonymity, here's your chance:

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

First Tweet Up is Saturday!

2010-08-05T12:30:00.002-05:00

If you're in the San Antonio area, we'll be at the Leon Springs Farmers Market at 10 AM.

Can't make it? We'll be handing out this flyer on local gardening for kids.

Leon Springs Fall Garden Tips

Garden has produced $428 worth of groceries year to date.

2010-08-01T15:26:00.004-05:00

Every day I keep track of what I harvest from the garden and then see what it would have cost had I purchased it from my local HEB grocery store. So far this year, my garden and yielded $428 worth of produce. I weigh the fruit and vegetables and then use the same prices that are posted for non-organic produce.

Right now we are eating cantaloupe, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, herbs, lemon grass, peppers, and cucumbers. I had to pull up all my greens because they were so bitter, so we're back to "bag of salad" purchased at the grocery store. I grumble every time I have to eat it. The corn also got made into compost because of poor ear development and pest attacks. I have planted orach, collards, amaranth, and Malabar spinach. I am hoping these crops will get me back to eating my own greens. I also planted more corn, some summer squash, and tomatillos. The recent rains have helped, but I am having a hard time keeping the seeds moist enough to germinate.

There are a lot of reasons to grow your own food. One of the buzz terms right now is "food safety." The news of spinach, salads, salsas, even fruit juices containing E. coli bacteria have everyone running scared. Growing your own food doesn't guarantee that your food is safe - after all we have pets and wildlife in our gardens - but at least you know where it's been. I grow food because it let's us have a wider variety of vegetables, they taste better because everything is ripened on the plant, and it's free of pesticides. Saving money has never been a motivating factor, but $428 isn't bad for a backyard plot. My efforts feed about four people - two at home and a rotating two at work. The neighbors also get in on some free goodies. Nobody stops by the house without leaving with a little something-something.

There is also the entertainment factor. I love gardening and it such a pleasure to spend time amongst my plants. It's never dull out there with the birds, bugs, and reptiles that share my little space. But there is something else. If you've every made something, you know the immense satisfaction you get from being able to produce something with your hands. My being able to grow food and share it with the people I love is what it's all about for me. Of course they have to listen to my gardening stories for hours on end - but since they keep showing up it must not be too great of a sacrifice.

Join us in promoting home grown food and local programs encouraging community gardens. Sign the petition asking the Governor to get more involved by planting a kitchen garden at the Mansion. You can find the link here: Go to http://apps.facebook.com/causes/petitions/467

Our First Flyer

2010-07-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

You've seen the videos, our Twitter account and our Facebook page. Hopefully by now you've even signed the petition.

Social media is great, but when it comes to spreading the word about the Dig for Texas campaign, we know that good, old-fashioned canvassing is still the most effective method of outreach.

So, we've made a flyer for y'all to print and distribute to nurseries, master gardener meetings, farmers markets, etc.

Your support for this campaign is very much appreciated!

Dig for Texas Flyer 1

Eat The View, Explained

2010-07-26T18:50:00.002-05:00

Below is a slideshow explaining our inspiration, the NON-partisan, pro-garden 2008 Eat The View campaign. Take a look at this slideshow and then go check out our videos! (More to come.)

Bake and Shake Composting

2010-07-25T14:54:00.005-05:00

It's getting that time of year to start planting the fall vegetable garden, but before you do, make sure that your soil is ready to produce a whole new crop of edibles. I refresh my planting beds with compost that I've made from yard trimmings and kitchen scraps.

I've been using a three-bin compost system for years and really like the tidiness and speed in which I can create usable compost. Raw material goes into the first bin, and then is moved to the next second the following week. Moving it to the next bin helps keep everything aerated so the microbes, earthworms, and various other creatures can continue breaking down the plant material unfettered. After another week it is turned again into the third chamber.

By the time it has spent a week in bin three, it is pretty much ready to move out. Just to make sure, we built a screen to fit on top of the wheelbarrow. I fork the compost onto the screen and then shake it vigorously. The material that has broken down completely sifts through, leaving the chunks on top.

We build the screen out of materials we have on hand and make sure that it's not too heavy for me to manipulate. One year we made it entirely out of two-by-fours and I was barely able to shake it when it was loaded down with compost.

Our latest iteration is comprised of one-by-twos, 1/2-inch square galvanized mesh, and two handles from a wheelbarrow that we had to "put down" because it had completely worn out. The frame is built to sit on top of the rim. This way the wheelbarrow supports the weight and gives a smooth track surface to aid in sifting. Since there isn't any lifting, it's really saved my back from getting strained.

I shake it a good dozen times until I can see that what remains on top will not fit through the screen. This material is then tossed back into the first bin to go through the process again. Depending on what else is happening in the garden, I may take the chunky bits and place them around my ornamental plants as mulch.

The compost that remains is then wheeled over to the vegetable beds. I usually mix it into the top six inches of existing soil with my garden fork. Then I rake it level, set my irrigation, and plant my seeds. I'll also use it in established plantings as a side dressing or to mound hills for potatoes and corn. No matter how much I make there is never enough to go around. When I get really desperate I will buy compost in a bag - but it is never as good as what comes out of my bin so I try to hold out. I scrounge grass clippings and yard debris from the neighbors whenever my own fresh supply gets low, just to keep my piles cooking. I know, I should probably find other hobbies.

I really believe that the reason I am able to successfully grow food for my friends and family is due to my plant recycling efforts. The compost I produce smells great, really holds moisture, and my living plants love it. I never have to use commercial fertilizers and the compost contributes to a healthy soil environment. I encourage every one to start their own rot pile and give the "bake and shake" method a try!

Our First Video!

2010-07-15T19:33:00.001-05:00

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Feel free to share with your friends and post to your blog.

How You Can Help Spread the Word (EASY!)

2010-07-12T07:00:00.007-05:00

We appreciate so much the support we've received with the Dig for Texas petition drive.

For those of you willing to put forth more effort as we head into fall, here's some suggestions:

• First and foremost, sign the petition and invite your Facebook friends to do so, too.

• Follow us on Twitter (@digfortexas) and fan us on Facebook.

• Already a Facebook fan? Go to the page and click "Suggest to Friends" in the sidebar. Follow the prompts.

• Steal this blurb to send to friends via email or include in your neighborhood, church, community garden club, or non-profit newsletter. Tweak it to fit "your" voice.

• Blog about your support of the petition on your website. (Don't forget to include the petition link!)

• Write a short letter to the editor of your local paper about the campaign.

• Add this text to the signature file of your email account:

TEXANS! Do you support local food? Then please sign the NON-partisan Dig for Texas FACEBOOK petition today!: http://tinyurl.com/digfortexas
Twitter: @digfortexas

• Tweet this:

Fellow Texans! I support @digfortexas. Please join me in following them--and signing the petition: http://tinyurl.com/digfortexas

Faith-Based Community Garden Tips

2010-07-01T14:10:00.004-05:00

Here at Dig for Texas, we've resisted the temptation to use a particular phrase--"victory garden," "kitchen garden," etc--for the gardens we aspire to promote statewide. That's because we know Texans are an independent sort and will use all sorts of phrases. Heck, we anticipate we'll even hear of some new ones!

We've also encouraged our supporters to look beyond our state's boundaries for ideas/resources, and the Montgomery Victory Gardens organization in Maryland is a fine example. The non-profit's PDF on faith-based community gardening is worth a look, as is the rest of their site.

Enjoy, y'all... and don't forget to fan us on Facebook and sign the petition.

Preserve Your Harvest

2010-06-20T17:52:00.003-05:00

Vegetable gardening is the gift that keeps on giving. The harvest can sometimes come on fast and furious and it can be a challenge to consume it all fresh.

I try not to plant more than I know my husband and I can eat, but even the best intentions can result in an over abundance of produce. Suddenly it doesn't seem like it was a good idea to plant all those seeds to "finish off the packet." So, in the heat of the summer, I pull all the pots off the rack and get to canning.

Canning is just one way to preserve food for later. It's probably the most intimidating for the beginner, but is really fairly easy. The biggest hurdle is to buy the jars, because they can be expensive brand new. I have increased my inventory by frequenting yard sales and thrift stores. You can buy the rings and lids at most grocery stores.

I use pint jars since it is just the two of us. Another consideration is that they fit into my soup pots so I don't have to have any specialized canning equipment. My pot holds about four jars for the "water bath" processing that is required to get a good seal. I'm not going to talk about how to can here because the best resource is your local extension service. There is also great information provided by the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Another way to preserve food for later is to freeze it. One of my favorite things to do is to make basil ice cubes. I chop up basil with a little garlic in the food processor, then stuff the mixture into ice cube trays. I pour chicken broth over the top then pop it into the freezer. Once the cubes have frozen, I remove them from the trays and store in a freezer bag. These are great to pop into soups and sauces. They last for about 6 months - but mine never make it that long.

I also like to dry my produce but haven't figured out how to best do that here in Central Texas. I don't have a food dehydrator and have yet to come up with a good design for drying food outside. The humidity here is a problem so I've got to have something with good air circulation and a drying heat. I don't want to do it in the oven so I've been searching for some designs. Mother Earth News has published a couple that may work. If you have had any success building your own dryer, let me know!

There is no reason that you can't enjoy the fruits of your labor for more than just the brief time that they are ripe on the plant. It's great to eat flavorful food long after the harvest is over and is another great reason to grow your own fruit and vegetables.

Garden has produced $321 Worth of Groceries YTD

2010-06-13T18:05:00.007-05:00

The garden patch is in high season right now. We are eating green beans, carrots, onions, tomatoes, peppers, kale, blackberries, herbs and leaves from the kaffir lime. The black-eyed peas are drying on the plant and I pick them when the pods become brittle. The corn, cantaloupe, butter beans, and cucumbers will be ready to harvest soon. The kumquat is blooming it's heart out so I should have lots of little citrus delights in the coming months. So far this garden bounty has yielded $321 worth of produce.

I measure the value of the produce by comparing what it would cost to buy it at HEB. I use regular prices, not organic, in order to get a good picture of what an average person could save by growing their own food. I'm still not convinced that the cost savings alone are reason to raise vegetables and fruit, but you sure can't beat the flavor and convenience. It is a running joke at our house that you can't fix dinner without going out and picking crops. And even though to some it may seem a pain to do so, it sure beats running to the grocery store.

We eat a lot of our food raw, often grazing while we pick our supper. There is nothing sweeter than a fresh picked green bean. Well, maybe the blackberries. Okay, the Sungold tomatoes are awesome too - you get the picture. If produce makes it into the house, I usually do a quick stir-fry in olive oil and serve it over grits. Preparing it simply and quickly preserves the flavor and is gorgeous on the plate. We are saving plastic containers in the hope that we'll have a big enough tomato crop for me to make our own V-8 juice.

This way of eating has really changed Ed and I. We notice that we shed pounds during "garden" season because we eat less packaged goods and more vegetables. We cook a lot of our produce on the grill along side whatever meat is on the menu. I have less cravings for sweets, breads, and other things that shouldn't be consumed in mass quantities when I eat fresh vegetables. All that fiber is good for digestion too.

I am such an advocate of growing as much of your own food as you can, even if it is a single tomato plant. If you can't grow your own, eat as local as you can because the food is in better shape. You'll be in better shape too.

Join us in promoting homegrown food and local programs encouraging community gardens. Sign the petition asking the Governor to get more involved by planting a kitchen garden at the Mansion. Click this link to be directed to Facebook where you can add your name to those of other Texans who believe this to be an important cause. Thank you!

Dateline Elsewhere: North Dakota Gets Serious re: Homegrown Vittles

2010-06-07T17:41:00.004-05:00

This Grand Forks Herald (North Dakota) story was picked up via the Center for Rural Affairs' Facebook fan page:

North Dakota is calling on its gardeners to spare some of their yield this summer – preferably half a million pounds of it.

The state has kicked off an ambitious drive to whisk locally grown produce to food pantry shelves, where non-perishables still hold sway. Church groups, community gardens, novice growers and entire communities have pledged to pitch in.

“This is going to be an incredible new source of produce,” says Steve Sellent, director of the Great Plains Food Bank.

Sue Balcom, the local foods marketing specialist at the state Department of Agriculture, says the idea for the Hunger Free North Dakota Gardens Project sprang from a mild predicament shared by avid gardeners like her.

“I look for any excuse to plant one more thing in my garden and watch it grow,” she says. The result: more produce than she can use.

That food, she realized, would come in handy at the 244 pantries in the state.

[More]

Reminder: Dig for Texas has a Facebook fan page, too. And then there's the petition...

BEYOND the Garden: How to Support Local Food

2010-06-07T08:01:00.001-05:00

If you've got limited space in which to grow a garden, your local farmers' market or CSA can help! To locate one near you, check out LocalHarvest.org (@localharvestorg) As of last week, the site had 22,026 nationwide.

What are some of your fave Texas farmers markets?

Food Evolution - Who Knew?

2010-06-06T14:33:00.005-05:00

I was remarking to my husband over our lunch of home made Thai lime soup, that my evolution as a gardener as been in lock step with my proficiency as a cook. My garden has challenged me to eat what is producing that day, no matter what I may have had in mind menu-wise. Ed made a great observation. He said that he has noticed that the food-preparation chain has changed. It used to be from cooking magazine to grocery store to kitchen to table. Now it is from yard to Internet to table.

What freedom the Internet has given me! I am not the most creative cook and have always depended heavily on magazines and books for recipes. The Internet releases me from the self-imposed tyranny of finding a meal out of a book instead of the garden. Even though I can open a cupboard and pull together something from ingredients on hand, I tend to get in ruts and need a push to try something new. I’m also heavily reliant on canned goods. I think that is because growing up everything ended in the canning jar and we really didn’t eat a lot of freshly prepared food outside of beans, squash, and corn on the cob. We were also limited by water and couldn’t grow a wide variety of vegetables.

It wasn’t until I became friends with Bonny that I was introduced to the huge bounty and diversity of a full-out vegetable and fruit garden. Here was a family that ate food raw or very simply prepared from a breadth of plants that took my breath away – not that it stopped me from eating. To this day there is no one who can make a fresh coleslaw any better than Bonny. Who knew that it could be made from something other than green cabbage and two jars of mayonnaise?

Now that I knew there was life beyond green beans and zucchini, it allowed me to experiment with growing food I might not otherwise try. Going through the seed catalogs has been great fun to try to find something I haven’t grown yet. If I don’t know what it is, I can Google it and see what sort of recipes are available. I can also go to a restaurant, enjoy a dish, and then see what I need to grow so it can be prepared at home. That’s how the Thai soup came about. I now have lemon grass and a Kaffir lime tree in addition to garlic, cilantro, basil, and peppers to throw in the pot. It’s just as good if not better than what we had eating out.

The real message here is not to be intimidated by food or gardening. Growing and eating something you have raised yourself teaches you many things about life and provides a safe haven from pesticides and other contaminates. Experimenting with things you might not otherwise try broadens your perspective and gives you confidence to wander off of other strict paths or habits. Evolution can be a good thing – especially when it means forgoing iceberg lettuce in favor of a Swiss chard, kale, sweet onion, and Sungold tomato salad!

Join us in promoting homegrown food and local programs encouraging community gardens. Sign the petition asking the Governor to get more involved by planting a kitchen garden at the Mansion. Click this link to be directed to Facebook where you can add your name to those of other Texans who believe this to be an important cause. Thank you!

Video from Dig for Texas Event (Leon Springs, 5 June 2010)

2010-06-05T13:26:00.006-05:00

Thanks to our friends at Leon Springs Farmers Market (@leonspringsfm) for letting us collaborate on a unique children's workshop this morning linking local food and history.

And extra special thanks to NOWCastSA (@nowcastsa) for live streaming the event on their new site! Here's a clip.

USDA People's Garden Project Takes Root in Texas

2010-06-04T17:48:00.002-05:00

As of today, fourteen USDA People's Gardens have been planted statewide.

The sites include:

Carthage

Centerville

College Station

Dallas

Eden

Franklin

Kingsville

Nacogdoches

Ozona

Plains

San Angelo

Tahoka

Vernon

Weslaco

(Source)

To learn more about the year-old, nationwide gardening project, visit the official USDA People's Garden Web page or follow @peoplesgarden. See also this printable brochure.

Gardens Hungry Texans Can Bank On

2010-06-03T22:08:00.006-05:00

Reading up on AmpleHarvest.org's year-old initiative to connect backyard gardeners with their local food banks and pantries got me thinking. Our city-wide food bank has its own community garden, but how many similar Texas banks also have gardens. And how would we locate them?

To the rescue came Texans Vs Hunger (@texansvshunger) on Twitter. In response to their quick poll of statewide food banks, this list was developed within a day. We'll be incorporating this content into a new page soon, but until then... enjoy!

Capital Area Food Bank (Austin)
San Antonio Food Bank
Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley (Pharr)
South Plains Food Bank (Lubbock)
High Plains Food Bank (Amarillo)
Food Bank of Corpus Christi

Wanna Show Your Support for the Cause?

2010-05-25T16:48:00.004-05:00

Whether you're in Athens, Texas or Athens, George,

we'd really love to have you place this graphic on your blog.

It'd be great, too, if you'd make the image clickable, routing people to this blog (www.digfortexas.com) or, even better, straight to the petition (http://apps.facebook.com/causes/petitions/467).

The more support that we can gather here in Texas for this drive, then the better it'll be for all Americans committed to affordable, accessible and nutritional fresh produce. Your visible support of this project will help us locate and attract supporters here.

Oh, and if you use the graphic, will you drop us a note with your blog's URL? We'll be compiling a list of blog supporters--both in- and out-of-state--soon.

Thanks, y'all!

Sign the Dig for Texas FB Petition!

2010-05-20T11:08:00.005-05:00

We want 5000 signatures on this by November 2. Can you help?

To: All Major Candidates in the 2010 Texas Gubernatorial Race

We petition that… the Office of the Governor, beginning in 2011, work to foster appreciation for homegrown fruits and vegetables by showcasing the history of the Texas Governor's Mansion kitchen garden and visiting community gardens statewide periodically. We ask that the Governor and his staff rely upon social and traditional media as well as K-12 curricula to encourage new public and home food gardens. We request that the Governor personally make a regular and concerted effort to link local food with general wellness in the public sphere. Essentially, we believe local and homegrown products are vital for food security and food safety. Moreover, we believe that fresh foods are essential for combating health woes like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. For these important reasons--as well as global economic and environmental challenges, we seek the support of all major gubernatorial candidates on this initiative during the 2010 campaign.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Sign the Dig for Texas petition now or just read more on Facebook

(Also, be sure to fan Dig for Texas while you're over there.)

Short link to share via Twitter, etc: http://bitly.net/bVmLMb

Not on Facebook? Don't fret!!!

Leave your name and city in comments and we'll pair it with the FB petition signatures.

Something's Cookin'

2010-05-13T11:09:00.003-05:00

As promised at the outset of the Dig for Texas project, we'll soon be launching a push to encourage a statewide initiative promoting home gardens. Our Facebook page will play a big role in this effort, so if you haven't fanned us yet, please do soon. Here's the link , which will open in a new window so you can come back to this page and read all of Sheryl's fantastic home garden posts!

When getting hung out to dry is a good thing.

2010-05-09T18:29:00.004-05:00

I am still struggling with the calendar here in Austin. Things happen out in the garden so much earlier than I'm used to. Here it is the first of May and my produce season is in full swing. If I were still in Oregon, that wouldn't be happening for another two months. Which is crazy - the Oregon Willamette Valley and Austin Texas are in the same climate zone!

One thing that caught me completely by surprise is my garlic. I planted three kinds of garlic last fall, all with different maturities so I could extend my garlic season. The earliest variety is Chinese Pink. It was supposed to be ready to harvest late May or early June. The tops on mine dried up and said "PULL ME" in April. I've left them in the ground because I was busy with other chores and just couldn't get to them. Yesterday I was finally able to devote my attention to them.

I really like to grow garlic because it is easy to store. You can pull them up and throw them in a paper sack, bin, or even a burlap bag and they will keep for at least a few months. I started braiding mine after seeing some for sale at a home and garden show. I'm not the craftiest person in the world, but even I can pull off a semblance of a braid. Here is a website I found that takes you through the steps: http://www.bloomingfieldsfarm.com/garbrdhow.html.

Garlic tastes better after it's dried for a while. Sometimes when you just pull it out of the ground it can be a little green and bitter tasting. I've found that drying it evens out the flavor and intensifies the heat. I pull the garlic, trim off the roots, and then use a soft brush to get rid of the dirt. Sometimes I peel the outer most layer of skin just to clean them up a bit. I then braid them together and hang them someplace. I try to do the harvesting and braiding the same day while the stems are still pliable. A couple of times I have waited and it's hard to soak the stems enough so they don't break off while you are working with them.

The thing I like about these braids is that you can hang them just about anywhere. I have a great covered deck at my house so I've hung the first harvest just outside of the door. I snip the lower heads off when I need them. In the past I have stored them in the house, but not everyone has appreciated the great garlic aroma that permeates everything.

I've planted a lot this year and will probably end of canning some of it. I'm not sure how well the dried garlic will hold up in our humid summers and I'd hate to lose any of it. But until I figure that out I will be braiding away. I should get pretty good at it in a couple of months. Even if they aren't home show quality they'll taste good and help keep the vampires away. Breath mints anyone?

Garden Produce Value Now $218 Year To Date

2010-05-02T10:16:00.007-05:00

Swiss Chard, purple kohlrabi, carrots, white onions, snap peas, mustard greens, and kale are what we've been eating this month. Between what we eat and give to others, our total for the year is $218.

The sugar snap peas have been the most "valuable" crop to grow thus far. HEB charges $3.64 for a 6 oz bag and we've harvested about $35 worth. The green beans will be ready to start picking later this week and should prove to be another "cash" crop.

One thing I forgot to track is my herb garden. I grow rosemary, oregano, winter savory, sage, bay leaf, lemon grass, germander, and thyme. We use fresh herbs in almost every dish we prepare, so I am going to have to figure out how to track our consumption. What is a twig of thyme worth anyway? I'm going to have to find out.

No matter what its value, we (and all the bugs and caterpillars) are enjoying the harvest. I'm making kohlrabi curry for dinner today and am about to put a pot of greens on the stove. Yum!

Best Garden Tools Ever

2010-04-25T17:05:00.005-05:00

My life changed forever in 1989.

That was the year Ed and I were married and I moved into his home on Sherrett Street in Portland, Oregon. Ed came with serious landscaping issues. The front yard was nothing but dandelions, and the back yard had a huge pile of dirt snuffing out some clumping bamboo.

I made short work of the dandelions and then turned my energy into freeing the bamboo. Turns out it was a junk pile of yard debris, car parts, tin cans, and a garden fork.

The garden fork was in surprising shape, the wooden handle was horribly warped, but the tines were rust free. I really didn't know what to make of it. First of all, who would bury a perfectly good tool and second of all, what the heck was it used for? I grew up on a farm and a pitchfork was one of the primary tools in use. We had a regular hay fork and another type we used to muck out the stalls. But this fork was different. It had four tines that were broad, flat, and thick. I cleaned it up and put it in the garage.

Weeks later I was trying to dig up more dandelions and not doing well. The roots kept breaking off in the heavy clay soil and wrenching on the plants with a hand tool was killing my back. I thought of the garden fork tucked into the garage and gave it a try. I've never looked back. Turns out, it became one of my two favorite tools. I use it for almost everything in the garden. It is the perfect tool for digging up weeds, breaking up dirt clods, turning the compost, aerating a bed, prying up rocks, moving sod, turning over soil, and chasing off raccoons. It's the first tool I mention whenever people ask me what they should have for gardening. My fork has replaced the hoe completely and most times I use it instead of a shovel.

My second favorite tool is my Felco pruners. I've had other types over the years. People used to give me pruners for Christmas gifts because mine were always so beat up. I went through brand after brand and nothing would last. Most couldn't be sharpened and others simply fell apart. Yes, I was hard on them. I'd use them to cut branches that were too big or dropped them onto hard surfaces. My biggest frustration was that none of them would keep an edge, thus making the pruning all the harder. I finally broke down and decided to spend the extra money to get a pair of Felco's on the advice of another gardener. It became one of those moments when you say to yourself - "Why didn't I do this years ago!!". I've owned the same pair for almost fifteen years and they have never failed me. We sharpen them about three times a year and they hold their edge under the most abusive circumstances. I use them as pruners, not to mention tin snips, hose cutters, wire cutters, box cutters, staple pullers, grafting knife, and a handy tool to pry on things. They've been dropped, run over, squished into mud, stepped on, lost in the compost, and left out in the rain. Despite this horrible treatment they can be cleaned up, sharpened, and put away for another day. They are more reliable than I am, that's for sure.

I love to garden, but I also don't want to work harder than I have to. My garden fork and Felco pruners have made my life so much easier and allows me to get done what I need to in order to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Speaking of fruit, I need to trim that tree. Never mind that that the branch is over two inches thick - honey, hand me the Felcos!

Potatoes Knocking the Starch Out of Me!

2010-04-18T17:52:00.012-05:00

One of the things I like about vegetable gardening is that once you plant the seeds, there usually isn't a lot to fiddle with until harvest. You water, you might fertilize, you have to weed maybe, oh there might be some staking, but generally you aren't a slave. Not so with potatoes. My potatoes are petty dictators.

A while back I wrote about the potatoes I planted. They have now become very robust plants that I am barely keeping up with. When the plants get about 6-8 inches high, potatoes require hilling, which is a term for mounding the soil around the stems as they grow. The main purposes for hilling is to keep the root system deep where the soil temperature is cool and to keep the potatoes out of the light. If they are exposed to sunlight, they turn green and can produce a glycoalkaloid called solanine. (You can always just cut the green part away.) A secondary benefit of hilling is that it allows the tubers to grow in looser soil and thus grow bigger. I use leaf mulch weighed down with a little soil to hill my plants. That way the potatoes won't have to be chiseled out of the heavy clay ground that the plants are growing in.

I generally like to keep just the tops of the plants exposed, which usually requires hilling about every two weeks. However, my potatoes are growing faster than the weeds with this weather we've been having. I've had to go out every week and hill the plants lest they get too big and leggy. Nice problem to have I guess! Hopefully this means I will get a bumper crop.

When your plants get about a foot tall (from the original soil level) you can start to gently dig around them and look for small "new" potatoes. (These are not the same as fingerling potatoes, those are from a specific variety that grow very small.) I usually use my hands to dig them out so not to damage the main plant with a digging tool. Once you uncover them just grab and pull - they are very easy to remove. Mound the soil back around the plant when done. Cleaned up these potatoes are great steamed whole with baby onions. Yum!

You can stop slaving away once the potatoes start to bloom. Blooming signals the end of the plants vegetative cycle. I usually start harvesting "new" potatoes from one plant when it starts to bloom, then slowly make my way through the rest of the hills. By the time I get near the end the tops have died on the remaining plants and I have full grown spuds. This enables us to eat fresh potatoes for several months.

Lucky for me I have a few plants starting to bloom. Just in time too. I'm exhausted!

Garden has produced $102 Worth of Groceries YTD

2010-04-11T16:50:00.005-05:00

A while back I decided to track how much money I am saving by growing my own food.

I am a skeptic. I have a farm background and I know how hard it is to make a living off the land. It is virtually impossible for a small stake-holder to compete with domestic industrial agriculture, much less the cheap food we import from Mexico and South America. I have seen claims on the Internet that you can save $3,000 on your food bill just by having a garden in the back yard. That seems like a lot of money to me, so I am putting it to the test.

I am tracking everything I harvest and assigning it the same value that HEB charges for it's regular produce. Even though I grow organically, I am not using the organic prices, because normally I don't spend the extra money.

As of March 31, my garden has produced $102.50 worth of produce. About a third of the total ($29.76) are the vegetables I have given to neighbors and coworkers. We started eating out of the garden in January (just a few salad greens here and there,) but have really stuffed ourselves in March. We've eaten spinach, carrots, salad greens, radishes, beets, Swiss chard, kale, and white onions. We usually consume something green for every meal (I have greens with my eggs in the morning.) I am barely keeping up with the harvest and am going to start donating to the food bank this week so nothing goes to waste.

A hundred bucks. That's not much. I look back over my spreadsheet entries and see that on March 7 I harvested a dozen radishes ($0.50), a gallon bag of salad greens ($4.99) and two green onions ($0.17). Alright! At least it was over $5.00! At this rate there is no danger of giving up my day job. (Dang it.)

But it is totally worth it to me. The food is flavorful and fresh. It's beautiful on the plate and a pleasure to eat. As I work in my garden I am constantly serenaded by Cardinals and Mockingbirds, plus a bunch of other tweeters that I can't identify yet. I know that we are consuming less meat and processed foods because we HAVE to eat our vegetables. All around I believe we are much better off . Rich in life, poor in pocketbook, but hey, what else is new?

Companion Planting - When Gardening Gets Friendly.

2010-04-04T14:48:00.007-05:00

I've been doing some volunteering lately with the Travis County Master Gardeners, and one question I get asked a lot is "What types of plants should I plant together?"

Companion planting is more than gardening with your buddies, it's about planting plants in certain combinations that benefit the growth habits of one or more of the group. This is not a new practice, but it has really come to the forefront as people try to garden more sustainably and organically.

The whole idea can be really daunting to first-time or new gardeners. It's hard enough to decide what to plant, then you have to choose the right plants to combine with them? Yikes! All of a sudden gardening has become like an elaborate chemistry set without instructions. But it doesn't have to be hard - and can even be fun (like finding the perfect shoes to go with an outfit!)

I like to group companion planting into four categories:

Contributes to soil health or fertility.
Provides pest control.
Serves as host plant for beneficial insects.
Contributes to a better micro-climate.

Contributes to soil health or fertility: Legumes like clover, peas, vetch, and beans are great examples of this because they contribute nitrogen to the soil. I've included a photo of my crimson clover planted around my Orange tree. Citrus need a lot of nitrogen, so my planting of clover reduces the need to add extra fertilizer. It also helps to suppress weeds and works as a living mulch to retain soil moisture.

Provides pest control: Some plants actually exude substances from their roots or leaves that repel pests. Others have strong smells that work in much the same way. Marigolds, mint, basil, and garlic are all examples. And you thought garlic was just for the vampires!

Serves as a host plant for beneficial insects: The good bugs, the ones that eat the bad bugs, need a place to hang out waiting for the groceries to appear. Dill, fennel and alyssum are good examples of plants that attract tiny wasps. These wasps like to lay their eggs inside of pests like cabbageworms. They attract other good guys like lady bugs too.

Contributes to a better micro-climate: When it starts to get warm and sunny, taller plants can be used to shade new transplants or seedlings. They can also provide structure. I like to plant sweet corn and pole beans together. The corn grows really fast and provides a nice stout stem for the beans to climb.

Here are a couple of references to check out if you decide you'd like to venture into companion planting.

http://www.companionplanting.net/ListofCompanionPlants.html

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/Galveston/p&dc_5.htm

http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-19-108,00.html

Take the covers off your bed!

2010-03-07T16:25:00.007-06:00

It's a really good idea to grow a "cover" crop in the vegetable beds whenever you decide to let the space go fallow. The idea behind a cover crop is to let something grow that you intend to just fork into the ground. My favorite the cooler months is crimson clover. It's a pretty thing and it's not hard to dig up. I grow it around my fruit trees too because the roots help break up the heavy clay soil. It has an awesome bloom with a fragrance that will knock you out and it's a great honey bee attractor to help with pollination. It doesn't like hot weather though, so I just let it die back and then fork it into the soil.

I really like it in the vegetable garden. I try to use it in rotation on those areas that I previously grew tomatoes, corn, squash, and other vegetables that really deplete the nutrients in the soil. Since we are approaching the last frost date here in Austin, it's time for me to get these covers tilled into the soil. The gardener in me has a hard time with digging up a perfectly good plant. Especially one as pretty as the clover!

But I persevere because I know how much good it will do for my vegetables. Every fork-full of upturned clover reveals a wealth of earthworms, and the soil is in really good shape. I dig up the plants and just leave them on top of the bed to dry out in the sun.

As soon as they are nice and brown, I just turn them into the ground, smooth out the soil, then plant my vegetables seeds right on top.

The dead clover will continue to decompose and enrich the soil as the vegetable seedlings start to take off and grow. The other added benefit to clover is that it is a nitrogen-fixing legume. Legumes are plants that have symbiotic Rhizobium bacteria that attach to the roots and generate nitrogen. The plant itself doesn't use all that is produced, leaving extra nitrogen in the soil. All the stored nitrogen is released into the soil when the clover dies. You can tell your legume has the Rhizobium if you see whitish nodules on the roots. These bacteria occur in the soil naturally, but you can also buy them and coat the seeds prior to planting. They come in a powder form and can be purchased online or at most garden centers. Some farm feed and seed stores have them too.

Now that my beds have their covers off, I can get those cucumbers planted! Try growing crimson clover in your yard and see if you don't become a big fan.

Do I save money by growing my own food?

2010-02-28T09:35:00.007-06:00

There are a lot of really good reasons to grow your own food: it's local, it's usually pesticide free, it's food you like, it's good exercise, it's fun, it's often more nutritious, and it can save you money. Does it save me money? I mean really? I am determined to find out.

The gardener in me shouts OF COURSE IT SAVES YOU MONEY. If you grow your own food you aren't purchasing it from the grocery store. However, the farmer in me just laughs. It is extremely difficult to recoup your capital investment, not to mention variable costs, associated with agricultural activities. There is a reason farmers are never in the Forbes list of wealthiest individuals.

I've seen a lot of talk out on the Internet how people are estimating they can save up to $3,000 a year in grocery bills. Many are skeptical about that amount, saying it's probably half that amount. I understand the doubters. If you've ever grown food, you know a lot of it goes to waste. Crops aren't always picked on time (we've all had a 40 pound zucchini) or eaten right away. We gardeners are also overwhelmed with abundance and have to give away a lot of food or just toss it in the compost bin. There is also the problem of how to assign a value to what you grow. How much is one carrot worth anyway?

So here's what I am going to do. I have created a food log where I track everything I harvest. I then go to H.E.B. to see what it would cost to buy it. I am using the prices off of regular produce, not organic, to determine the value, since that mirrors my purchasing habits. I am not sure how I am going to track food I give to co-workers and the Food Bank, but will probably keep a separate tally.

I am also going to track all my capital and variable costs. I just moved to my house last April, so now is a good time to do it. So far I have costs for soil, soil amendments, hardware for my raised beds, plastic for my cold frames, plant purchases (like my trees and seeds,) and my rainwater capture system. Of course then there are property taxes and utility bills. It will be interesting to see at what point I break even. I suspect I will be much older when that happens.

January was a tough month in the garden. I lost some citrus trees and the vegetables stopped growing in the cold. Luckily I didn't lose any greens, beets, spinach, carrots, or Swiss chard, so we were able to eat yard food in February. I harvested my first radishes and Kale yesterday. Today I am making tortilla soup and I have my eye on some garlic greens that would be yummy in it.

I'll keep you posted as to how I am doing. My cost savings for February totals $16.15. Ha! Take that, H.E.B.! (Okay, work with me here people. You've got to start somewhere!)

Time to get those potatoes off the couch and into the garden!

2010-02-20T18:02:00.007-06:00

Now is a great time to plant potatoes in the garden. They are easy to grow and the tubers you'll harvest are delicious!

The first thing to do is to get certified seed potatoes from a nursery. Store-bought potatoes have been treated with a growth retardant to keep them from sprouting, so they are not usually good candidates for the garden. Examine your seed potatoes for "eyes" and then cut into generous 1 to 2-inch pieces. Try to have more than one eye on a piece.

What you see here are Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes. Once they are all cut up they need to be air dried for a few days to heal up the cuts.

The next step is to plant them in a garden. I use a mulching technique that has worked well for me over the years, and I think will be especially important here in the alkaline and heavy clay Central Texas soils. I laid my potato pieces cut side down on the ground and then covered them with some of the leaves I have snagged from the neighbors.

As the potato plant grows, I will mound the leaves around it. This encourages the plant to form tubers that will just lay on top of the ground. All I will have to do this fall is pull away the leaves and harvest the bounty. The added benefit of using leaf mulch is that the decomposing leaves contribute organic matter at a lower pH than the soil beneath it. This makes for a healthier, more vigorous plant that will produce more potatoes. Another good thing about this method is that it doesn't require a lot of soil preparation. This means you can plant even when things are still a little too wet to work your ground. Plant your potato pieces about two feet apart so they have plenty of room to produce tubers.

So go ahead! Get out there and make this your year of the potato!

New Community Garden in San Antonio

2010-01-19T10:16:00.002-06:00

If you're in the San Antonio area, my latest post on MySA.com may be of interest to you.

Freeze? What Freeze? Use cold frames to lessen the bite of winter.

2010-01-10T16:08:00.013-06:00

This last week was a cold one, that's for sure. Most of my winter vegetables are suffering because I didn't get out and cover them. I should know better because I've lived my whole life in the Pacific Northwest and know what cold can do. I guess living here in the hot Texas south made me a little complacent.

Not all is lost though. My radishes, kale, peas, and cabbage all sprouted last week thanks to the cozy environment I planted them in. I created cold frames over two of my raised beds and they worked like a charm.

Cold frames are essentially unheated big or mini greenhouse like structures. You can make them out of glass, plastic, or fiberglass. They can be covered rows or boxes - whatever works for your situation. My cold frames are PVC pipe bent over my planting boxes, draped with heavy clear plastic.

Here's how I made them.

I made cold frames for two boxes. I purchased six, ten foot 1/2 inch PVC pipes at Lowe's. This size is very flexible and will bend easily. These I made into the hoops. I also purchased two, ten foot 3/4 inch PVC pipes to fashion clips out of, and also to attach to the bottom of my boxes to help keep the plastic contraption from lifting off in the wind.

The first thing I did was pound six rebar stakes into the ground next to my boxes, leaving about six inches exposed. The previous homeowner had left several pieces in the garage, so I used these. I noticed you can buy a bundle of these at Lowe's - which is probably where they came from. Once the stakes were positioned, I simply slipped the 1/2 inch PVC over the top to form the hoop.

I brought some plastic with me from Oregon. It was left over from a greenhouse I had installed back in Springfield. It is 6 mil "white" or clear plastic that I got from our local home center.

In order to keep the plastic from blowing off the hoops, I fashioned clips out of the 3/4 inch PVC pipes. I measured and marked three inch long pieces and cut them off the pipe using a hacksaw.

To make them into a clip, I removed the bottom third of the piece. I just used tin snips for this and it worked really well. I then hand sanded them to remove the burrs that might tear my plastic. I made three clips for each hoop, plus two more for the ends.

Before I got carried away with covering the boxes, I planted my seeds. (I did this a couple of weeks ago before it got really cold, so the soil was still relatively warm.) One box has French Breakfast Radishes and Improved Dwarf Siberian Kale. The other box has Filderkraut Cabbage and Oregon Giant Peas. All of these seeds germinate in temperatures between 40 and 55 degrees.

Now I was ready for plastic.

The roll I have is twenty feet wide, and that turned out to be perfect for this project. I rolled out enough to cover the ends completely, cut it, then unfolded it over the hoops.

Once I had the plastic positioned, I taped some clear duct tape over the area where I was going to put the clip. I didn't want the very act of installing the clip to tear the plastic. I also periodically remove or lift up the plastic in order to water, so I REALLY wanted to make sure I didn't tear the cover. If I'm careful, they might even last another season or two.

I laid some scrap 2x4's on the ends to help keep things from blowing around too much. Both of my cold frames held up well during the wind that brought the arctic temperatures to town. One reason I decided to make hoops is so my plants can grow fairly tall under protection. This allows me to plant earlier and keep the plastic on until night temperatures are over 50 degrees. The head room also keeps the cover from getting too hot in the sun and burning tender leaves.

The clips make it easy to remove the plastic during warm days, or simply to lift it a little so I can irrigate. I'm really glad I reinforced the clip area with duct tape. I tried it without on a leftover piece and, just as I suspected, the plastic tore too easily.

I'll probably leave the hoops up and attach floating row cover to it this spring and summer. The row cover helps keep out pests and can serve as shade cloth if I need it.

It's amazing how cheap and fast this whole thing was to install. The PVC cost less than $1.50 each. The only expensive item is the plastic - and I'm lucky I had some on hand. You can buy it at the home center in different lengths. I had originally bought a 100 foot roll, if I had to buy just enough for one, each of my boxes probably has $20 worth of plastic. That's a big reason why I want to take care of it and use it more than once. You don't need actual boxes to make this work (mine are made from free discarded fence boards.) You can build the same tunnel over vegetables planted in the ground. The advantage of the boxes is that the soil heats up and stays warmer than the surrounding landscape. That means my seeds can sprout even earlier.

Go ahead, laugh at the cold. Mother Nature sending an arctic blast your way? Install a cold frame and have a little piece of spring months ahead of everyone else. Radish anyone?

It's time for some fruiting bodies!

2009-12-23T17:56:00.020-06:00

Well, maybe not bodies, but certainly time to plant your fruit trees! Your local nursery should be receiving their annual stock of bare-root fruit trees, if they haven't already, and now is the perfect time to get them planted.

I love having fruit trees in my landscapes and have always tried to incorporate them in every yard I've had. I'm very fortunate this time around because I have a sunny backyard that is devoid of other trees. I've decided to install fruit trees around most of the perimeter which will give me a micro orchard.

I chose the varieties based upon cold tolerance. I've noticed that the northwest corner is the coldest spot in back, so that is where I planted the Granny Smith apple. Next in line is the Shinko Asian pear. After that is the Gala and Mollie's Delicious apple trees. The Celeste fig is in the hot spot. All varieties are recommended for Central Texas.

I've dug berms in front of my fence in preparation for this installation - with a walkway so we can still replace boards and do other maintenance. This also allows us to eventually harvest fruit from all sides of the tree. I'll have to prune the trees so the branches don't grow into the fence, so they will have more of a flattened fan shape. The berms have had organic matter incorporated into them, so the soil is slightly looser than before and makes planting and root growth a little easier.

When you buy trees bare-root, remove them from their bag and soak them in water for a short time to rehydrate the roots. I used a bucket that was deep enough to submerge the roots and would hold the tree while I was digging the hole. That gave them about five minutes of spa time. I only soaked one tree at a time because my bucket wouldn't hold more without damaging the roots.

I dug holes that were only as deep as the root area, but twice as wide. You want to make sure the roots have plenty of room to spread out but not be buried so deep that they can't breathe. Roots need oxygen in order to grow and can actually smother if too much soil is piled on them.

I put the hydrated tree in the planting hole and covered with soil. I gently tamped the earth around the tree into a ring. This will hold water and help soak the trees newly forming roots.

I gave each tree a good watering when I finished. I filled up the well I made about two times. You want the soil to settle around the roots and make good contact. This is vital if the roots are to grow properly.

I also added mulch around the tree to cover the disturbed ground. I have found that our pounding rains really compact these heavy clay soils and turn freshly dug areas into bricks. I spread just enough mulch to cover the ground without mounding it up around the tree. I use leaves I've collected from the neighborhood for the job.

Next came the hard part. I had to prune the heck out of my new babies. These trees had to have their roots cut severely in order to fit it into those little bags they came in. Even balled and burlapped trees have their roots pruned as part of the process of transporting them from field to retail nursery. To give the tree the best possible start, I had to prune the top down to match the root system. It's generally recommended to remove at least a third of the tree and all the side branches. The Texas AgriLife Extension service has a great article on growing fruit trees and how they should be pruned after planting.

I had to be brave. Even though I've been doing this for years it's still really hard to prune my brand new plants into twigs. Whenever I've waffled and not done it, my trees really never produced fruit like they should. Since I'm a greedy girl and like eating fresh fruit off my own trees, I suck it up and make the cuts. I repeat the mantra that the tree will get a much better start by having a more balanced root-to-trunk ratio and new side branches will form in the spring as the tree comes out of dormancy.

Today I stood on my deck and surveyed my line of newly planted "sticks." With some care and a little help from Mother Nature, they should blossom into some awesome trees. I think I'll drag out the cider press and give it a good cleaning!

Blackberries - the perfect backyard snack.

2009-12-23T17:19:00.007-06:00

Who needs candy bars when you can go outside and jam plump, ripe and sweet blackberries in your mouth? No one, I say!

Now is a good time to plant some blackberries if you've got room for them in your backyard. I just put mine in today and I can't wait for that first harvest!

Blackberries are one of the few things that are easy to grow here in Central Texas. They don't get a lot of diseases, don't need a lot of water, and with judicious pruning, stay where you want them.

I went ahead and installed a simple trellis to train them to. Forgoing the more elaborate set-ups, I just put in a woven wire fence. My trusty side-kick Ed put the posts in, then helped stretch the wire. We used 8 foot treated 4x4 posts and installed 2x4's for top braces. To stretch the wire, we wrapped one end around a 2x4 and pulled! While Ed did the heavy work, I nailed in fence staples to keep the wire in place.

I created a raised bed for the berries to grow in. I live on a slight incline so I created a drainage ditch on one side to capture rainwater runoff from my up-slope neighbors. This will help keep my berries from being washed into the next county. I piled the soil into a berm and mixed in some dried leaves (also from the neighbors.) This will give my berries some extra drainage. I'll keep adding compost to improve soil texture and fertility.

I got four bare-root Rosborough blackberries. Whenever you buy plants bare-root (meaning they aren't in a pot) soak them in water first to help rehydrate the roots. You don't need to do it for long - I just put them in a bucket while I dig the holes. I planted the berries about four feet apart. They will spread out and fill in as they age. I will tie the canes to the fence wire for support and for ease of harvest when they start growing. Once planted I gave them a good soaking and then spread leaves over the ground for a mulch. I'll need to keep them watered this first year, but once established they'll only need irrigation once a week or so. I'll install a soaker hose now while the plants are small.

The Texas AgriLIFE Extension service has a great article on blackberries if you are interested in growing some for your family. Berries are a great source of vitamins and are fat-free, guiltless eating pleasure. I always intend to freeze some or make preserves, but somehow they never make it into the house. I blame the birds. Those stains on my hands and mouth? Mind your own business!

You can never have too much money or mulch.

2009-12-13T16:02:00.005-06:00

The shorter days, cooler temperatures and rain that we've had here in Central Texas has produced a bonanza for me. Free mulch for the taking. Already bagged and just begging for me to haul it away. Brazenly I walk my wheel barrow down the street and load up the bags. Sure, the neighbors think I'm nuts, but they are all very nice to me and it's lovely to chat with them while I'm thieving their leaves.

There is a good reason for me to be happy to dump leaves in my yard - as opposed to raking and bagging like everyone else. Leaves make great mulch. They can help protect plants against the cold and add much needed organic matter to these heavy Texas clay soils.

The type of leaves determine how they will be used in my yard. Oak leaves (like the lovely Spanish Oak pictured above) are Texas tough and take longer to break down into humus. These are perfect to be placed in my garden pathways. Just me walking and running the wheel barrow over them will break them up and eventually grind them into little bits. Texas Ash leaves, on the other hand, are fine little things. I consider them the southern belle of the leaf world, and put them right on top of my flower and vegetable beds. They work perfectly to form a nice weed prevention mat that can be turned under or pushed aside next spring as I begin seeding or transplanting.

The other handy thing about stealing leaf bags is that I can lay the empties down in the pathways as a longer term weed barrier. I put the oak leaves right on top of them. The combination should last for at least two years before needing replaced.

The one trick to using freshly gathered leaves is to make sure you weigh them down so they don't end up blowing back into the neighbors yard. If the leaves are dry when I unbag them, I hose them down thoroughly after I've spread them around. I then sprinkle compost or some loose soil on top to make sure everything stays in place. I may go out and water them down occasionally if they start to dry out and try to wander away.

Free mulch. Handy paper bags. I'm a happy girl.

Eat What You Sow

2009-10-25T17:46:00.006-05:00

Hopefully your fall garden is starting to yield some tasty treats. We have started eating salad and beet greens; the summer squash will be ready later in the week.

If you are a new gardener or one like me that has had some "fallow" time, sometimes it's hard to get into the habit of shopping for groceries in your own yard versus the supermarket. It's probably a whole new experience for your family too. I try to cruise through the garden every day and pick whatever is ready. Doing this also gets me in the mindset of how the food should be prepared and moved into recipes that take advantage of the bounty.

It's hard work keeping up with the harvest and trying to eat every single thing that you grow. You can never slack off or you get those two foot long zucchini or radishes that resemble boulders. Not to mention the lovely blooms you get off of salad greens that have decided not to wait around and shoot up tough flower stalks. Uneaten produce also attracts unwanted bugs, birds and critters to step in and pick up the slack.

What then? You can always become a home canner and preserve your produce for later consumption. I also freeze some things like beans and squash. I always find that the neighbors enjoy free fruit and vegetables. You can be a big hit at work too by bringing in care packages. I am a big proponent of donating to local food banks (not all take fresh food though so call ahead) or soup kitchens. If all else fails, don't be afraid to pull the plants up and toss them in the compost bin. This frees up space to plant something else that you aren't sick of eating.

I have found that over the years my husband and I can't wait to snack in the yard. If we don't have something outside we can eat, we wander around the house aimlessly. Nothing looks good at the store and cooking isn't fun anymore. You just can't survive on chips and salsa. But now, all is right with the world. Our fresh limes and lemon grass make a killer Thai soup. Our European greens are hot and spicy and perfect with grilled chicken. I can't wait to see what will be ripe tomorrow!

Brown is the New Green - The Quest for a Sustainable Lawn

2009-10-04T13:33:00.005-05:00

This weeks topic in my Master Gardener class was turf. A subject that you wouldn't think was controversial. But many people have strong opinions about lawns in relation to the chemicals and water resources we use to keep it perfectly green.

My own front yard is approximately 625 square feet. If I watered it the recommended 1 inch it would use about 4,675 gallons a week. That's a lot of water to keep alive something that you can't eat or put into a vase. It will also require fertilizer to keep it going. And if I fertilize it, I'll need to mow it. Water, fertilizer (even if it is organic), and gasoline. Suddenly the word "sustainable" isn't springing to mind.

What is sustainable anyway? There are a lot of definitions. Environmentally speaking, some say it is anything that endures over time without artificial, or man-made input. Watering from a hose is not considered a sustainable act, while rain falling from the sky is. If you have to supplement plant growth in any form, that, to some, is not considered sustainable. The lines blur when you enter in the whole organic movement. Some say that as long as you use organic inputs, like cow manure or compost, you are being sustainable because those sources are renewable resources. So, if I go ahead and have a lawn, get rid of the mower and use a goat to graze and fertilize it, I'm being sustainable. To me the argument becomes ridiculous because having a patch of green grass that requires all this maintenance makes it artificial - and therefore not sustainable - to me.

Clearly, there must be room in the middle. There is something about the makeup of human beings that love to see a sea of green. Maybe it is our pastoral past where we associated green fields with good hunting. In any case, telling people to give up their lawn is just not going to fly. What we can do, instead, is help people make better choices. Instead of a thirsty lawn of St Augustine, consider instead the drought tolerant Bermuda Grass. Another idea is to make the lawn smaller and plant more ornamentals. Trees and shrubs don't require as much maintenance and are just as lovely. We also must change. It should be perfectly fine to plant Buffalo Grass and let it go brown and dormant in the summer - thus eliminating the need to water at all.

My own lawn is history. I killed all my St Augustine grass and am in the process of planting sedges (Carex texensis) instead. My goal is to have a grassy area that is drought tolerant, doesn't need to be "fed", colonizes well, and is still pleasing to the eye. Once my sedge is established, I can even mow it, except that I don't own a lawn mower. I'm also shrinking the size of the lawn by expanding the peripheral ornamental beds. I'm planting natives there too, so I don't have to spray or baby them through the growing season. An added benefit is that many of them provide food and habitat for our native birds.

I'm not an environmental nut, really. But I think that we can all behave a little more responsibly and be more sensitive to our growing population and shrinking resources. Drought or not, water is going to be at a premium, and we all need to work together to make sure we conserve and aren't polluting with chemicals that run off our landscapes. Having a brown lawn should be a badge of pride - brown should be the new green!

Lessons From the Garden

2009-09-29T14:13:00.010-05:00

This summer, in the face of terrible drought and record-setting heat, we stopped watering our garden and focused on saving our trees and shrubs. For the most part, the plan worked--though we did lose one tree planted early this year. Given the losses experienced by farmers in the area, ours was a minor tragedy.

After a year of writing and thinking about home gardens, it was tough to just stop. The plants and experience of tending them had been so intimately connected with my writing that I felt as withered as they did. Yes, my garden writing dried up... though I did manage to crank out one article about Central Texas community gardens for Country Lifestyle. Curiously, I did find time and energy to write about other topics for DailyYonder.com, so financially I actually came out ahead because of the drought. So, there was a bit of fruit born out of my wilted summer garden after all.

Of course, the nice thing about vegetable gardens is that a clean slate is often just around the corner. As I mentioned over at RW&G, our fall garden is back in place and looking well. Coming at the close of a long, depressing summer, our current weather conditions are divine--rain keeps coming through and the days are comparatively cool. The golden light shining on the new veggies, the breeze... they remind me of a major reason why I got back into gardening again: to connect with Mother Nature one-to-one.

In agreeing to "roll with the punches" delivered to us by the weather, we gardeners gain a deeper understanding of Nature's many faces , particularly the ability she has to giveth and taketh away. This year, throught learning to live with compromised expectations, I'm finding gratitude in the experience of having things return to "normal." For instance, watching those little cabbage plants grow up this fall, it's hard not to feel inspired once more by my tiny plot's resilience--and maybe a little surprised by my own willingness to rebound right along with it.

Curious about the little graphic up top? It's one of several signs available for download from DinnerGarden.org, a San Antonio based non-profit supporting home gardens.

Sometimes seedy is good!

2009-09-20T18:24:00.002-05:00

I was out at Lowe's yesterday and those dang vegetable transplants were calling to me. Never mind that they were heat stressed and pot bound; just the sight of them had me itching to grab them and shove them in my cart. Luckily my husband was with me and he was able to escort me safely away.

You can spend a lot of money on transplants and, depending on their quality, not end up with much. Often times you don't get the varieties that grow well in your area. The best way to avoid cost and headaches is to grow your vegetables from seed whenever possible.

Vegetable seeds are cheap and the variety selection is huge. One packet of seeds can last me two or three growing seasons if I keep them stored in a cool place. I brought all my seeds with me from Oregon and they are happily sprouting in my fall garden. I've got peas, beans, beets, spinach, summer squash, cucumbers, and carrots planted. With a little luck we'll be eating fresh salad in three or four weeks.

The challenge I've had here in Texas is the wind and the heat. Seeds need moisture to germinate and my seed beds were bone dry when I was ready to plant. I solved the problem by giving my raised beds a good soaking, then making little trenches for my seeds. I placed the seed in the bottom of the trench and watered again. I covered the seeds and then gave them one last shower for good measure. This insured that I had good soil to seed contact and that I didn't have dry pockets around my planting area. I covered the raised beds with my lightweight floating row cover and it blocks most of the wind and defuses the intense sun, plus it keeps the bugs from munching on my new plants.

I'm happy to report that everything looks great. Everything has sprouted and produced their first couple sets of leaves. Since I collect rainwater, we are able to water the seedlings at least daily. They look so much better than those poor things at Lowe's and cost me much less too. I wish I could grow ready to wear clothes and shoes from seed. Hmm, will flax seed grow in Austin?

Get your soil tested!

2009-09-12T17:50:00.003-05:00

I know first hand from living in the Pacific Northwest that you can add organic matter, plant the right varieties, fertilize, water, manage pests and STILL have crop failures if you don't pay attention to the nutrients in your soil. There is nothing worse than seeing your lovely greens turn yellow, your tomatoes end up with blossom end rot, or your plants just stall in the ground.

The best way to avoid this kind of disappointment is to get your soil tested. If you are planning on a fall garden, now is the perfect time to find out exactly what type of soil fertility or pH issues you may have.

Don't waste your money on those cheap soil testing kits. They are often unreliable and many times don't come with any instructions on how to interpret the results. The best thing to do is to spend $10 or $15 and have the Texas AgriLife Extension Service do it for you. All you have to do is provide the soil sample.

The great thing about the Extension Service is that they will tell you exactly what you need to use for fertilizer based upon the crop you are going to grow. Lawns, shrubs, flower and vegetable beds all have different fertilizer requirements, so it's best to send in separate samples. Right now I am trying to get my fall vegetables in, so I just sent in a sample from my raised beds. Next spring I will probably test my front yard and the area I plan on planting fruit trees in.

These limestone soils in Austin can be problematic because they can have too much phosphorus. I was worried that if I added a lot of compost to my clay soils, it would cause a build up. Thanks to my soil test I found out that my vegetable garden beds are in pretty good shape. My pH is average, and more importantly, the phosphorus levels aren't too high. I can safely pour on organic matter and putter away. I plan on testing at the end of each summer until I get the hang of gardening in Texas, then will probably slack off to every other year.

If you are interested in learning more about the soils in Austin, here is a really good article from Skip Richter that I found. And if you are ready to get your soil tested, here is another link that tells you how to take a sample and where to send it. Knowing exactly what your soil needs will save you time and money. More important though, is that I will be able to show off my rich green spinach and lovely red tomatoes to the neighbors! Not that I am competitive or anything...

Organic Texas on YouTube.com

2009-09-01T11:39:00.003-05:00

Was poking around on YouTube.com and came across a user who goes by the name "Organic Texas". His videos include a little bit of everything from Central Texas Gardener episodes to recent meetings of the San Antonio Community Gardens Meetup.

If you're into green living in the Lone Star State, then you'll want to see his video channel here.

Don't forget to rotate!

2009-08-30T19:03:00.003-05:00

One thing that Texas and Oregon have in common is that there is no end to the blights, wilts, molds, cankers, and other sort of plant pathogens that can build up in the soil and infect plants. One way that you can combat these problems without resorting to chemicals is to rotate your crops.

Rotate? Are you kidding me? I barely have enough room as it is! I know, I know, but it really isn't that big of a deal. You don't need 40 acres to move your crops around in. You can change things up by planting in different rows, different pots, and even in different holes.

The Travis County Master Gardener Association publishes the Garden Guide for Austin and Vicinity, and they have a handy chart on how to choose the right rotations. They list plants by family group:

1. Composite: Lettuce, chicory, endive, escarole, salsify, dandelion, Jersusalem artichoke (I love these, pretty flowers and great tubers that aren't as starchy as a potato.)

2. Goosefoot: Swiss chard, beets, spinach.

3. Grass: Corn of all types.

4. Legumes: Peas and beans of all types.

5. Lily: Onions, garlic, leek.

6. Mustard: Cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, rutabaga, kale, turnip, mustard, radish, collard. (See, I never remember that radishes are in the same group and have ended up with pest problems as a result.)

7. Nightshade: Tomato, potato, eggplant, pepper, tomatillo. (I always forget about the tomato-eggplant rotation too.)

8. Parsley: Carrot, parsley, parsnips.

9. Squash: Watermelon, cucumber, squash, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, pumpkin. (These are the hardest for me to rotate because there are so few places in the garden that I have room to put them. I finally gave up and started planting them in the flower beds. Turned out great! The growing fruit were like having gazing balls scattered around.)

Spend a little time and think about your last garden as you plan your vegetables for fall. Rotating gives you healthier plants and a fresh outlook. Sort of like moving the furniture around in the living room!

Doing More With Less

2009-08-23T15:52:00.003-05:00

It just doesn't get this hot and dry in Oregon. We might get a week of 100 degree days, but never anything like what we are currently experiencing in Central Texas. Now, more than ever, I think it's time we all rethink how we landscape our homes and businesses. It just doesn't make sense to have all that lawn when you can plant lovely natives that are interesting and attract wildlife. The added bonus is that they don't require all that water to keep them going - which makes them easy on the pocketbook too.

Today I was at my local nursery taking advantage of their end of summer sale. I was buying grasses, herbs, and earth kind roses to install in my lawnless landscape. I had a great conversation with another customer who was telling me what he was doing to cut back on water. He also had gotten rid of his lawn and was planting more natives instead. He has installed rain barrels to grab water from the gutters. He also has a pan in the shower that captures water that would otherwise just run down the drain. I told him about taking cool baths and then saving the water to irrigate my patio plants. We laughed and both were glad that we weren't the only people doing this.

From Yard makeover

Yeah, you make think people like us are nut jobs. But I love sitting on my porch watching all the birds taking advantage of the work I've done. I like knowing that I am adding diversity to the plant life in my neighborhood. I enjoy watching the dragon flies, butterflies, toads and geckos that visit me regularly. And yes, I'm a little smug about my water reclamation projects. But a girl's got to be proud of something, it's hard work bailing out that tub!

Is it a bug, insect or lion?

2009-08-16T14:45:00.005-05:00

My Master Gardner class this week was on Entomology and we learned quite a few fascinating tidbits about the crawly part of the animal kingdom.

One of the things I found interesting was the term "bug". Yes, there are those types of insects that are considered "true bugs" (as opposed to those sneaky insect posers.) A true bug is shield shaped, has a triangle on it's back, and has only half wings. Stink Bugs, Assassin Bugs, Leaf-footed Bugs, and Seed Bugs are all examples. They belong to the suborder Heteroptera in the scientific classification of the Insecta class. Here's an example of the Southern Green Stink Bug found here in Texas.

What's really funny is the way these scientists give each other little hints via the common name on whether the creature is a "true" bug, or just another type of insect. If the name of the crawly thing has two words, with "bug" being separate, it is a true bug - like Stink Bug. If the name of the insect is one word, it is not a bug. Ladybug is not a bug, it's a beetle. Same with Junebug. Lovebug? No, not a Volkswagen that starred in a Disney movie (that was Love Bug, improperly named.) Lovebugs are actually flies.

But my absolute favorite is the Antlion.

Because it is one word, not two, it is not a true Lion. Good to know!

Kitchen Garden Day (August 23)

2009-08-11T15:23:00.002-05:00

Have you heard of Kitchen Garden Day? If you plan to celebrate here in Texas, do tell what you'll be doing.

Oh, and that same week is National Community Garden Week, declared as such by Ag Secretary Vilsack.

The Princess and the Pea - the Original Raised Bed

2009-08-08T15:44:00.004-05:00

There is no question about it; this lovely red Hill Country clay soil is not ideal for gardening. In fact, the only thing it IS good for is making clods to throw at tomato thieving squirrels. The concern for me was how to live with it. I decided not to and opted for raised beds that I would load with topsoil or compost.

There are a couple of ways to make raised beds. The most expensive is to buy a kit from a garden center or catalog. They look great but are a little out of my budget. Oh sure, I'll drop a hundred bucks on plants without blinking. But on something that won't grow? I have a hard time justifying it.

The least expensive is to just pile soil. You can put some courser rock or branches down as the first layer to help with drainage, and then pile on soil until it's the desired height. This works great but as the season progresses the soil tends to move around and get into the paths. I hate walking on perfectly good dirt and the messiness goes against a far buried neat and tidy gene. This method can be really handy if you plan on tilling your garden area or are not quite sure how you want things arranged.

You can make a container for your raised bed by outlining it with rocks, big branches, boards, or even cement blocks. All will work. I considered using rock, since there are big limestone pieces in every ditch and wayside place, but I was worried that the radiant heat would cook my plants. The previous homeowner used a combination of rock and four by four boards.

From Austin Yard

I'd pretty much decided to use big branches in a lincoln log style when I noticed a pile of discarded fence near my home. A church had replaced their wooden fence with a concrete one, and had left the fence segments lying next to it for weeks. Lucky for me that I have a pickup so one fine Saturday my husband and I loaded the segments and hauled them home.

From Scrounging

The trick with any raised bed is to decide how tall to make it. A lot of that depends on where you live. In a colder climate you raise the bed three to six inches to create a warm seed germination and seedling zone. The assumption being that your bed will warm up faster than the surrounding cold ground. Here in Texas I had to think about the heat and wind. I had Ed make the containers taller than I normally would in Oregon so the top boards could act as a windshield.

From Scrounging

We also made the beds a little shorter than normal. The cedar boards were six feet long, but many had a lot of rot on the end that had stood on the ground. The boxes ended up being four feet wide by about 5 foot 10 inches long. I can always place them end-to-end if I have a space that calls for a longer run.

I'm pretty pleased at how they are turning out. My windshield idea works nicely and my top soil layers aren't blowing over to the neighbors. As I pile in leaves, soil, and compost, I keep thinking of the Princess and the Pea fable which I'm convinced is really an allegory about gardening. Think about it. Haven't you been battered and bruised because of excessive pea planting? All that stooping. The only solution is to create higher raised beds so you don't have to bend over so much. Just keep piling on those mattresses of organic matter. Adopt raised bed gardening and your back will be pain-free and you'll sleep like a princess. Trust me.

Fall Garden - Wagon's Ho!

2009-08-02T17:05:00.005-05:00

Now is the time to start putting in the fall vegetable garden.

I know, I know, if you've been gardening all along you're probably tired of slogging it out trying to keep up with weeding and irrigating. But a little time spent now will keep you in vegetables until we get a really bad freeze.

Or, if you are like me, now is the time to start the garden in the first place. I didn't move to Austin until March and had no time to get my vegetable garden started during the normal spring planting season. I've been spending the summer getting my raised beds built and soil composted. I have just enough accomplished to have one raised bed ready to go. I had to cheat a little and buy two bags of top soil because I ran out of home grown compost, but at least I can finally get some seeds into the ground and envision the day where I don't have to buy produce at the local HEB grocery.

I brought quite a few seeds with me from Oregon. I had ordered my full calendar of inventory last winter, having no idea that I would suddenly be uprooted from the Northwest. I have greens, beets and carrot varieties that are all designed to be planted in late summer for fall harvest. Since I only have the one area completed, I had to settle with planting only carrots, spinach, and a row of bush beans.

My raised beds (made from old cedar fence boards) are perfect for this kind of intensive combination planting. I usually eschew rows and just space the seeds into a grid pattern. That way I use every inch.

The challenge for me here in Texas is the heat. Seeds need moisture and warm soils to germinate - not hot prairie winds and ground you can fry on egg on. My solution was to create a row cover. I already had a piece of floating row cover on hand. It is light gauzy stuff that will allow rainwater to penetrate, keep bugs off my seedlings, and hopefully serve to filter a little of that hot sun.

I created the "hoops" out of branches pruned from the neighbor's tree. There were several overhanging the fence that were just the right size.

From Yard makeover

I just did a little pruning and then bent the sticks into an arch. They weren't quite long enough, so I wove the ends together and secured them with some wire.

From Yard makeover

That done, I placed the row cover over the hoops. The previous homeowner had left some lengths of metal pipe in the garage, so I used that to roll up the ends - sort of like a window shade. That way I can just pick up the wrapped pipe, lift the cover, and water the bed easily. It also serves to weigh down the cover so the wind doesn't carry it into the neighbors yard. I secured it into the ground with a piece of 12 gauge wire bent into u-shape just to be sure.

From Yard makeover

When I stepped back to survey my work, it sort of looked like a covered wagon. This made me laugh because my family came out west via a wagon train those many years ago. All I need is a pair of oxen and a sun bonnet and I'm ready to walk back to Oregon. Nah, think I'll sit here in the shade and wait for my seeds to germinate.

How to Create a Community Garden (video)

2009-07-29T14:44:00.001-05:00

Zen Living visits the Sustainable Food Center in Austin:

How to Create a Community Garden

Build It or Buy It

2009-07-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: This is #4 in a series by guest blogger Sheryl (@yardfanatic) about her transition from the Pacific Northwest to the Lone Star State. You can see more of her work over at her blog, Yard Fanatic.

I am continually bowled over by how expensive soil is here in Texas. I’m from the Northwest and didn’t realize how much the wood mill and yard debris industries contribute to making cheap sources of compost. I’d have to get three more jobs to afford to buy enough topsoil to even get started on my gardening projects. But considering that I work full time as it is and barely have enough time to play in the dirt, clearly an alternative must be found.

The answer lies in the garbage: compost it.

The average household creates an incredible amount of waste and most of it can be utilized to build your own soil. Once you start gardening you will also generate more yard debris. All you need is a composting container or bin and a good pitchfork and you can turn this stuff into black gold.

Compost bins can just be piles in a corner, wire enclosures, wood pallets attached together, a barrel, a stack of cinder blocks, or a bin. My favorite is a three-bin system that I first saw in Kent, Washington. The city was touting composting as a way to reduce waste and had the bin in their demonstration garden. It’s plans come with a lid to help keep all that rain off – something we didn’t add when we built the bin while living in Oregon and later here in Texas. Here is a link to a site that has several compost bin plans. The three-bin system is near the end of the page.

From Austin Yard

We keep a large, lidded, Rubbermaid container underneath the sink to place all our vegetable food waste. The only animal products we include are eggshells. Meat and bones attract rats so we feed those to the neighbor’s dog or put them in the garbage. If you have a fire pit you can burn these, but be careful about the smell. Sometimes burned bone isn’t that pleasant. The ashes you can just toss in the compost. You can also toss in shredded paper. Just try to avoid glossy magazines and cellophane. Newspaper can be used also. Some people are uncomfortable using paper because of toxins in the ink. I use the compost made from paper on ornamental plantings and not my vegetable beds.

Once you get your compost pile built, it does take a little maintenance. Make sure that it doesn’t dry out by soaking it with the hose on occasion. You’ll also need to turn it in order to keep the oxygen flowing to the microbes breaking it down. I turn mine about once a week. You’ll see a lot of advice on how to layer your debris – don’t sweat it. I never layer mine and everything turns out fine.

It’s amazing how fast your pile will rot. I can get finished compost anywhere between two weeks to a month, depending on what’s in there. When I turn the compost I move it to the next bin. By the time it reaches bin three it is usually ready to go into the wheelbarrow and out on the beds. It’s a little work, I’ll admit. But it’s a lot cheaper than buying it, that’s for sure. Plus I know exactly what’s in it and am not contributing to an overflowing landfill. A win-win!

Dateline Elsewhere: Kentucky

2009-07-21T09:19:00.005-05:00

We said from time to time that we'd showcase good ideas from other states. And while it's true that the Texas gov's mansion has had a kitchen garden for many years, it's hard not to feel a bit of envy at one new, sprawling garden up in Kentucky that we just heard about from Obamafoodorama:

Mrs. Beshear's garden, called the Governor's Garden, is being tended by local high school students, kids from Future Farmers of America, and her own staffers. It's at Berry Hill Mansion, the former Governor's mansion, now a historical site open to visitors, and is actually three 16 x 24 foot plots. And just like the White House Kitchen Garden, the produce from the Kentucky garden is being donated to ACCESS, a local soup kitchen. There's a stunning array of crops being grown, including melons, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes and all kinds of squash. The garden just had its first harvest, and is a succession garden--seasonal, with plans to keep planting through the Fall.

Sigh.

Eat Your Lawn! (Guest Post)

2009-07-20T07:00:00.003-05:00

Editor's Note: This is #3 in a series by guest blogger Sheryl (@yardfanatic) about her transition from the Pacific Northwest to the Lone Star State. You can see more of her work over at her blog, Yard Fanatic.

My goal is to have an edible landscape. What that means to me, is that everything in the yard has some sort of culinary purpose for me or for the beneficial wildlife I am trying to attract.

When you think of food production in terms of a landscape, it really opens your eyes to appreciate all qualities of the plants we grow to consume. You don’t need coleus or begonias when you can have an even more beautiful bed of Bright Lights Swiss Chard. Asparagus fern, why not just plain asparagus? Need something tall in the background? Grow corn. There are several varieties that have burgundy coloring in their leaves, stems, and silk that is just lovely. Forget about morning glories and plant Scarlet Runner Beans instead. They have the sweetest red flowers and the beans are delicious. Another favorite landscape plant of mine is Globe Artichoke. The plants grow into huge specimens with silver foliage. They are very dramatic and can yield a dozen or more tasty appetizers. I also love Fennel. The airy fronds dance in the wind and are a favorite snack for butterfly caterpillars.

I also expand my definition of an edible landscape to include wildlife I want to attract. I need birds in the yard to keep the bugs down, so I’m going to grow plants that will attract them. Amaranth is a good seed producer, so is Echinacea, cosmos, and sorghum. Chili Pequin will provide some color and hot tasting treats. Birds like low cover to hide in while they are scoping out the groceries, so I’ll be including Bamboo Muhly and berry producing shrubbery like Agarita.

And what about that grassy lawn? Get rid of it. It is a total waste of water and human resources. Replace the blades with Thyme, Marjoram, Peppermint or Oregano (or a blend of all of them.) They form a thick, green carpet that you can walk on. Heck, you can even mow them if you want (talk about a head rush though!) They stay low and don’t take nearly as much water to keep green. They also bloom and will attract bees and other pollinators to the garden.

It takes courage to do this however, because your yard will not look like everyone else’s. Peer pressure can be hard to overcome and you can bet you’re efforts will generate plenty of comments. However, I’ve always found that including your neighbors in your plans and sharing the fruits of your labor go a long way to smooth the path. They’ll start to think you are a genius as you sit in your lawn chair amongst the fragrant herb lawn, sipping a mint julep watching them slog it out with the lawn mower. Wave to them and ask them to sit with you for a spell. You might just be able to find a second career as a landscape consultant.

Green Spaces Alliance Community Garden Grants

2009-07-14T15:12:00.005-05:00

In the San Antonio area? Thinking about starting a community garden? Then check out the Green Spaces Alliance Community Garden Grants. Sure, it's too late for this year... but it's not too early to start thinking about next year. For inspiration, read this MySA.com story (reproduced on the Green Spaces site) re: a 73-year-old East Side gardener.

Trying To Find Direction (Guest Post)

2009-07-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

Editor's Note: This is #2 in a series by guest blogger Sheryl (@yardfanatic) about her transition from the Pacific Northwest to the Lone Star State. You can see more of her work over at her blog, Yard Fanatic.

The first thing I did when I moved into my new house was to determine where the sun was.

Wait, you ask, don’t you live in Austin? The SUN IS RIGHT OUTSIDE. I know that, but it is important to know WHERE outside it is. It’s not enough to know it’s up in the sky and it’s a great fiery orb. The direction of the sun is very important when you plan the garden. The difference between morning and afternoon sun can determine a watering schedule, how quickly things ripen, and even frost tolerance. So I got out my trusty compass and found out for sure which way were North, South, East, and West. What I learned was that the front of my house faced northeast. This meant that my open back yard would have sun almost all day, and my front yard with the lovely Ash trees would have some afternoon sun in spots.

From Austin Yard

Clearly, the main food production will be in back. Which is great because that means my cedar fence will keep out wandering neighborhood dogs. Here’s a list of my working ideas based upon direction.

South.

All my apple and pear trees will be planted along the fence.
Raised beds for vegetables
Herb garden – concentration on Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme, and garlic because they can take the heat.
Two orange trees next to the house to take advantage of radiant heat.

West.

A Meyer Lemon and Satsuma Mandarin will go next to the house, again to grab radiant heat for those occasional frosty mornings. I can plant squash or melons at their feet because both of those love to absorb warmth.
A kumquat in a smaller planting strip in front. This area gets afternoon light because the westerly track of the sun gathers the full skirts of tree shade and drapes it onto the house. I could probably get away with planting sugar peas, broccoli, kale, and chard in these areas.

East.

Loquats. They can tolerate a little shade in the afternoon, and at their feet I can plant my kale, broccoli, and Swiss chard.

North.

I’ve got another planting strip in front that gets a little light. I can put arugula, salad greens and peas here.

Now that I know where the sun is, it’s a lot easier to choose what to plant from the myriad of choices. But most important, I now know the best place to put my lawn chair. A girl’s going to need a break from all that gardening!

Central Texas Gardener is on YouTube.com!

2009-07-05T14:40:00.003-05:00

This is the June 11, 2009 episode of Central Texas Gardener, a great show covering ornamental and edible gardens in the area. Much of the how-to information provided in the long-running KLRU series is applicable across the state.

DIY Food Safety – How to Get Started (Guest Post)

2009-07-05T12:03:00.005-05:00

Editor's Note: That's right, she's not from Texas (hit it, Lyle!) ... but when we saw some posts on Twitter, we knew that wanted Sheryl (@yardfanatic) to guest blog here about her transition from the Pacific Northwest to the Lone Star State. This is #1 in a series. Be sure to leave a note and say, "howdy."

I don’t know about you, but the continual bad news about our nations food supply scares me to death. From E. coli-tainted spinach to hormone stuffed beef; nothing seems safe any more. There is only one solution for me; grow my own food.

No problem. Except for one thing, I just moved from Oregon to Austin three months ago. The house my husband and I bought has a lovely front and back yard full of St Augustine grass. But since it’s not exactly something I’d serve for dinner, grass is out and edible is in. I’ve done this a couple of times now, and here’s my list of some things to consider before actually going out and digging in the dirt.

1. What will my family eat? What can they be bribed to eat? What can they be FORCED to eat? There is nothing worse than growing some excellent produce and having to haul it to the food bank because your ungrateful, beanie-weenies loving family won’t eat it. If you are a first time gardener, start growing things that you know they will at least try. Green beans? Onions? Potatoes? Sweet Corn? How about cantaloupe or watermelon? All of these are relatively easy to grow and can introduce your family to eating fresh. Once they discover how food is supposed to taste, they will be much more likely to try other things.

2. How can I involve my family in the project? Grow some fun things. Yard -long beans are easy to grow and provide some interest in the garden. They taste fabulous too. Try squash varieties that look like space aliens. How about “ghost” pumpkins? Or popcorn? It’s not just little kids that you can entice; my city-raised husband likes to see what I’m up to as well. Every year I like to grow a few weird things to keep him interested. And, if I happen to hand him a harvest basket or point out a few weeds…well, where’s the harm in that?

3. Where can I get advice? The best information source for me has always been the local extension service. These folks are a treasure trove of information and they publish a lot of free stuff. Their Texas Home Gardening Guide is an example. Another great resource affiliated with the extension service is the Master Gardener program.

4. What will the neighbors think? Involve them as well. I talked to the neighbors about my plans before I even made an offer on my house. When I purchased some citrus trees, I had them over to smell the leaves. I’ve walked my yard with them and shared my vision of an edible landscape – with heavy emphasis on all the free produce they are going to get. They may think I’m crazy, but nothing I do now surprises them because I keep them updated and in the loop. Most people just don’t like things sprung on them – especially when they think their home values might be threatened.

Vegetable gardening is greatly rewarding and satisfying. Give it a shot. Where else can you get the opportunity to eat your mistakes?

Sheryl blogs regularly at Yard Fanatic.

Did You Hear the One About the Chickens in Austin?

2009-06-29T17:30:00.003-05:00

From John Kelso (@jkelso), the long-time Austin American-Statesman columnist:

Mimi Bernhardt is a friendly, jolly sort who, like her chickens, cackles a lot. Still, living next door to her is kinda like living next to Old MacDonald, without the E-I-E-I-O and the cow.

Discounting the multiple chickens in the backyard in one pen, the six ducks in the backyard in another pen, and the cluster of chicks in a small pen in the living room (yes, you read that right, the living room), Bernhardt doesn't keep any livestock. Still, she says, some of her neighbors in Northwest Hills have been having a cow ever since she turned her front yard on Far West Boulevard into a small farm.

[More]

Plenty of food for thought in this column, whichever side you support.

Thanks to Sheryl (@yardfanatic) for the link!

The Skinny on the Governor's Mansion Garden

2009-06-16T09:14:00.000-05:00

Ever wondered if the Texas Governor's Mansion has a kitchen garden? Yup, it does. In fact, according to the City of Austin, food cultivation's been part of the effort since the mansion was built.

When the Pease family moved into the Mansion in 1856, construction was not yet completed. Governor Pease quickly turned his attention to the yard and a garden for the family food supply. His wife, Lucadia, planted seeds and cuttings from her native state (Connecticut), later adding seeds which she ordered through the mail or received from friends. (More)

Children's Garden at San Antonio Botanical Garden

2009-06-15T08:48:00.003-05:00

There's a fabulous vegetable gardening program at the San Antonio Botanical Garden run by the Aggies. We made a trip earlier this month to visit it, and we were very impressed with what they've got going on.

If you'd like to see a few more pics, please check out our Facebook page, where you can upload your own Texas garden pics!

While You're Admiring the Produce Stand this Weekend...

2009-06-12T21:08:00.003-05:00

Remember that it won't be too long until you can start plotting vegetables in your own fall garden. In fact, according to the Aggies' Fall Gardening Guide, direct seeding of some plants can begin as early as July 1.

Anyone got plans in mind yet?

A Taste of Texas for July 4

2009-06-09T11:55:00.030-05:00

There's two updates to this post... be sure to look for 'em!

****

"Because life's too short for mystery-meat hotdogs and water-flavored beer. This July 4th, don't settle for anything less than real food."
- Roger Doiron

FoodIndependenceDay.org is gearing up nationwide in support of local food on July 4, but I'm noticing a shortage of Texas participants on the site's map. Most noticeably absent on the site's virtual map is the red flag indicating that the state's First Family has shared it's local food-centered menu.

Wanna help fix that? Contact the governor!

[Hey, we got an answer on June 29, thanks to some clever interns.]

I've already sent a Twitter message to Governor Perry inviting him to tell us what Texas goodies his family will feast on July 4. Seeing as he's the former, two-term state agriculture commissioner, it seems that this is something that he'd be ready to promote, regarding it as an easy way to generate a li'l positive press in the run up to his 2010 election bid. [And before anyone complains about the answer--local sausage and HEB's peach ice cream--this is July 4th, so we'll be content with the reply--this year.]

Some suggestions that have come in for July 4 menus across the state include Meyer's Elgin Smokehouse Sausages, Shiner Bock and Caprese salad with homegrown tomatoes, basil and Mozzarella Company cheese. (Too bad that Central Market's upcoming regional food promo doesn't start until later in the summer!)

Explore More:

• Go Texan products, from wine to shrimp, as registered with the Texas Department of Agriculture.

• Locate your local farmers market.

***

29 June 2009 Update #2: As indicated above, Governor Perry answered the question via Twitter. See his video response here in response to activities described in Update #1 (below). The turn-around was pretty fast. Timing is everything.

29 June 2009 Update #1: Since neither Roger nor I have received any response from Governor Perry or his office yet, I've just tweeted to all the 2010 candidates (Democrat and Republican) for governor AND senate that I could find on Twitter, asking them what they'd serve on July 4. I swear it's NOT a trick question... we're just curious and want to spotlight local Texas food. Am hoping someone is willing to give an answer. A response from a Senate candidate would be terrific , even if the project is geared at First Families! And no, there's no need for participants (candidates or non-candidates) to provide brand names... you can speak generically (local wine, local steak, homegrown zucchini from the local market).

We will print any candidate's responses here and RT them via Twitter. Oh, and if you're interested in contacting the candidates on your own, here's a recent list of Texas candidates on Twitter... which is much faster than trying to find them by yourself. --Pamela

Let's Dig for Texas, Y'all

2009-06-04T20:06:00.000-05:00

There's been a lotta talk lately about how we Americans are returning to home vegetable gardens in an effort to save a li'l money. The trouble is that not everyone knows how to garden effectively or has enough space in which to plant food to feed a growing family.

Here in Texas, we've got a rich agricultural heritage that demonstrates we Texans have a knack for growing good food in an often challenging environment. Seems pretty obvious that what we need to do right now is tap that heritage, share our knowledge/ideas, and help more Texas households learn to grow food at home. We'd also be smart to empower community groups (churches, schools, neighborhood associations) to cultivate high-visibility vegetable gardens, too. Why? Because when we Texans see someone else succeed, we very often decide to take a crack at it, too. And a lot of us love to be neighborly and work collaboratively for the greater good.

Inspired by the nationwide, non-partisan Eat The View campaign to promote kitchen gardens (a.k.a. edible landscapes) in public spaces, a few of us decided to partner up here in the Lone Star State in a similar fashion.

The objectives of the Dig for Texas campaign are simple and straightforward. We aim to:

1. Inspire Texans of all ages to create kitchen gardens by utilizing existing resources
2. Celebrate the state's rich agricultural heritage with an emphasis on home gardens and small farms
3. Showcase existing public or near-public edible landscapes
4. Promote the edible landscape concept through traditional and new media

The way we see it, there's a lot of resources out there, so there's no need to reinvent the proverbial wheel. Look for this brand-spanking new blog to fill up with resources, strategies, best practices and more in the coming weeks and months. We'll focus primarily on great Texas projects but from time to time we'll showcase ideas from beyond our borders for inspiration.

Got an idea? Thought? Suggestion? Let's hear 'em!

Texas Bloggers... Wanna Join Our Campaign?

2009-06-04T08:05:00.001-05:00

In this early phase of the Dig for Texas campaign, we're especially interested in hearing from Texas-based bloggers who might be willing to help out at the grassroots level, answering questions online relevant to growing food in your particular county.

If you're interested in being a part of this endeavor, leave a note in comments in this format:

Name:
Blog Name:
URL:
Texas County in Which You Garden:
Gardening Skill Level (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced):
Special Interests/Knowledge (ex. community gardens, desert gardening):

Oh, and if you register with us before 5 PM on June 11, then you'll have a shot at winning a pair of Ethel Gloves. (For obvious reasons, this contest is only open Texas residents, y'all.)