by Geoff | Sep 20, 2010 | Gardening
It’s past time for planting my fall garden in Austin, and yet in my limited garden space the overgrown but still producing summer crops take up most of the four beds. Between nine foot tall okra, supposed bush beans that turned out to be super-spreading pole beans and a tomato patch that continues to tantalize me with the prospect of just a few more tomatoes, I don’t have much space left to put in greens, broccoli, collards, garlic, and other Fall delights. Crop...
by Geoff | Aug 29, 2010 | Recipes
My cucumber plants have finished producing for the season, but I have no complaints. I had a bonanza this year. The Japanese Climbing Cucumbers not only grew up the trellis where I planted them, but also vined around the amaranth plants next to them and spread out of the garden over the border fence and onto the grass. The New Zealand Spinach got smothered out in the process, but frankly I enjoyed the cukes more. Despite giving away the cucumbers to friends and...
by Geoff | Aug 23, 2010 | Gardening
One of the benefits of not mowing my lawn as often or thoroughly as might be indicated by societal norms is that I get all sorts of interesting and sometimes useful plants that just show up. One of these is Chile Pequin, a semi-wild hot pepper of Texas and Mexico. Sown by birds that do me the favor of encasing the seeds in a small dose of fertilizer, I now have one of these shrubby pepper plants in both the front and back yard of my Austin house. I enjoy...
by Geoff | Jul 15, 2010 | Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, Gardening
Close Up Sunflower One might not be able to tell from this photo, but I was standing on a ladder to get the shot. The tallest of the Mammoth Sunflowers that I got from Renee’s Garden Seeds finally opened up at a height of ten feet six inches. Looking Down on Sunflower Here is the perspective from below. Sunflower from Below The plant reached well above the edge of the roof. Leaf Damage from Caterpillars Last week I had to take action to save these...
by Geoff | Jul 9, 2010 | Gardening
Austin can be a tough place to grow vegetables. But little by little I have been picking up on techniques that led to this past year being my most productive vegetable garden in Texas yet. Of course, the first thing that I had to learn about is Austin’s split garden season, with most crops grown either in the fall or the early spring. This is pretty much the only way to grow crops like brassicas and sugar snap peas. And honestly, it’s pretty awesome to...
