Earthly Gardener

Waxing Poetical on a Saturday

2012-02-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

A good one, from May Sarton:

"Making a garden is not a gentle hobby for the elderly,

to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire.

It is a grand passion.

It seizes a person whole,

and once it has done so he will have to accept

that his life is going to be radically changed."

Yes, I know these are nandinas, the scourge of native gardeners everywhere. I didn't plant these, but I do admire their red winter berries. Unfortunately, the birds don't. :-(

Happy gardening!

bobbi c.

Spring already?

2012-02-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

Still working furiously trying to get the Two Sisters Cottage ready for our move. Spring seems to have come early in a lot of the U.S. Bulbs are already blooming, fruit trees are budding out. Here are just a few current photos from the garden here.

Spring Onions

Happy Kale & Brussell Sprouts

Heirloom Narcissus Bulbs Blooming

Happy Red Wheelbarrow Filled with Rainwater

Nasturtiums Growing in Pot

Oxalis Bloooming under Pecan Tree

Purple Heart coming back after Winter

Dianthus (Pinks) Blooming in a Galvanized Tub with Sweet Marjoram

A Gorgeous Volunteer Sunflower from the Bird Feeder

Dianthus (Pinks) Blooming in the Flower Bed--one of my favorite old fashioned flowers

Another Old Rose Emerges!

And another!

Another Antique Rose

New Growth on Resurrected Rosebush in Gorgeous Red Color

New Growth on Unidentified Holly

Baby Thistles! Hiss Hiss Boooo!

Another Red Antique Rose with Bronze Leaves (I actually have one of these in my other garden. I just need to look the name up.)

A New Pink Rose Emerges!

Another Surprise Clump of Narcissus in the Flower Bed--they are coming up all over the property!

Autumn Joy Sedum coming Back from Winter--one of my new favorites

More coming soon!

Dig it!

bobbi c.

A Candle for Richard Cabe

2011-12-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

Richard Cabe, the husband of author Susan Tweit, a dear friend of mine, recently died of brain cancer. To read his story, check out Susan's amazing inspirational blog, Walking Nature Home.

Although I only briefly met Richard once, I still remember his huge, bright smile and have eagerly looked for photos and news of his work on Susan's blog. Richard was a sculptor, woodworker and craftsman who put himself into many objects that he and Susan used everyday in their own home. He was into rocks in a big way. I also love rocks, and gathered this handmade wooden bowl full of them tonight in honor of him.

Peaceful journey, Richard! And our love to Susan on this rainy Winter Solstice night.

bobbi c.

Where have I been?

2011-12-05T19:22:00.000-08:00

Well, mostly I've been posting over at my Two Sisters Cottage blog. We're remodeling a 1930's home in Taylor. It's coming along, and with this recent rain we've had, the garden is more gorgeous than ever. Little green spikes are popping up all over, and I anticipate lots of spring flowers. The roses are blooming like mad, although it's been too wet and muddy to take photos.

I've also been posting over at my Texas Playwriting blog. Yes, I also write plays.

Here are a few other photos from my garden, though, to tide you over. Enjoy!

More later!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Texas drought...ten things you should know

2011-11-18T08:34:00.000-08:00

Ten things you should know about the Texas drought....

A new rose

2011-11-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I've mostly been over on my Two Sisters Cottage blog lately since remodeling is taking a lot of our time. But in between marathon painting episodes, I'm tending the garden here at the new/old house (built in 1930). One thing I discovered after owning the home for about a month was that there are at least 82 rose bushes here. Over the horrible droughty summer, one or two of them died and I yanked them out, but I decided to leave the rest to see what happens. I gave them a really good whacking back and drenched the soil with liquid seaweed. Turns out, they weren't dead; they were just dormant. Now that the weather is cooler here, and they've been watered a bit, they are coming back and it's a continual surprise to me to see their colors. The newest one is pink. I'm 99% sure it's an heirloom/antique rose.

Several other bushes are loaded with buds, and those will also be a nice surprise to me when they bloom, too.

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Grow your Own Food...once again, here's why

2011-10-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

Yet another reason to grow your own food or buy from local organic farmers...Canteloupes from a farm in Colorado are contaminated with listeria. As reported by Lindsey Blomberg on www.emagazine.com:

Canteloupe Scare Leads to New Protections

"An ongoing outbreak of listeria-contaminated cantaloupe is now reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be the deadliest food outbreak in the United States in more than a decade."

Convinced?

bobbi c.

An inspiring video on the regeneration of trees...

2011-10-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

A talk by Tony Rinaudo at the Tenth International Permaculture Conference: "Against the odds: Reversing desertification in arid and semi arid lands"

This information isn't just for Africa. How could this information be used on your own trees, or in your own garden? Please watch!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Mourning our Losses...an essay of sorts

2011-10-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

It seems that a lot of us are mourning the loss of our lives as we knew them, or how we assumed they'd play out. We're grieving, and mourning the loss of a safe Mother Earth, mourning the loss of habitat for wildlife, mourning the loss of work we thought we'd do, mourning the loss of farmland that's sold and turned under for new shopping centers (ironically designed to look like small quaint shoppes and villages), mourning the sense of security we've always had about our food supply and mourning the loss of weather patterns that we've known our whole lives. Right now, here in Central Texas, many of us are mourning the loss of thousands of acres of state parkland (and the resident wildlife there), consumed by runaway wildfires in the area---something we thought we’d never have to worry about.

Personally, I'm mourning the loss of work I thought I'd do. As a writer, I'm mourning the changes in the publishing industry that seem to have come at break-neck speed. I can get paid a tiny fraction for an article today compared to what I was paid back in 1978--if I get paid at all. How do you build a sustainable career based on that? You can't. Bookstores are closing; publishers are canceling contracts, not signing on new authors and not promoting the back-lists of their existing authors. There are huge wastes in the publishing industry.

I know I'm not the only one mourning losses. But sometimes I wonder, is this too radical to think about these things in this way? Do I worry too much? Alternatively, CAN we worry too much, given what we know and have seen? Now I understand why my grandmother was such a worrier--she had a right to be, because of the things she lived through and the changes she saw. That's the operative phrase...lived through. She didn't give up, and even until the end of her life, when she was living in a horrible rest home (if you could call that living), she kept her wonderful sense of humor...and hope. To her last days, she had a tiny flicker of hope that she'd be able to pack that little suitcase of hers and go back home. And that hope kept her going for many more years.

There is a bright side to some of this. Some publishers are taking sustainability seriously and forming groups like the Green Press Initiative, using recycled paper, publishing more e-books, nurturing their authors and taking a more intimate, small press approach to business. In a move to survive, some authors are having to become more self-sufficient in order to further their careers, publishing their own work and taking on the huge responsibility of finding a market for it and as a result are connecting with their readers on a closer level than ever before.

Artists are striking out on their own, bypassing the traditional galleries to sell their work in "indie" festivals across the country, using alternative selling venues like farmer's markets or online websites to connect with people who appreciate handmade.

Some of us are planting front yard gardens, growing food out in full view of the neighbors and collecting rainwater and turning our kitchen “wastes” into nourishing compost. Groups are forming community gardens that give folks a sense of belonging and a small patch of soil to call their own. Urban farms are sprouting up in many parts of the country and getting healthy food to people who otherwise would have no access to it.

In her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross said there are five stages of grief---denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I think there should be another one added to that list...moving on, with just a little flicker of hope. Doing what we can, in our own little way, to make the outcome a different one. The gloom 'n doom theories are just that---theories. Nobody knows, even with all their new high tech weather prognostication tools, that the drought in Texas will last for another year, or another five years. They are just predictions. Many predictions do not come true—especially when Texas weather is involved. I could be awakened by a thunderstorm in the middle of the night by that sweet sweet sound of rain plopping on the metal roof. It has happened before; it can happen again.

We all need to all do our part to make sure many of these dire predictions don't come true. We can change things; we can take baby steps. We can plant a tomato in a pot on our porch, or seek out a community garden in our area and connect with like-minded people there. We can choose not to drive so far for shopping and instead support our local economy. We can turn off the lights when we leave a room, or work by the natural light shining through the window. We can take a new, slower, different approach to our work and work at making a life in our own little patch of the universe.

All of these are choices we can make. The ending to this story has not been written yet. We have the power, as long as we still have a tiny flicker of hope.

-----

Today, I’m hopeful as I walk through my otherwise pretty much dead front yard garden and notice that the Texas sage (cenizo) has bloomed overnight. AND that there are hundreds of bees partaking of its sweetness. I haven’t seen many bees lately; this gives me hope. I will definitely plant more of these native Texas beauties this fall!

As opposed to the non-native shrub right next to the cenizo:

In another part of the yard, the esperanza is blooming, and has been blooming throughout this horrible summer. I recently learned that this plant is also called “yellow bells” and I like that one very much. I believe that “esperanza” is the Spanish word for “faith.” Also fitting.

Happy trails from Texas, where it is ONLY 79-degrees!

Bobbi A. Chukran

Sweet Water Organics...Favorite Site Du Jour

2011-09-27T06:39:00.000-07:00

Sweet Water Organics is an urban fish and vegetable farm located in the Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee that has re-purposed unused industrial building space. They use aquaponics to grow fresh, safe produce and provide year-round fresh local produce and fish for local Milwaukee residents, restaurants and groceries. They also strive to become a resource for job creation and use of urban settings.

This could become a model for other communities. There are numerous empty commercial buildings in the Austin, Texas area that could be used for growing food. And check out these Roadside Culture Stands, one of which is hosted by Sweet Water Organics. I LOVE this idea!

Check out their website, and their photos, here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetwaterorganics/

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Austin, Texas Rally for Non-GMO Foods

2011-09-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, October 2, there's going to be a rally at the Capitol in Austin, protesting against GMOs (genetically-modified/engineered foods) and demanding labeling. This is the first step in a campaign to push for labeling at both the federal and state levels.

Why? We want GMO food to be labeled so people can choose – and can make an informed decision about what they eat. GMOs have found their way into our ecology, our economy, and our food, and there are currently few legal means of even identifying them.

What? "Rally For Real Food" – Plant Yourself at the TX State Capital & Pressure the Government About the Lack of Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods

Where? South Steps of the Texas State Capital

When? Sunday Oct. 2 12:00 noon - 3:00 PM

More information: www.rallyforrealfood.com

Read this if you wonder why we should care about GMO foods, from the Son of a Farmer site.

Disaster Relief for Texas Farmers

2011-09-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

The drought and wildfires in Texas have taken a horrible toll over the past year. Please consider donating to the TOFGA. Thank you! bc

"The Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA) today
announced its Disaster Relief Fund to support farmers and ranchers
who have suffered due to the recent wildfires and severe drought.
"Our members are small family farms and ranches that cannot absorb
the losses from these disastrous fires and drought conditions,"
said Sue Beckwith President of TOFGA.

TOFGA urges every Texan to support sustainable family farmers.
"Texas does not have enough farmers who are producing clean and
safe food for our families," said Brad Stufflebeam of Home Sweet
Farm, a farm in Brenham that supplies fresh produce to families in
Houston. "We can't afford to lose any local producers."

Farmers in Iowa are donating certified organic hay to help Texas
farmers. "This is an incredible gift," stated Cameron Molberg,
General Manager of Coyote Creek Organic Feed Mill in Elgin. "We
need to raise the money to pay for trucking to get it down here."

To contribute to the Disaster Relief Fund, please visit tofga.org/
donate

Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association is an 501(c)3
educational non-profit organization supporting the people who
produce and provide organic and sustainable food in Texas through
education, production and marketing support.

For more information, please visit tofga.org. If you are a TOFGA
member needing relief, please visit tofga.org/relief and register.

Contact: Sue Beckwith, president@tofga.org, 512-496-1244"

H.O.T. Hot!

2011-06-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

My grandmother never cursed, but she had her special words she used instead. For example, when it was hot outside, she'd announce, "Well, it's H.O.T. hot out there. Hotter than a firecracker. Y'all want some ice cream?" As if by spelling the word, it was emphasized. My other grandmother said it was "Hotter than H.E. Double Toothpicks." That comes closer to what I'm saying right about now. LOL

Either way, it's hot here, been hot here, and will stay hot here for quite some time. Which makes me wonder why I always pick this time of year to decide to buy a house, sell a house, paint a house or move a garden. Maybe it's delayed spring fever.

Over the last two days, I've eyed my poor shriveled tomato and pepper plants I put out in March. They were very happy for a while, but over the last week or so have almost succumbed to the heat. I've spent way too much time nurturing them from seeds, and too much money spent on buying transplants, so I've decided to move them to the new property. We put in fall gardens anyway, I figured why not? Within hours of digging up the plants and putting them in pots underneath the oak tree, they perked up. I have hopes that once moved to the new house underneath those gorgeous pecans, they'll survive and flourish. We shall see.

The next Big Job at the new/old house is to wrangle the air conditioning so we can work inside without succumbing to the heat ourselves. I figured I might lose some weight this summer, but ya know, there's that ice cream thing. :-)

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

New gardens, old gardens

2011-06-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

This morning, after a crazy night worrying about possible liens on the house we're buying that are non-existent (whew!), I'm pondering new garden space at our new/old home in Taylor. For now, I have two gardens to tend, and that makes me very happy. The garden here in our current home is made up of a lot of natives that tend themselves, and a lot of veggies that do not. The other garden is made up of a lot of heirloom flowers and shrubs that totally DO take care of themselves. The happiness at having two spaces to care for helps to offset the sadness I’m feeling at the prospect of leaving another garden behind. This will be the fourth large garden I've left behind since Rudy and I got married. I console myself by digging up baby plants and potting them up to take with me.

A sunny space for herbs, tomatoes and peppers right outside the kitchen door at the new garden

Daylilies in the New Garden

I've wanted a greenhouse for years, but never thought they were that useful here in this hot climate. Since I've been starting my seeds early, and since I have so many more potted plants (like bougainvilleas and peppers) I want to protect over the winter, I decided that a greenhouse was a must-have. Surprisingly enough, this was the only home we saw that had one. And it's a doozy, too! Built as a lean-to shed attached to the garage, it's protected from the elements. The former gardener here screwed dozens of little hooks into the ceiling to hang her blooming plants in the winter. Sure wish I'd seen that!

Something I've always wanted...a greenhouse! Windows face South (yay), protected from the north by the little attached cottage beside it, and on the other side by the garage

I was very lucky that the buyer of our former home was inclined towards horticulture and promised me that she'd care for the gardens there. (And a former neighbor recently confirmed that she's doing as promised. Yes, I have spies.)

In other news, our current flock of baby swallows has learned to fly and are out of the nest! Four or five this time! It also saddens me to think of leaving them behind. Can we put that into a contract? "New owner will not destroy swallow nest under front porch"? I can try.

This morning I harvested another handful of Dragon’s Tongue beans (might I say "YUM"), more tomatoes and one big head of garlic with lots of tiny cloves stuck to the outside of it.

The amaranth I planted back in March in the galvanized containers is about 2-feet tall and is a gorgeous plant!

Closing is set (again) for tomorrow. I desperately want to move some plants over there, but have to wait.

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Well, we've gone and done it now! 1930's Cottage with Gardens

2011-05-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

In my last post, I mentioned our search for an older home in Taylor, Texas. After looking at homes there, I narrowed it down to three. I didn't go looking for a house this old, and I didn't go looking for a house this size, but this is the house we ended up with.

Cared for by twin sisters (Millie and Albina) their entire lives (AFAIK), I've named this old gal TWIN SISTERS COTTAGE. Built in 1930, with 1500 square foot (larger than I was really looking for), she has long-leaf pine floors throughout the entire house, walls made of a "sandwich" of wallboard, planks, studs, more planks, and more wallboard. There's a detached garage with greenhouse and guest cottage, and the house sits on over 1/4 acre covered with heirloom roses, native plants, flowers such as daylilies (at least two varieties), purple coneflower, Texas sage, iris, mature boxwoods and crepe myrtle---you name it, it's there.

I'm especially thrilled to find the property shaded by two varieties of ancient pecan trees--native Texas pecans, and papershells.

I've always loved the fashions, homes, colors and styles of the 1930's, but never dreamed I'd be able to live in a historical home of this kind. I'm already all in a tizzy about how to decorate her. Here's a start for the bedroom---a quilt made in the 1930's by my great-grandmother. It will be my inspiration for my color choices.

More to come!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Search for home

2011-05-20T10:16:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

When we downsized from a big custom home on seven acres to this smaller place in town, we said it was only temporary. It's been a good in-between place for us, because we couldn't fathom moving from 3,000 square-feet straight into a 1,000 SF home on a tiny town lot.

Now that we've lived in this 1,700 SF home for four years now, we've decided that there's a lot of wasted space here. And I hate wasted space! So now we're looking for another home in another area. This area is lovely, and has a wonderful school system, but since we don't have kids, we find it a bit annoying to pay for new stadiums, etc. when there are many other schools who don't even have the basics.

Over the past six-months, I've looked at thousands of homes online, and toured inside a couple of dozen. After looking around South Austin (and fantasizing about moving back to the town we consider home), slogging through the traffic, we decided to look at smaller towns.

Our recent home hunt has taken us to Taylor, Texas. It looks good provided we can maneuver through the very strict process of going through the city for permits and such. (Here's a rant...why don't these small towns make it easier for folks like us to come in, buy older homes, and fix them up? Maybe they don't want folks moving in? I don't get it.) Anyway, I digress...and it ain't the first, and it won't be the last time I do so. LOL

Taylor is one of those quaint "vintage" towns that is home to the Morning Glory stuffing company (used in quilts for years), and Louie Mueller BBQ---internationally famous and one of the former favorite hang-outs of the Democrat Trinity of Liz Carpenter, Ann Richards and Molly Ivins, or so I've been told. RIP, gals! Where are those time machines when you need one? I mean, really, wouldn't it be a hoot to happen on that bunch at lunch? But I digress, again. Told ya I would!

Anyhow, we're trying to decide if we've gone stark raving bonkers for even flirting with the idea of buying an old house (I ain't talkin' 1950 here, folks) and fixing it up. I do need a project. LOL. Somebody stop me!

We shall see. Stay tuned!

bobbi c.

Class Action Suit against Monsanto

2011-04-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

"A class action suit has been filed by a group of plaintiffs connected with the organic/natural foods movement against the gene-splicing giant, Monsanto Corporation."

Read the rest of the article here on the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds website.

Happy trails, and happy digging!

bobbi c.

Energy Efficient Landscaping...DIY

2011-04-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

From our local Pedernales Electric Co-op:

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Cedar Waxwings galore!

2011-04-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

We've just seen a flock of about 30 cedar waxwings sitting in the top of our oak tree right beside the back kitchen door. We're getting a wonderful view of them from our back living room window, too.

Supposedly, these birds fly through Texas here in the winter on their way to their breeding grounds up in Canada. People on various websites are reporting a shortage of the birds this year, but perhaps they're just slow in migrating.

Hmmm, and here we thought spring had already sprung! Maybe not...

For some gorgeous photos of cedar waxwings taken by Joseph Sutherland (much better than I can take myself), check out his website.

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Garden as if your life depended on it....

2011-04-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

Garden as if your life depended on it...because it does, according to Ellen LaConte, an author writing on the AlterNet.com website.

According to Ms. LaConte, there are at least five reasons why more of us should "take up the spade, make some compost, and start gardening with a vengeance."

The price of food will "roller-coaster" making budgeting impossible, some foods will become very expensive and other foods will simply become unavailable.
Photo by Bobbi A. Chukran
Please read the article to find out why we should plant more gardens.

Note: I just discovered that Ellen also posted the article on her website. You can read it at http://www.ellenlaconte.com/thoughtful-food/

She also has a thoughtful, excellent newsletter called Starting Point. I highly recommend it!

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

What I harvested here this morning....

2011-03-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

Fresh baby peas
Arugula pods
Lettuce
Fresh spinach
Asparagus
Brocolli greens (leaves)
Brussels sprouts greens (leaves)
Henbit
Dandelion leaves
Onion scapes
Parsley

Other than the parsley, all of these were planted in the fall or winter here. It's been cool enough the past month so that they are still growing. As for the henbit and dandelions, they were planted by Mother Nature. :-)

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Rainwater harvesting tips

2011-03-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

According to the Lower Colorado River Authority's informative website on how to save water in your home and landscape, "rainwater harvesting can be as simple as placing a barrel under a roof’s downspout for collecting water for your plants. Or it can be an elaborate arrangement of cisterns, pumps and filters to provide an entire household with water."

At one time, we had a rainwater collection system that held 17,000 gallons of water. We had two tanks like this that sat side by side and provided 100% of the water we used in our home and garden.
When we moved to town to downsize, we also had to downsize our system to three barrels that each hold 55-gallons.

During the summer, that's just a drop in the bucket (so to speak) compared to the amount of water we really need to keep our gardens alive. We don't like using town water since it's not really good for the plants (too many chemicals/chlorine) and is expensive, and getting more so as time goes by. Right now, the barrels are already dry and it's not even April. We've had very little rain here and the plants are thirsty!

We do plan to add more barrels, or hopefully, a larger tank which will also serve as a noise barrier between us and a neighbor on one side. The key is to have the storage in place so that when it does rain (please!), we'll capture every drop that hits the roof of the house and garage.

In the meantime, I literally place galvanized buckets in an around the garden, on the patio, etc. so that they also catch water.
An arty version of my supplemental rainwater collection system--inexpensive, decorative and portable!

I use them quickly so the mosquitoes don't breed in them, and you'd be surprised at how much you can catch that way. I also re-use the water when I change the cat's drinking water, catch water in the kitchen in a plastic tub that sits in my sink when I rinse my hands, and save cooking water (like from pasta, for example). It all adds up! The contents of our pasta pot, for example, uses one whole gallon of water. We don't add oils or anything while we cook, and after it cools, the plants seem to appreciate the drink of water with the wheat flour residue.

The point is...start small if you must, it all adds up! You can always add more buckets, or barrels, or tanks later. And by the way, there's a law in Texas that says that nobody can make rules that prohibit rainwater systems, including HOAs. And they can't prohibit things that go into a system, either, such as metal roofs, gutters, tanks, etc.

Please check out the LCRA website for more tips on rainwater harvesting, saving water in your home and water conservation.

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Plan B...How do we save civilization?

2011-03-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

Please check your local PBS station schedules for PLAN B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization.

Watch the trailer here:

Watch the full episode. See more Journey to Planet Earth.

Happy trails from my earthly garden, here in Texas,

bobbi c.

Slow Sunday...the simple solution to global warming?

2011-03-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Remember when Sunday was a day of rest?

When we were kids, our Southern born-and-bred grandmother who lived in Haltom City told us that the "devil would take us" if we worked on Sunday. I’m pretty sure we believed her, too. She would make Sunday dinner (actually lunch), but that was the extent of her work on that day. She refused to wash clothes, iron, clean house, etc. Stores were closed, nobody dared call her on the phone, there were no computers (imagine that!), the TV was switched off, and it was peaceful and quiet. It was especially a day to enjoy the harvest from her huge backyard garden, play in the grass, sit under the shade trees, eat ice cold watermelon, visit with relatives, read a book, go to church (if we were so inclined), or take a picnic to Grapevine Lake, near our home. The main idea was to REST.

An article by Satish Kumar (editor of RESURGENCE magazine) published on the Guardian.co.uk website titled *Slow Sunday: The simple solution to global warming* suggests that Sunday could be a fossil fuel-free day, or a low-carbon day, or at the least, an energy-saving day.

He goes on to say that "using Sunday as a day of rest and renewal would be good for our personal health as well as the health of the planet." And his simple solution to global warming? Slow down. Just, slow down.

Why not? Aren’t we a little tired of all this craziness that surrounds us?

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Earth Hour...Lights Out at 8:30 p.m.

2011-03-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

This year, go beyond the Hour.

bc

What will you do to help save our HOME?

2011-03-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Please watch this short movie trailer to the film, HOME, a movie by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, and then please pass the link to a friend. Thank you!

To watch the whole film, visit this link:
HOME, the movie

bobbi c.

How do YOU consume water?

2011-03-26T04:58:00.000-07:00

From the Texas Drought Project website:

"Texans may not always agree on politics, religion, or football, but they all agreed that drought of 2007-2009 was one of the worst they had ever experienced.

Farmers, ranchers, city-dwellers, educators, and scientists expressed their concerns that Texas can no longer provide enough water for its citizens." And I'll add gardeners to that list!

What can we do about it? Read the rest of the article from the The Texas Drought Project, then go outside and replace some of that water-wasting lawn with some natives.

And if you're still not convinced that we have a serious water problem, read this article and check out the Climate Change Impact map.

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Starting spring seedlings

2011-03-23T08:04:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

Although it's way past time for us central Texans to plant our spring gardens, my friends in other areas are just now starting their spring seedlings. My friend Susan Tweit, in Salida, CO, just blogged about how she starts her spring seeds in self-watering pots and organic seed-starting mix.

Photo by Susan J. Tweit

I love this system, and will have to look into getting one for myself. I usually use some old peat pots (given to me years ago by a friend), re-purposed yogurt containers or other found containers, but that makes things a bit fiddly because they're never the right size, and the peat pots have a tendency to grow mildew if not watched carefully, or if over-watered.

IMHO, it's worth spending a little money for a practical, organized system such as this.

Susan also uses seeds from two of my favorite companies...Botanical Interests and Renee's Garden Seeds. I've recently found both of these locally, and was pleased as punch. They both carry a good selection of old-fashioned and heirloom seeds for flowers, herbs and vegetables.

Take a look at Susan's blog, Walking Nature Home. And while you're there, check out her other writing. It's always a treat!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Texas is hot!

2011-03-22T10:42:00.001-07:00

I just ran across a great new on-line resource. The TEXASISHOT.org site was formed to provide Texans (and others) with tips, ideas, tools and information on how to be more energy efficient, reduce your energy use — and save money in the process.

Check it out!

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Guess what I'm eating for lunch?

2011-03-20T14:15:00.001-07:00

Here's a hint. It grows like a weed in my garden and my yard, year round. As a matter of fact, it's one of the most common "weeds" that grow in Texas. And it's pretty too, when it blooms. I've been cursing it and yanking it up for years, annoyed that it would dare run rampant in the space where I needed to plant tomatoes.

It's HENBIT! I learned today that all parts of the henbit plant are edible (as long as it's not gathered from a busy roadside or from a lawn that's sprayed with chemicals or treated with fertilizers). In olden times, it was used as a pot-herb. I went into the garden and carefully pinched off a bit and tasted it. Hmmm....a little like very strong raw English peas. Getting brave, I took a bite to Husband. He ate it and proclaimed, "Well, it's not any worse than raw spinach or mustard greens." (Husband doesn't like mustard greens.) I figured I had nuthin' to lose and gathered a colander full, snipping the plant close to the ground. This time of year, the plant stems are a bit thicker than in the spring, but I didn't let that deter my experiment.

I took it inside and rinsed it twice in plain water (saving the water for, well, watering) and then chopped it up into tiny pieces. Meanwhile, I heated a bit of olive oil in a small skillet, sauteed some fat garlic cloves in it, then threw in the henbit. My cooking motto is...almost anything's edible if cooked with olive oil and garlic. (I do draw the line at chard, though.) I steamed and sauteed it for just a few minutes, tasted it, poured in a tiny glug of red wine (just because), stirred, sprinkled a bit of sea salt over it, let it cool....and then...

I tasted it! YUM! I love it. Husband...well, he's not convinced. Mostly he objected to the thick stems more than the taste. I told him to get used to it. After all, it's already there, I didn't have to plant it, it comes back year after year (after year), I don't have to fertilize or water it, and it's very nutritious. LOL. Cooked, it tastes like spinach with a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Really.

And to think that it's been here, right underfoot (literally) for all these years.

Happy trails from Texas!

bobbi c.

What I planted today...

2011-03-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Burgundy Amaranth. Check out this video from Eat the Weeds on how to identify amaranth in the wild, growing and harvesting amaranth.

Dragon's Tongue beans--an heirloom bean I remember from my childhood

Santa Anna pole beans--an Italian style bean

Photos to come!

bobbi c.

A Patio Container Garden...an online photo tour

2011-03-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

Dear garden buds,

I've been very lax at taking photos of my garden, but finally got a bee in my bonnet and did it. These are random photos taken here and there, willy-nilly. I love growing plants in containers, and try to add new ones every season. I'm really getting into combining plants now and love how the colors and leaf textures set each other off.

In the garden vignette photo above, I have a galvanized tub on an old bench discarded by a neighbor and hand-painted. In the tub, I'm growing sweet marjoram, dianthus and alyssum. The tub is surrounded by hand-painted birdhouses (one by my friend Sherry Gaffney), a galvanized saucer used as a birdbath, another birdbath and a hand-painted bucket planted with comfrey. Just to the right, you can see the edge of an old wooden barrel that serves as a pedestal for a potted bamboo.

I love my potted bamboo, a gift from my friend Fred, by way of south Austin. I planted some white dianthus at the base of it. What a gorgeous combo they make in the hand-painted lime green Mexican cement pot.

Lemon thyme and white alyssum live happily in an old Goodwill store find...a wooden chips/dip bowl painted blue with drainage holes drilled in the bottom.

The cactus (started as a few pads salvaged from the neighbor's trash) continues to thrive in the old antique iron pot I bought from a fellow at the side of the road.

A combo of a small cherry tomato, a purple dianthus, and two small pepper plants grow in the galvanized metal trough on my patio.

A small salad garden grows just steps outside our dining room/kitchen door.

Another new project this spring is my galvanized tub/trellis project. Two tubs, drilled in the bottom for drainage, filled with great Gardenville potting soil and planted with Scarlet Runner Beans (on the left) and sweet peas (on the right). They've all sprouted, and started their journey up the trellis. I love the purple gazing ball in between. A small cuphook screwed into the side of the house helps keep the trellis from flapping about.

Most of these containers can be enjoyed from the living room and dining room windows inside the house, something I plan carefully each season.

Hope you've enjoyed this little tour of my container garden! (And notice how I've combined herbs, veggies and flowers!)

Happy trails from Texas,

bobbi c.

The Swimming Pool Privacy Project

2011-03-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

Last fall, our next door neighbors came to our door, announcing that they were building a new swimming pool in their very tiny backyard. They were pleased as punch that they thought of notifying us, and warned that it might be a bit noisy for a week or so. We could deal with that. What they didn't tell us is how close to the fence they'd build it, and that it would be level with their back porch. When they walk out onto their back porch, they practically hover over our fence and can see right into our living room windows through the hallway and into one bedroom.

A week or so after the pool was finished, I was horrified to walk out onto my back patio and see the Neighbor Guy standing on the edge of the pool. I could see his whole self from his little belly-button up to the top of his head. This was obviously an invasion of my privacy. Husband and I went into emergency mode and within a few days had erected a trellis onto the fence that sort of helps to hide some of their activities. Sort of is the operative word. It does nothing to hide the noise from the pool, and we can hear every word they say out there.

I've talked to friends who put in pools, and they are always the ones that are courteous enough to try and hide them. Not so in our case. I'm still very annoyed at the cost to us of trying to hide a pool that probably is way too large for the space anyway.

Here's what we finally came up with. The panels are paint-washed with my signature mixture of sky blue, lavender and white. IOW, leftover latex paints I had from other projects. And NO, I did not paint the other side!

After a few months search, I finally found some crossvines, a gorgeous, fast growing evergreen vine that has amazing yellowish-burgundy blooms. I planted several of these (along with some Carolina Jessamine) around the edge of the fence at the bottom.

I also found and planted a coral honeysuckle. Can you say HAPPY HUMMINGBIRDS? LOL!

Since the fall was hot, the pool got a lot of use. As a temporary measure, I hung three huge bougainvilleas on the trellis in pots. They served their purpose for a while, and I plan to hang them back on there this year, along with other potted hanging baskets.

So far, the vines are very happy. I bought two more crossvines today, and plan to add them to the back part of the fence, as well as some very tall plants planted in these:

As houses are built closer together, privacy is becoming a huge issue. Walls of houses are thin, too, and another problem we have (with the Bad Neighbor on the other side) is noise from music played too loudly and a barking dog that's out all night. That problem will be a bit harder to solve, but I'm thinking a Big Honkin' Garden Shed might do the trick.

Dig it!

Happy trails from Texas,

bobbi c.

Seed Starting 101

2011-03-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

In case you need a little push to get your spring seedlings started, check out this video on SEED STARTING & SOIL BLOCK BASICS with Martha Stewart on my new Garden Videos blog. Enjoy!

bobbi c.

Call of the Honeybees

2011-03-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

Watch this informational, inspiring video about honeybees with Dr. Lynn Royce and learn a bit about colony collapse disorder, an issue I've written about here since 2007. From the amazing Cooking Up a Story website--and please overlook the commercial for the processed cereal product. :-)

http://cookingupastory.com/

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Beautiful snow!

2011-02-04T08:31:00.001-08:00

Dear folks,

We were gifted with three-inches of glorious snow overnight here on the edge of the Texas Hill Country, and news from my state-wide network is that lots of other areas in the state also got a few inches. I say "gifted" because when it melts, it will slowly soak into our parched soil here, adding much-needed moisture to our dry gardens.

This is the second snow we've had in February two years in a row. Last year it came later in the month. Click here for a photo. Growing up in north Texas, we seldom got snow. Winters in north Texas are more icie than snowy. Snow I can deal with---not so with ice.

Even though I had a bit of garden fever last week when I planted new trees, I'm over it now. LOL

Stay warm, everybody!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

A Cloud of Lacewings

2011-01-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

Dear folks,

This morning I was out in the garden, giving my very thirsty plants a little drink, and a cloud of lacewings arose out of a blooming rosemary bush. Lacewings are one of the good guys in our organic gardens. They feed on aphids and other soft-bodied insects. They are like tiny little ephemeral fairies in the garden, with bright green bodies, about one-inch long, and with two pairs of lacey transparent wings.

Photo courtesy of TX AgriLife Extension Service (Texas A&M)

The larvae are called aphidlions and are not quite as attractive as the adults.

And the eggs look like tiny threads with white cotton balls on the end.

Photo courtesy http://ag.arizona.edu

Other plants that attract lacewings (according to Wikipedia) are the calliopsis (coreopsis), cosmos, sunflowers and dandelions – and the herbs dill or angelica. It's a good idea to plant as many host plants as we can so that the beneficial insects have a place to live.

Lacewings float,
little green fairies--
chomp go the aphids.
--bc

Go plant a tree!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

2011-01-26T09:27:00.001-08:00

Sweet red peppers from Angel Valley Organic Farm in Jonestown, Texas in my grandmother's vintage FireKing bowl.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-19T08:54:00.000-08:00

Blessed rain!

2011-01-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

First of all, I've added a garden story about praying mantids to this blog. Just click on the link at the top of the page underneath the header if you want to read it. I hope to add more stories as time goes by.

It's raining here! And we need every single drop, too. It's been so dry that even in this normally too humid climate, we've had to put a humidifier in the room Husband uses for his inside guitar-making activities. That's pretty serious!

The garden is happy about the rain, but normal winter veggies are not growing. The weather has been too volatile....from 80 down to 30 back up to 50 then down to 17! Yes, SEVENTEEN DEGREES! That's also unheard of for this time of year here. Many of my friends in other parts of Texas have had unusually large amounts of snow. So far we've escaped that.

I do still have some collards and mustard greens leftover from the fall crop, and am continuing to harvest them for delicious stir-frying or freezing for later use.

Stay warm, folks! And dream of gardens...

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Happy New Year, and Happy Gardening!

2010-12-31T10:07:00.001-08:00

I hope all my Earthly Gardener friends have a Happy, safe New Year! I've been busy pouring over the new seed catalogs, and plan to grow some micro-greens inside this winter. It's actually too warm here now for many of my winter greens to grow (without turning bitter, that is).

Here's to a bountiful garden in 2011!

happy trails,

bobbi c.

Coppell, Texas Community Gardens & Farmer's Market---Inspirational!

2010-12-08T11:14:00.001-08:00

I just ran across this Flickr photo set from the Coppell, Texas Community Gardens and farmer's market, and thought I'd share it with you. It's so inspirational to see how many folks are shopping at the market, and especially inspirational to see how many young folks and kids are enjoying working in the community gardens there. Just look at those smiles!

Priceless....

Coppell, Texas Community Gardens & Farmer's Market

(BTW, my grandparents lived in Coppell for many years.)

Don't just sit there, go plant a garden! :-)

bobbi c.

Winter gardening?

2010-12-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

It amazes me how many people still refuse to believe that global climate change is happening. Here in our central Texas garden, we still have eggplants and tomatos blooming, on December 8! We've only had one very light freeze so far, and for those of you who wonder, YES, that's very unusual.

This year I planted a late fall garden of mustard greens, kale, lettuces---and was planning on eating those throughout the winter. Although my bed of "cut and come again" mixed greens and radishes are doing OK, my mustards, broccoli and brussel sprouts are covered with aphids. They know a stressed plant when they see one! It's just too warm for those vegetables.

However, some of our native plants, such as the salvias, are very happy, and are producing millions of seeds. Some of those are still nice and green and blooming, too.

It's really hard to refute the idea of climate change when you can see it for yourself, not ten feet from your own back door.

Plant a garden!

bobbi c.

My Herb Garden

2010-11-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

I thought some of you might want to know about the variety of herbs I am currently growing in my garden. I almost always grow these: basil, rosemary, lavender, comfrey, sweet marjoram, thyme (creeping and lemon), Mexican oregano, Italian parsley, oregano, dill, sage, bayberry, vitex (chaste tree), catnip, chives, garlic chives, cilantro, dandelion, hawthorne, lemongrass, juniper, lemon balm, lamb's ears, passion flower, peppermint, tansy, spearmint and southernwood.

Predominantly, we use them for cooking. The others are "just because" they're beautiful, smell nice and help to deter insects from the vegetable garden.

I grow catnip for the four-leggeds:

And we also grow chili pequins because some generous bird planted them for us (they're also known as bird peppers), and because Rudy loves to make a little HOT vinegar infusion with them:

Perhaps you'll get inspired to plant some herbs! We could not live without them here.

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Fall pumpkin fun...

2010-11-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what it is about pumpkins, but I cannot get enough of them. Perhaps it's the colors, the textures, or the fact that they are such a simple thing. I must have hundreds of pumpkin photos here that I've taken over the years.

This one was taken a few years back in Salado, Texas at the pumpkin patch at Fletcher's Bookstore there.

And here's one of the strangest pumpkins I've ever bought. We found it at a wonderful Pumpkin Patch in Grape Creek, Texas, right outside San Angelo a few weeks ago. I need to look this up to find out what variety it is. I just call it the "Nubby Punkin."

Happy trails from Texas!

bobbi c.

Garden photos....

2010-11-11T12:26:00.001-08:00

Dear peeps,

I literally have thousands of garden and home photos here on my hard drive, so I decided to get more of them out there and start posting them here. I hope you enjoy them!

My favorite garden tool...

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Inspired by fall leaves and colors....

2010-11-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

This is an original collage I did years ago using a block-printed canvas background layered with a leaf woodcut that I made, layered with some real dried oak leaves. It was so much fun combining the different techniques.

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Fall Centerpiece

2010-11-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

Years ago, I got into making centerpieces and although I've since giving up the idea of selling them, I still love making them for my own home and for friends. I have tons of photos of the centerpieces I made back then, and as they emerge, I'll share them with you. Not surprisingly, most of them include my homegrown flowers and herbs. Yes, I mix them together! Scandalous, isn't it? Although this one uses both real and artificial materials, these days I use just the naturals.

Here's one I made for the fall and Halloween season, or Falloween. Dreadful word, Falloween. LOL

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Operation Turkey Austin

2010-11-09T10:31:00.001-08:00

Dear friends,

Everyone deserves a hot meal on Thanksgiving!

"Each Thanksgiving, Operation Turkey effectively organizes local teams of volunteers - families, friends, and businesses - to cook, prepare, pack, and deliver thousands of hot meals and provide other necessities to many people in need."

Volunteer to cook or deliver food or donate money. Please check their website for more information.

http://www.operationturkey.com/

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Murder in the Garden

2010-11-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

These four-inch long purple and yellow grasshoppers we have here now sure are pretty, but I've been trying to murder two of them for a week (no doubt they are male and female and we know what that means). I sat and watched in fascination as one chomped through two arugula leaves in about ten seconds. I've been trying to smash them with rocks (they're too fast), stomp on them (ditto, and I'm afraid they'll fly up my dress :-o), but to no avail.

Finally, just now, I was out there harvesting greens when one flew by and landed right at my feet. I acted swiftly and chopped off the beast's head with my kitchen scissors.

SCORE! LOL

I just hope it doesn't grow back.

bobbi c.

Raised Garden Beds

2010-10-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

I finally found a better photo of my raised garden beds made from inexpensive cedar fence pickets and metal tent stakes. I was using wooden stakes, but they only lasted about 6-months. These stakes (found at Academy) will last much longer. At the time I took the photo, it was early spring and I had a wonderful crop of volunteer sunflowers.

Right now, I'm growing all sorts of beans and greens in the vegetable garden beds, including mustard, arugula, collards, brussel greens (leaves from brussel sprout plants), radishes and have recently just planted spinach.

I've just had my largest early fall harvest yet, was able to put many gallon bags of beans and greens in the freezer, and look forward to many more during the late fall and winter.

My little organic garden sure helps to keep our grocery bills down!

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Revolutionalize your lawn!

2010-08-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

My friend Susan Tweit, over on her Walking Nature Home blog, has written an eloquent post in her recent LIGHTEN UP series that really resonates with me. I'll admit it---I hate lawns! Not only are they a huge energy suck in so many ways, but they are also a huge waste of our precious water resources and they aren't very friendly to wildlife or beneficial insects.

While you're reading Susan's post, think about ways that you can start to eliminate your own lawn. You don't have to rip the whole thing out overnight...you can start with a little strip removed along the street. Several of my neighbors are taking my example and doing that. Although some of their plant choices aren't great for this searing heat, at least part of the grass is gone and it's a good start. I was lucky in that my lawn was almost non-existent when we moved in, and since then, the drought (and the fact that I refuse to water lawns) has lead to the demise of most of the grass here. Except for the Devil Bermuda Grass, of course, which is a whole different story! LOL.

Happy trails from HOT Texas!

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Growing from Seeds….the Top Ten Easiest Plants to Grow from Seed

2010-08-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

Dear gardening friends,

According to the Home Garden Seed Association, seeds are nature's miracles —little packets of energy just waiting for you to plant them! The HGSA has compiled a list of the top ten easiest plants to grow from seed. These are:

beans
cucumbers
lettuce
peas
pumpkins
radishes
squash
cosmos
sunflowers
zinnias

Check out their wonderful EZ from Seed website. It’s full of free information and articles on growing from seeds, growing vegetables in containers and window boxes, the differences between hybrids and self-pollinated seeds, growing fall veggies and flowers, gardening with toddlers, growing nutritious, safe, pesticide free food of your own, and more.

Don’t be afraid to try growing from seeds. It’s easy, inexpensive and fun! Now, go plant something!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Earthly Gardener

Top Two Ways you Help Monsanto Everyday

2010-08-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm off to the store to buy organic sugar after seeing this video. Check it out, then forward it to your friends! Thanks, bc

How to save the world...Plant more trees

2010-08-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

How do we even begin to save the world? The answer is simple, really...plant more trees. Why isn't everyone planting more trees? It's so easy to do, inexpensive, and if you plant fruit trees, you can harvest juicy sweet food from them! Check out this video on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDgNd2ug9Zk

Since I try to "practice what I preach"...over the three years we've been here, I've planted two peach trees, two apple trees, one plum, two unidentified trees, two fig trees, three oaks, one Mexican plum, one pomegranate, one native Texas persimmon, two apricot trees and many smaller shrubs and understory plants. All on a tiny town lot.

If I can do it, you can, too. :-)

bobbi c.

Strange Goin's On here....

2010-08-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks!

There's strange stuff goin' on here. Just this morning I yanked a leaf from a plant growing in my front yard garden and ATE it. It was from the native Texas plant, Turk's Cap. I grow them because they love this heat, and make great butterfly plants.

I've been learning about edible wild plants in Texas, and didn't know that this wonderful native landscaping plant is also edible. The leaf tasted interesting, although it's totally impossible to explain! It wasn't bitter, thankfully. I can't handle bitter greens. I intend to pick a few more and try sauteeing them with garlic and olive oil (my fav way of making fresh greens). Try it for yourself if you have a Turk's Cap growing in your garden. And remember, when eating anything strange, make sure you have a positive ID first.

I've been learning a lot about these edibles from this new blog about edible plants of Texas and the Southwest that a friend of mine (thanks, Gail!), told me about. It covers plants that grow down in the Houston area, with many of them ranging up into the Austin area, too.

Written by a fellow who calls himself "Merriwether" (look it up...LOL), he also teaches classes at the Houston Arboretum in plant identification and foraging.

Check out his blog; it's well worth the time!

I also wanted to share this with you. The esperanzas are blooming, finally! This is a second year plant. They did die back to the ground over the winter, which was a big bummer, but came back and are huge now.

Happy trails from Texas,

bobbi c.

Fossil Fuel is the Enemy

2010-08-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Today I'd like to talk about climate change. Yes, I know it's not a popular subject, and one that many people don't believe in. But if you don't believe it, go outside and sit in the heat for a while. And here's a fact to ponder, from an article in Grist by Bill McKibben:

"According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the planet has just come through the warmest decade, the warmest 12 months, the warmest six months, and the warmest April, May, and June on record."

We've gone past the time when we can ignore this problem; it's not going away unless we act fast, and act now. What are you going to do about it?

What it boils down to is this....there's too much carbon in the air, and it's caused by burning fossil fuels. You know, like all that oil BP is allowing to pollute the Gulf. Like all that oil that goes into making gasoline for our cars that we drive too much. Like all that oil that goes for making plastics, and garden fertilizers, and new cars, and toys for children (gasp!). Oil touches every aspect of our lives.

According to the article, fossil fuel is wrecking the one earth we've got. And we're wrecking the earth because of our use of fossil fuels...seriously wrecking the earth.

What can you, as a gardener, do about it? Here's several easy things...Don't drive so much this week. Don't buy chemicals for your garden packaged in plastic bottles. Start a compost pile instead.

We can reverse this warming trend, if everybody pitches in together. You don't have to be a rocket scientist, or climate change expert. Really. We CAN do this.

Happy trails from Texas where it IS hotter than hell,

bobbi c.

Simple Supper with Local Foods

2010-07-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

During these hot days of summer, nobody around my house wants to spend a lot of time cooking. Tonight I decided to use a "hodge podge" of what I had in the house to make a very (almost vegetarian) delicious dish of new potatoes sauteed with Asian yard long green beans. The taters came from Angel Valley Farm in Jonestown, Texas, and the beans came from my garden.

First, I halved and cooked the potatoes in the microwave with a little water for about 6 minutes til they were soft.

Meanwhile, I sauteed garlic, purple onion, one pimento pepper (also from my garden) in a skillet with olive oil. I added a few small pieces of leftover cooked bacon from dinner last night (breakfast for dinner is also a way of saving time and energy), a few sprigs of dill, covered the skillet and cooked on low heat til the beans were almost done.

When the potatoes were done, I threw them in the skillet with the beans, tossed them and added a small pat of butter.

I served them with a side of chopped fresh tomatoes (also from Angel Valley Farm) and my (first ever) cucumbers from our garden with rustic Italian bread and butter and a glass of white chenin blanc from Fall Creek Vineyards, a local winery in Tow, Texas.

Delicious, fast, and easy!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

More garden inspiration

2010-07-05T06:54:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

I've been in the middle of a veritable picture taking frenzy here in my little secret garden. More photos, continued from last post!

A young Shumard oak will eventually shade the front windows of the house:

I've almost managed to cover the utility boxes that sit in the front. (Editorial comment: This drives me nuts! Builders brag about underground utilities here. Is this underground??? I think not!)

Second family of barn swallows this year. They are almost ready to leave the nest. There are four of them crammed in there. LOL!

Now, let's walk through the garden gate, into the backyard secret garden! Next to the back door sits some gorgeous pots of coleus. I avoided these plants for years because they do tend to take more water than I like to use, but since this is near the kitchen, we're able to throw the old cat drinking water on it, or water from the kitchen. These plants have rewarded me by blooming now. I love the colors! Next to them sits a pot of crimson salvia, volunteers from last spring.

More patio garden---containers of strawberries, a spineless prickly pear cactus in an old antique iron pot.

More containers...basil, cedar sage, tropical cannas (grown in pots so they don't take over). I often use the birdbath as a holding spot for new plants I need to get into the ground. Here I have more salvias and some Turkscap, a native beloved by hummingbirds.

Walking across the patio, behind the house, you see the bulk of our backyard garden. We now have four large beds (app. 3x15' each), one shorter bed, and perimeter beds beside the garage (to the right), and along the back fence, along the wall to the back (to the left) and a more natural area along the fence which is shared with the neighbor. Notice the giant sunflowers! They are wild, and the birds were kind enough to deposit the seeds into the beds for me. One of them is getting eaten alive by hundreds of tiny caterpillars, probably from a Painted Lady butterfly. I'm watching that situation closely. The bees LOVE these sunflowers, and so do I!

Here's a blue fiberglass planter filled with a metal obelisk, Gregg's blue mist flowers (butterflies love it!), Asian yard long beans (delicious, and they grow so fast), and an old blue wine bottle stuck down into the middle.

Along the back fence, we find a wild passionflower vine that came up from the neighbor's yard, traveled under my yard and popped up at the back, more Gregg's Blue Mist, a baby pumpkin vine, Maximilian sunflowers (a Texas native), a mountain laurel, salvias mixed with herbs (sweet marjoram) and a pyracantha.

I LOVE it when plants reseed and volunteers pop up. This is a huge bed of cilantro that came back after the spring last year. We had fresh cilantro to eat for months and seeds to dry for coriander for cooking and for replanting in the fall.

Here is an overview of the main beds. These are the easiest raised garden beds in the world! They consist only of rough untreated cedar fence pickets held up with metal tent stakes and galvanized 12" nails from the hardware store. I started out using wooden stakes, but they rotted too fast. These metal ones should last for years.

The beds, looking towards the back fence--you can see the young fruit trees here. You can really see how small this space is. Yet we still have room for much more.

I guess that's all for today. I hope this has helped show what can be done in a very small space. I previously lived on seven acres, but my garden was never this productive there. Even if you don't have this much space (I've lived in many apartments over the last 30 years, so I do know how that is), you can always plop a plant into a pot.

I hope you'll bookmark this blog and come back to visit me in my little garden.

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Garden Inspiration

2010-07-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I finally had a chance to go through some garden photos taken over the last few weeks. Sometimes I feel that I'm making no progress, but if I compare the BEFORE and AFTER photos, it makes me feel a bit better. There is progress being made. I tend to think I'm slow at this, but I have to remember that we've been working on the garden and house here almost three years now. In case you don't want to go dig around for it, here's a BEFORE photo. Since then, we've repainted and added gutters and a metal roof so that we can safely gather rainwater:

I hope you can take a little inspiration from what I've done with a very small town space. Using raised beds, a mixture of native plants, herbs, fruit trees, vegetables and decorative elements, I'm turning this abandoned yard into a thing of beauty, beloved by the birds, butterflies, wild creatures and two humans that live here. Enjoy!

This is the front garden. As you see, we are very close to the neighbors on both sides.

This is the short walkway up to the front door:

This is a closer look at part of the front yard garden. This is the central planting island in the middle of the yard. I don't design gardens like a lot of folks; I just sort of plop something down, then use that as an anchor and plant around it. I think it makes the landscape look a bit more natural that way.

Front porch view:

Another view, showing a young pomegranate tree with rosemary:

A new rosemary hedge will grow to the right of the driveway. This leads into the back yard garden and detached garage which is now a woodworking workshop for Husband. I'd love to tear up all the concrete, but I've been brainwashed into thinking that I have to think about resale value. Do I care? Probably not! :-) It's not like anyone around here actually uses their garages for their cars anyway.

Look for more garden inspiration photos in the next post!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Remember Food Independence Day tomorrow!

2010-07-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Happy Food Independence Day! Visit a local farmer's market this weekend and load up on all that wonderful local food for your July 4th events and cook-outs! We're having locally made grilled Italian sausages with onions on freshly made buns, potato salad with my own homemade pickles (!), beer/wine made right here in Texas, and who knows what else!

Have a Happy Fourth!

bobbi c.

A Revolution in your Own Backyard

2010-07-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Here's a good essay from the folks at Native American Seed in Junction, Texas about the importance of using native plants in our landscapes to help undo the damage that we've done to our environment.

It's well worth a read, and while you're there, shop for seeds for native plants and grasses.

Have a Happy Food Independence Day on Sunday,and remember to Grow Organic, Demand Organic, and Buy Organic!

And plant natives. :-)

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

We gotta grow our own....

2010-07-01T18:37:00.001-07:00

Watch the video, and pass it on!

Locavore Local Diet healthy Planet (Movie Trailer) from Jay Canode on Vimeo.

Remember....Grow Organic, Eat Organic & Demand Organic!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Home Depot Garden Club---a Warning

2010-06-29T08:09:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

Unless you want a lot of PAPER junk mail filled with information on pesticides, chemicals and other harmful products, please DO NOT sign up for the Home Depot Garden Club.

Once on their list, it's very difficult to get removed from it. I will admit I did sign up for their E-MAIL notices. So far, all I've received has been a string of wasteful paper ads and such from them.

Remember....Grow Organic, Buy Organic, and Demand Organic!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Garden quote of the day....

2010-06-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

"I never had any other desire so strong, and so like covetousness, as that.... I might be master at last of a small house and a large garden, with very moderate conveniences joined to them, and there dedicate the remainder of my life to the culture of them and the study of nature." ~Abraham Cowley

Yes, what he said! :-)

You know the drill....Grow Organic, Buy Organic and Demand Organic!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Nature Deficit Disorder...does your kid have it?

2010-06-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I just ran across this interesting article in Resurgence Magazine about nature deficit disorder. It's an important issue, especially now that more kids stay inside playing video games instead of going outside in the summer.

Check it out!

NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER ARTICLE

Happy trails from hot Texas!

bobbi c.

Food Independence Day....July Fourth!

2010-06-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

The folks at Kitchen Gardeners International have a new mission....to make this upcoming Fourth of July FOOD INDEPENDENCE DAY. This is from their Facebook page: "Local foods are patriotic, whether you’re buying them from producers in your area or growing some of your own. They’re good for our local farmers, our economies, our health, and that of the planet. Best of all, they taste great because they’re fresh from the soil.

Food Independence Day is being coordinated by the nonprofit group Kitchen Gardeners International in partnership with the IATP Food and Society Fellows program."

FOOD INDEPENDENCE DAY ON FACEBOOK

Check out their website or their Facebook page for more information, and to sign up to show your support. I just did! And help us spread this very important message. Our food security depends on it.

FOOD INDEPENDENCE DAY

Remember.....Grow Organic, Eat Organic, and DEMAND organic!

Happy trails from Texas....

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Return to the Land in the Delta

2010-06-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I just ran across this article on the Grist.com website. I love this story! My grandmother worked alongside many folks like this when she was a young sharecropper's daughter in north Texas back in the 1930's.

A Return to the Land, and Fresh Food, in the Backyards of the Delta

I'm still digging out the devil bermuda grass from one of my garden beds that went untended last season. It's one thing to want acres of garden space, but it's a whole 'nother thing to tend to them! :-)

Happy trails, and don't forget....Eat organic, demand organic, grow organic!

Dig it!

bobbi c.

It's H.O.T. hot here!

2010-06-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Well, I've been outside for less than an hour, and I'm DONE. And it's not even 11 a.m. yet. Funny guys at the local nursery are encouraging everyone to yank out those spring gardens, prepare the beds for fall, and start those 'mater seeds inside NOW! Sheesh.

It's H.O. T. HOT here! My grandmother would always spell it out. She'd say, It sure is H.O.T. HOT here today! Like that made it more understandable. Sort of like I now say "It's HOTTER than H.E.Double-Toothpicks here today!" (Please forgive me, Debbie and Wanda--you know who you are!)

Here's the garden inventory: I have several green pimento peppers that look nice, but aren't red yet. The organic farmer near here said that hers never got red, so they quit growing them. That's why I'm trying these, because the red bells never got red. I can't eat those green peppers anymore. They don't agree with me. They give me the collywobbles....BROP!

I harvested ONE big nice red tomato. Hooray.

I'm eating some previously frozen watermelon, an experiment we did. We've been getting the best melons from the store here, grown in TX, and I desperately wanted to have some for later on when it's still hot but they are gone from the stores. Ever try freezing melons? These are still pretty good, the texture is weird, of course, but it's nice and COLD. I don't have room to grow them AND other veggies in my small garden, and one will feed us for two weeks (if it doesn't go all mush on us first). They are great for slushies, watermelon margaritas, etc. (Ditto, Debbie and Wanda.)

I have one volunteer squash-y plant that came up, and keeps blooming, but is not setting. That's because it's too....well, you know. H.O.T.

Oh, and the yard long beans are running and blooming. Maybe it's time to put up some kind of trellis? LOL!!!!

The bugs are out in force now....grasshoppers, June bugs, cicadas...you name it. I like to catch those June bugs and flip them inside to the cats---poor creatures never get any store-bought toys. Izzie June, who is appropriately named, loves 'em. I just flipped one inside, it went flying, she got scared because it's so BIG and ran away...and now we have a giant rogue June Bug in the house. Great.

Happy trails from H.O.T. Texas!

bobbi c.

Walking Nature Home...blogs I love

2010-06-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I find so many inspirational garden, design & food blogs out there that I love, and follow. As of today, I'm going to start posting a new feature on some of these blogs I love.

Today's blog is from my Colorado friend Susan Tweit, author of WALKING NATURE HOME, a touching memoir about her life's journey and her connection to nature along the way. Her blog by the same name celebrates living a green and generous life. And this woman practices what she preaches; she's probably the most generous person I've met in a very, very long time. I feel honored to call her my friend.

Take a look at her blog, buy a copy of her book, and do a little celebrating of your own.

Happy trails...

And don't forget...Buy organic, grow organic, and demand organic!

bobbi c.

Edible Landscaping can also save energy in your home....

2010-06-07T10:48:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

I just ran across this wonderfully helpful column on the National Gardening Association website, Edible Landscaping with Charlie Nardozzi. It explains how planting fruit trees in your yard not only helps by providing food, they also help you save energy in your home. (Mr. Nardozzi recommends planting them on the SOUTH side of your house to get the full advantage.)

Check it out! GROW FRUIT TREES TO SAVE ENERGY

Here are a few of my small fruit trees I planted in my back yard garden...on the left is a plum, and on the right is an apricot. In the middle is an orphan tree I saved from the compost, yet to be identified. :-)

Remember....demand organic, support organic farms, and grow organic!

Happy trails from Texas!

bobbi c.

The One Thing You Can Do...

2010-06-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

Demand organic foods and support your local organic farms...and read Maria Rodale's book, ORGANIC MANIFESTO.

Organic Manifesto: How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep Us Safe

Apricots in Texas!

2010-06-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Yes, apricots WILL grow here in central Texas! Husband and I just shared the second incredibly sweet, delicious apricot from our young tree this year, and we're looking forward to many more in the years to come.

I'd post a pic here, but that little fruit disappeared so fast I didn't have time to go fetch the camera! LOL. I love the way these little trees look.

I'm also keeping a close eye on my ONE plum that's turning a gorgeous shade of dusty purple, too.

I wish I could remember the variety of the apricot tree, but alas, I planted it before I started my garden e-journal. If I remember, or find other notes somewhere, I'll post. We bought it at the Natural Gardener in Austin, and they have an incredible system for helping you choose proper varieties for your area. If you're in the area (south Austin), it's well worth the visit to their wonderful nursery.

So next time you're at the garden centers, ask for more edible landscaping options, and go plant a fruit tree!

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Pre-sprouting veggie seeds...an experiment

2010-06-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I've been reading about pre-sprouting vegetable seeds before planting in order to speed up the process a bit. So I decided to do some experiments in pre-sprouting seeds before planting. I've found that they sprout much faster inside than they do outside direct planted in the beds since you can keep them uniformly moist, and protected from the birds and bugs and squirrels.

My first experiment was with corn. I soaked some corn seed on the 31st of May, wrapped it in a paper towel and put it underneath a plastic bag in the dark. This morning, almost all of them were sprouted, only three days later, so I transplanted them outside into the garden bed. It's raining, so they'll get a boost from that.

I remember last time I planted corn, only a few came up and it took them forever.

This is also a good way to test older seed to see if any of them sprout. These corn seeds were at least three years old.

I'm also testing some older heirloom bean seeds I have, and some peppers.

bobbi c.

Looking for Local Foods?

2010-05-29T06:04:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

Check out this awesome website if you're looking for farmstands, family farms, sources for organic foods and local foods! They have a great search feature, too. From the Local Harvest website:

"The best organic food is what's grown closest to you. Use our website to find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies."

http://www.localharvest.org/

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Are you a locavore?

2010-05-27T09:34:00.001-07:00

Watch this award-winning short film about local foods, and what it means to be a locavore.

And a link to my local Edible Austin magazine!

Check the Edible Communities main website for a magazine in your area.

And speaking of local foods, we are so happy to see the new Cedar Park, Texas Farmer's market open up. Check out their website, and read this article about why shopping at farmer's markets is a good thing.

bobbi c.

Garden Journals

2010-05-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Many of my gardener friends keep written garden journals. Some of them are also artists, and their journals are gorgeous. I tried that for years, but after a few days, I'd quit keeping notes. How many times have I wished I had continued!

Finally, two weeks ago, I decided not to be so "artistic" about it and to open a file in Word and jot down some notes. I figured I'd transfer them into the paper journal later. After a week, I noticed that seeing the file on my desktop was a great reminder to make entries for that day. Since I've been doing my "puttering around" in the garden in the early morning before it gets too hot here (around 10:30 a.m.), I would go out, do my daily garden chores, then come into the workroom here to check my e-mails. Since I placed the Garden Journal file icon next to the e-mail program icon, I automatically see the file and my memory is jogged to make the entry for that day.

It's amazing what a difference this has made! I do love the look of the beautiful garden journals that some of my friends are keeping, but for me, the electronic (tree-free) journal is working just fine. So far. LOL!

A few of today's entries:

* A tiny green anole is sitting on the edge of the royal blue pedestal container on the back patio. I just watched him stick out his even tinier tongue and drink a droplet of water from a peony leaf. He twisted his head sideways and saw me standing there, and took another drink.

* The cardinal vine seeds I planted a week ago are up! Hooray!

* Scattered some purple salvia seeds underneath the new vitex beside the bedroom windows.

* Re-potted a tiny succulent into the chicken planter. I am so loving these little succulents.

* Noticed that the piece of spineless cactus that Good Neighbor gave me that I plopped into the old iron pot is about to bloom. MUST take photos!

It just occurred to me that I might print these out monthly and put them in a notebook, in case of a dreaded computer crash.

Happy trails from Texas, and don't forget to

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Garden photos!

2010-05-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

Finally got a chance to post more garden photos. If you scroll back to the BEFORE pics, you can see what a difference just a few short years can make in a small town garden. Amazing, isn't it?

First is our sweet little apricot tree outside the back door, painted purple, of course.

Then there's my sweet little chicken planter that I've had for years underneath our one oak tree. I need to fill it with some hens 'n chicks (ha). That bushy dark green plant you see is a volunteer chili pequin that the birds so kindly planted for me, right where I wanted it. And of course there are the dianthus (my grandmother used to call them "pinks") which everybody told me I couldn't grow here.

Oddly enough, I was just flipping through one of my favorite antique garden books, The Amateur's Flower Garden by Mr. Shirley Hibberd (published in Great Britain in 1871), and found this quote: "The truth is quite otherwise, as many a cottager who has blundered into floriculture without knowing anything of properties and exhibitions could attest by the bonny pinks and carnations in his little garden." Take THAT, stupid garden person at Big Box Store!

A fiberglass planter I painted blue holds Gregg's Blue Mist flower, a metal obelisk thingy and is planted underneath with yard long beans. A variety of salivas and other natives grow along the fence, and a honeysuckle that starts on the neighbor's side and drapes over the fence. It's invasive, but makes a great home for lots of birds. The tree you can see is a dwarf Japanese plum that has ONE plum on it this year. It's still young yet, though. An old blue wine bottle gives off a spark of gorgeous color in the middle of the planter.

And since these old cedar fences turn black and grungy and moldy over time, I decided to do a little "colorwash" on mine. This is the double gate leading to the backyard garden. I'm using "dump paint" from Lowe's, marked-down paint that they've miss mixed for whatever reason. Lately I've found a lot of the VOC-free stuff there. I put a little in an old yogurt container, mix in a little water, then slop it on! So far, it's three different colors, but I love it that way! The plants really look beautiful against it. I have a long way to go, but it's great therapy and I love the effect.

More to come...

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Drying Herbs in Your Microwave

2010-05-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Waaay back in 1999 and through 2001, I published an herbal newsletter, The Country Cottage Herb Gardener. I've recently found copies of those files on an old back-up disk (yippee!) and decided to share some of the short articles with you.

This one explains how to dry herbs in your microwave. Enjoy!

----

Drying Herbs in your Microwave
by Bobbi A. Chukran

When the weather just won't cooperate enough to let you dry your herbs outdoors, or when it is too humid indoors, you can dry some herbs in your microwave oven.

Some herbs that can be dried for cooking or crafts in the microwave include basil, dill, mint, rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme, lavender, tarragon and others. The basic instructions are simple. Simply place two paper towels or an old cotton towel on top of a flat microwave-proof plate or tray. Place the clean, dry, individual herb leaves flat on the paper towels in one layer. Cover the leaves with another paper towel.

Place the plate in the microwave and cook on high (100%) power for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the plate from oven and allow to cool. Check to see if leaves are thoroughly dry by crumbling some between your fingers. If they won't crumble and still seem to be moist, microwave for an additional 30 seconds at a time until they are dry.

In our experience, a handful of herbs (or about 4 or 5 short stalks) of basil, rosemary or sage will dry in 3 minutes. Of course, allowing for differences in individual microwave ovens, yours may dry the herbs in more or less time. Experiment a little and see what happens!

This is certainly faster than the other drying methods, and the flavor seems to be consistently good. Try it sometime!

Dit it!

bobbi c.

2010-05-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Once again, we are helping to raise another generation of barn swallows by leaving their nest underneath our front porch cover. The parents seemed much smaller this year than the last two, but did find the nest and within a few weeks, had laid eggs. They are fierce protectors of that nest!

Only a few weeks later, the baby swallows are out of the nest and learning to fly! They line themselves up along the window trim underneath the porch when they are resting. This year, there are four in the spring group. If we're lucky, there will be a second fall group.

And yes, the front porch floor is covered with bird poop. It's a small price to pay for these little darlings.

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Garden Inspiration

2010-05-14T07:36:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd post a few of my garden photos. It's finally raining today, and I'm feeling very lazy. Enjoy! :-)

Antique Roses

Antique Rose in a vintage glass vase

Galvanized buckets, my favorite garden tool!

And a honey bee on rosemary!

More later!

Happy trails from my Catnip Cottage gardens...

bobbi c.

Plant those Butterfly Gardens, Folks!

2010-03-25T09:21:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

An article in the Houston Chronicle reports on the diminishing numbers of monarch butterflies in Texas.

And here's a great article about butterfly gardening in Texas, by those great folks at TAMU.

The nurseries are full of wonderful things this time of year. If we all planted just a few butterfly plants, those monarchs would be much happier.

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Garden Update

2010-03-17T07:16:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

After a year of the worst drought on record here in central TX, we are now getting so much rain that we can't even believe it. Our spring gardening plans have been delayed, but that's OK with me. The aquifer needs to be replenished and even though the lakes are up around here, we can still use every drop we get.

Our swallows have returned, and this year, we left the nest in place, hoping that they'd use it. Last year we tore the nest down, not knowing that they sometimes would come back to the same nest to raise their young. It's a really good feeling, knowing that this pair were probably born underneath our front porch roof.

I have more photos of the snow, etc. and will post them as soon as I find them in this hobbit hole of an office.

Spring has sprung here! BOING!!!!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Rain and more rain!

2010-01-15T11:14:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

After last year's drought (the worst in history here, according to some experts), I really thought we'd never see another drop of rain. Then, one day, it started raining. Our rain barrels overflowed and we had real puddles in the yard! Puddles! Imagine that. LOL

Now it's raining again, and the experts are saying that it'll be a wet winter. That's a good thing for the aquifers, but not so good for those of us who like planting winter veggies now.

Just yesterday I bought a 9-pack of red lettuce and collard greens. I also have spinach seeds to plant. I may have to plant them in the mud, but it's better than trying to plant them in cement! LOL

More photos and such coming later!

Dig it!

bobbi c.

More backyard garden pics....

2009-11-20T12:19:00.000-08:00

More AFTER shots of the garden. And YES! Husband does work in the garden occasionally. Mostly he eats it, though. :--)

You can see this is a small yard. Over the last two years, we've built small raised beds using inexpensive cedar planks bought at Lowe's, held up with plain pine stakes that we replace when they rot (about once a year). Next spring, we plan to move them a little farther apart since I have a tendency to topple over into the beds. LOL. In these photos, you can see young apple trees, peach trees (to the left), an assortment of natives on the fence perimeter, herbs out the wazoo, and in the beds there is a fig tree (trimmed to keep it under control), greens, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, more herbs, volunteer cilantro and parsley and more.

At the back fence, I've built a narrow raised bed that also has peppers, herbs, native salvias and other assorted volunteers. I have several pans of water that I keep filled for the many birds that visit the feeders that hang from the detached garage soffits.

To the left, out of the photo, we have a 55-gallon rainwater barrel attached to the downspout coming off the back corner of the house. We have two more at the back two corners of the garage (right in photo). From these three, we have hoses that can reach any spot in the garden. Eventually, we'll either get more of these, or larger containers. After the drought last summer, we're getting a lot of rain, and we hate to see it run down the hill.

We still have quite a bit of space that isn't being used for planting now. My goal is to eek out something edible from every square inch of this place.

Coming soon, pics from the FRONT yard!

Happy trails, and DIG IT!

bobbi c.

Now THIS is inspiring!

2009-11-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

The Green Youth Movement. Read all about it!

Everybody says we should save the earth for the children. Perhaps the children will save the earth for US? :--)

bc

Mandatory composting?

2009-11-18T19:05:00.000-08:00

Sounds like a fiction story, doesn't it? Well, it's not! The City of San Francisco now has a mandatory composting law for organic garbage waste. Read about it HERE.

dig it!

bobbi c.

Austin Organic Gardeners Planting Calendar

2009-11-18T18:57:00.000-08:00

Austin Area Planting Calendar

Print it out, hang it up on the wall!

bobbi c.

Texas officials finally agree...we're running out of water

2009-11-18T18:08:00.000-08:00

Texas officials finally agree...we're running out of water

To which I say, well, DUH.

And to which I ask, why is conservation the very LAST item on the list? Heaven forbid that they ask people to try and cut back on their water usage, or put incentives into place to get people to plant Xeriscape yards instead of water-guzzling grasses.

bobbi c.

After a little bit of work

2009-11-11T19:11:00.000-08:00

Just took a quick photo of the back yard, in AFTER mode. We've been here two years now!

Compared to BEFORE:

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

The earth is shrinking, and here's proof....

2009-11-10T06:43:00.000-08:00

An article on a subject that's ignored by the national media...the rising numbers of environmental refugees who leave their homes because of food shortages, global warming and/or climate change, population issues, etc. by Lester R. Brown, Earth Policy Institute.

On the Permaculture site...

Also, there's a free PDF download of the entire copy of Mr. Brown's book, Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization.

bobbi c.

Vanishing Texas Lakes

2009-09-09T17:52:00.001-07:00

Husband and I just returned from a short anniversary trip to Lake Buchanan, in the Texas Hill Country. We knew that the water was down, but had no idea it was this bad.

The green that you see is the former bottom of the lake. Now grass and weeds are taking hold and growing there.

Another view:

What does this have to do with gardening? Well, a lot. I'm amazed at people who continue to dump water on their lawns, pooh-poohing any thoughts that we might run out of water here in central TX. After all, they say, we have TONS of lakes in the area. Yes, we do, but if it doesn't rain, those lakes dry up. All lakes in Texas except one, Caddo Lake in East Texas, are man-made lakes. In this drought, many of them are drying up, businesses next to them are suffering (including the Lodge where we stayed overnight for our anniversary)and the Lower Colorado River Authority has put mandatory water restrictions on lawn watering.

People ignore those, though. Our immediate neighbor continues to water their lawns on their "off" days, and couldn't seem to care less about any water shortages.

Rain is predicted for the next few days, but it will only be the proverbial drop in the bucket from what we really need.

bobbi c.

Still no rain

2009-08-22T06:30:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

It's times like this when giving up on the garden crosses my mind. We've had two months of 100-degree temperatures in a row, with very little rain, and the plants are stressed...even my Xeriscape plants! And to boot, the Lower Colorado River Authority has put watering restrictions on everybody in this area.

But I'm just one of those people who are genetically incapable of giving up. For one thing, we never drench our yards using sprinklers anyway. I collect water from the cat bowls, catch rinse water from the kitchen, and am about to stick a bucket in the shower, too, to catch water there. Our grass has been dead for months, and for that, I'm grateful. It just saves me some work. LOL. Two of our three rainbarrels are empty right now.

I've been researching Native American methods of agriculture and gardening, and that lead me to a book I'd like to recommend, Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden, which is online now to read. It also comes in printed form, and can be ordered from bookstores.

Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden is about a Hidatsu Indian woman who lived in what is now North Dakota from around 1839 to 1932. She was interviewed, and this lead to the documenting and writing of her tribe's methods of growing food. Fascinating reading!

I suppose giving up isn't in my vocabulary! And reading about how people gardened back then with very little resources, well, it makes me feel very lucky. I think I'll go dig up a new bed for planting in September, when hopefully, it'll be cooler, and we'll get some rain!

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Wild sunflowers

2009-08-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

For years I collected seeds of these giant wild sunflowers from the side of the road, planted them, and....nothing. All of a sudden, these pop up almost overnight in the back corner of my yard, right beside the fence. I'm sure my neighbors aren't pleased, but I, and the birds, love it!

dig it!

bobbi c.

Climate change is real, folks

2009-08-02T11:50:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

I'm still amazed at the numbers of intelligent people I talk to who do not believe that our climate is changing. Any gardener can see with their own eyes that things are not the same as they were even ten years ago.

Take a look at this map from the Arbor Day Foundation. It shows the changes that happened from just 1990 through 2006. Make sure you click the button to show the map changing.

Amazing, isn't it?

dig it!

bobbi c.

Free garden newsletter from Texas Gardener magazine

2009-07-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

Our friends at Texas Gardener magazine publish a free weekly "Seeds" newsletter with short articles, news items, and a state-wide event calendar with links for more information. Sign up or check out the free archives online, HERE.

Enjoy!

And don't forget.....

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Fall gardening in Texas

2009-07-30T08:58:00.001-07:00

I was happy to see a great article about fall gardening in the current issue of the Pedernales Electric Co-op magazine that we get here. I was also happy to see that they have the entire issue online as a PDF download. Check it out, not only is there the gardening article, but also other great articles on Texas history, an article about Larry McMurtry's bookstore, and as always, great recipes and recipe contests.

Enjoy!

bobbi c.

Homemade Hummingbird Food

2009-07-15T07:00:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

In the past, I shared "Husband's Homemade Hummingbird Hooch" with my readers, and thought I'd share it again here. Although we've had less hummers here this year than last, they are still voracious and go through a feeder every few days. We're careful to keep the feeders clean and filled for them.

I've also noticed them sipping at the huge volunteer sunflower plant that came up in the corner of the yard. Or, at least, they try to. Hard to say what they're getting from that!

Enjoy the birdies!

Oh, and dig it!

bobbi c.

Saving Seed this Year

2009-07-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

I haven't been a big seed saver over the years since I didn't grow
that many heirlooms, BUT after this summer, I'm going to pay a lot of
attention to the veggies that survive, and if I can, I'm saving seed from them.

For example, one of the heirloom tomatoes I planted (maybe the Marglobes?) have had terrible problems with blossom end rot. The others haven't, and they are all planted in the same stuff and watered the same way. The Early Girl bush tomatoes dried up a month or so ago, but others are still alive.

I'm also saving seed from those volunteer pumpkins that came up.

Anybody notice any other varieties that are doing well in this nutzo droughty, searing blazing heat?

Oh, and my Italian green beans are blooming like crazy, but the beans
are tiny and staying that way...the others dried up a month ago, too.
I'm hoping to keep the Italians going for fall. If they perk up, I'm saving seed from them, too.

bobbi c.

Garden-Ville Products, where to buy in Texas...

2009-07-12T12:50:00.001-07:00

I ran across this list of places in Texas that carry Garden-Ville organic products, and thought I'd share it with you. We've used Garden-Ville mulches, potting soils, garden soils, fertilizers and bug sprays over the 25+ years that I've gardened organically, and can recommend them all.

Dig it!

bobbi c.