Tag Archives: Garden

Feb27

An Early Spring?

Posted on February 27, 2012 by countrylivingdreamer

Watch out little peach tree! Several of the fruit trees my hubby planted last winter are now blooming. I think it might be too early! The last frost has not arrived yet, I fear! The old-timers go by the mesquite trees, and those trees have not begun to put on green leaves yet. They remain dormant.

This little apricot tree doesn’t know any better either! Both of these trees were planted a year ago. Can’t believe they are already making blossoms like this.

..and the clover abounds since there are no horses around this year. Ah, the power of rainfall and warm weather!

Feb25

A Year’s Growth in Gardening

Posted on February 25, 2012 by countrylivingdreamer

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Here is a photo of a blackberry plant that my husband planted a few weeks ago, and the next photo is of a blackberry plant planted last year about this same time. It is amazing what a year’s growth amounts to! Wow! Maybe, we’ll get a handful of berries this year! I can’t wait until I can make a fresh, blackberry cobbler! mmmmmm, good!

Here is a photo of a fruit tree planted a year ago, and the next photo is of a fruit tree planted this year. I just can’t believe they have grown this much in a year, especially with the Texas drought going on. Due to the dedication of my husband to keeping the trees alive, he watered them twice a day, every day last summer, and he did it by hand with a water hose, the trees grew by leaps and bounds.

Feb11

Summer in the Winter

Posted on February 11, 2012 by countrylivingdreamer

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Yum, yum! Can’t wait for supper tonight! How nice it is to have electricity and a freezer and be able to preserve those yellow, summer squash from the garden. I just got some out to thaw for supper tonight. The package states the amount, but actually I have used out of this package before, so if that doesn’t look like 2 1/2 cups, it’s probably not! These will simmer for a while with salt, pepper and butter and will taste nearly as delicious as when they were first picked from Grant’s garden last July.

It’s time to get your seedlings started and begin tilling your garden space if you live in Central Texas. My father-in-law, who lives down in the Texas Valley, reports that he already has some nice-sized tomato plants that he is anxious to set out. He, too, must worry about a freeze, but I’m guessing our freeze here in the Central part of the state will come much later than his freeze. I was out and about this morning in the country, and I can hardly believe how green the landscape is. The winter grasses and weeds seemed to have turned green overnight, but we are expecting temperature in the low to mid twenties tonight, so don’t put those plants out yet!

Jan18

Country Living, Fog and Gardening!

Posted on January 18, 2012 by countrylivingdreamer

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Tuesday morning as I headed to school from our house in the country, I saw the most beautiful fog I think I’ve ever seen. I had my little camera with me, but the photos I got really don’t do it justice. As my husband said, “The hills looked like islands, floating on a sea of fog.” Driving ten miles in to the school where I teach isn’t any fun in fog, but it really wasn’t too bad. How and why did I get to be so lucky to see such beautiful sights every day?!

If you live in the country, your mind should be turning toward gardening and planting because spring will soon be upon us. My cousin has already tilled the soil in preparation for his spring vegetable garden. We will garden in a small way, but we are still eating yellow and zucchini squash out of our freezer that I put up last summer, as well as okra. All vegetables taste so much better fresh from the garden!

Daughter Stephanie gave me an herb garden for Christmas, but I haven’t gotten it planted yet. This will be my very first herb garden, so I’ll keep you informed as to all I learn about herb gardening.

Then, we also have to get some flower and shrub gardens going. This past week we got some flower beds trimmed out with large pieces of stone. Some of the stones weighed about 100 pounds each. Good thing we had some strong men to lift those rocks! Now, to get dirt in the beds and plants in the dirt. So, so ready for spring!

We will also head over to Womack’s nursery, near Comanche, Texas, and purchase some more fruit trees with Grant’s Christmas gift certificate. We are thinking of trying some apple trees. Has anyone ever grown apples here in Central Texas? Last winter we planted pecan, plum, pear, peach, and apricot trees, as well as antique blackberry vines and spineless blackberry vines. I’m getting hungry just thinking about all the fruit we’ll have one day! Maybe the grand-kids will be old enough to pick by the time the trees make fruit!