It seems weird planting seeds for a fall crop. I love Texas!
2015_Day 186: Prep work underway for fall garden
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Category Archives: Gardening
2015_Day 185: Fight against birds goes on
I hate to jinx it, but I think I might slowly be gaining ground in my fight against the birds pecking at my tomatoes. I’ve only seen one bird in the netting since I put it up almost a week ago. I have seen birds on the backyard fence, and there are a few tomatoes near the area that’s easiest for them to get to, but they do appear to be leaving the others alone. Continue reading
2015_Day 183: Where is 2015 going?
Zinnia, cosmos, daisy and marigold seeds are in these envelopes.
2015_Day 182: Dirt dries out quickly
What a difference a day makes. Even after almost 5 inches of rain in the last 72 hours, a walk around the raised beds tonight showed dry dirt. I’m still getting used to how fast the Texas heat dries dirt out, even when the humidity is pretty high (70 percent today). Continue reading
2015_Day 181: Rain, the birds and pretty flowers
Just two days after our area of central Texas got 3.2 inches of rain, we got dumped on again. This time it was only 1.5 inches, but the night is young and the skies are still threatening to open up. The raised beds and the flower pots continue to fill up.
While I was out between downpours checking the rain gauge, I was disappointed to see a mockingbird fly out from beneath the netting around my tomatoes. Darn birds! #%@&
Another blogger suggested I try a birdbath to keep then away from my tomatoes. I must admit I’ve read about that as a solution, too. That they’re just looking for water. Although given the bird had access to several natural birdbaths (refer to photo at top of this post) and still was found beneath the tomato netting, I have my doubts. Again, darn birds!
One thing I’ve neglected to write about the past few days is that my gazanias are finally starting to flower. And oh, how cute they are. I was surprised to find out though, that their flowers apparently close at night. Realized that this morning when I took a quick stroll around the yard before work and saw one of the buds curled up. By the time I got home from work today, it was open again. Being so pretty must take a lot out of them so they have to rest at night, yes? As long as they bloom during the day, I don’t really care!
2015_Day 180: Upping the ante in my bird war
Okay you crows and mockingbirds. How much do you really like my tomatoes?
2015_Day 179: This gardening interruption brought to you by Mother Nature
I was wrong to think these storm clouds would roll on through with little rain to show from them.
2015_Day 176: Blossoms and blooms
Despite leaf-footed bugs (and crows, I’m thinking now) getting at my big tomatoes, the blossoms just keep coming on my Super Sweet 100s. The cherry tomatoes haven’t produced as many red tomatoes yet as I hoped they would, but all the blossoms give me hope. Continue reading
2015_Day 173: Leaf-footed bug(ger) getting tomatoes
For the last month, I thought the birds were pecking away on my tomatoes, leaving them pocked with a hole here and there. Tonight, though, it was worse, with half of the bigger tomatoes with holes this size.
I saw this bug last night, but it got away, only to reappear today. It did not escape my wrath tonight.
A little time on the internet tells me it’s the leaf-footed bug, which I don’t recall seeing in Wisconsin. I’m not sure if it’s totally responsible for the pocked tomatoes, but it’s getting the blame right now. I’ll have to keep a close eye on the ‘maters and dispose quickly of the bugs I find.
I hope I can keep it in check or my tomatoes are in trouble.
2015_Day 172: Sleepy, soggy Sunday
Another soggy Sunday in central Texas, and it’s really making me lazy. And sleepy. I think I’ll stare at some zinnias and see if that can bring me out of my funk.
Chocolate Chips and Chaos 