Category Archives: Gardening

2015_Day 37: Lettuce is trying my patience

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IMG_0937I’m not giving up on my lettuce, but I am starting to wonder if it will ever get big enough to eat. Planted it way back in December. Continue reading →

2015_Day 32: Why are there so many crape myrtle varieties?

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A pink velour crape myrtle tree. From thetreecenter.com

A Pink Velour crape myrtle. From thetreecenter.com


One of the first trees I noticed when we came to Texas was the lovely, flowering crape myrtles. Especially the ones with deep red- or pink-colored flowers. “I definitely want to plant one of those in my yard,” I remember thinking. Continue reading →

2015_Day 31: Some good (gardening) reading ahead

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imageExcited to finally buy some books related to gardening in Texas. My neighbor recommended Dale Groom’s “Texas Gardening Guide,” and while looking for it at a local Half Price Books, I also found Groom and co-author Dan Gill’s “Month-By-Month Gardening in Texas.” Continue reading →

2015_Day 28: Dear lettuce, please grow faster

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2015/01/img_0858.jpgOh lettuce, stop teasing me. The weather is cooperating, I am giving you water and am pretty sure darn dog Chloe isn’t trying to eat you. Won’t you please grow a bit faster? Continue reading →

2015_Day 24: The lettuce that could

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Eagerly awaiting what the lettuce is going to look like after another week of daytime highs in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Eagerly awaiting what the lettuce is going to look like after another week of daytime highs in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Loving how the lettuce has been looking the past few days. I was worried a few cold nights (low 30s) had stifled its growth, but I can happily report that’s not the case. It’s much easier to see on the red lettuce in the center of the containers; the leaves on the Rouge d’Hiver definitely are getting, well, leafier. Continue reading →

2015_Day 15: Anticipating the beauty of spring

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2015/01/img_1418-0.jpg
Finally! A high temperature warmer than the 30s or 40s. It was a beautiful day to take a walk in the neighborhood (high was 59), and the prospect of 60s (maybe even 70) for the next six days had me looking at the landscape a bit differently. Continue reading →

2015_Day 11: Lettuce, flowers made it through hard freeze

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2015/01/img_1415-0.jpgI’m happy to report that both the lettuce and my matthiolas made it through the last few nights of really cold weather. I’ve been covering them at night for the last week or so (one night, it got down to 18), and on Friday and Saturday I kept them covered all day, as well. I was able to move the lettuce onto the covered patio, but not before the tarp was coated in ice on Saturday. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem any worse for wear, although it’s certainly not growing. Continue reading →

2015_Day 10: Breathing new life into aglaonema

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2015/01/img_6669.jpgAbout two months ago, I bought a beautiful aglaonema that I kept on my patio until the nights started getting really cool. I had never seen one with this coloring before, the leaves – most of their stems, too – are edged in red, while the insides are mostly shades of green and yellow. The plant is quite elegant, I think, and is just a treat to look at. Continue reading →

2015_Day 3: Lettuce not so happy with cold either

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Dec. 21

Dec. 21

Jan. 3

Jan. 3

I know lettuce is a cool-weather crop, but it seems like the numerous 30- and 40-degree days we’ve had recently has slowed the growth of my greens. Photos taken Dec. 21 and Jan. 3 of the Black Seeded Simpson and Rouge d’Hiver don’t really seem to show a whole lot of growth in the two-week span. Today’s low-60s temps should help some, but with a forecast of seesawing temps for the next week or so, I’m not sure how much the lettuce is going to grow. I don’t have any plans to put the lettuce under grow lights, so I guess I’ll just have to wait it out. Continue reading →

2015_Day 1: Looking back at 2014 has me a little nostalgic

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I'm sure my old garden looks somewhat like this photo, taken in early 2014. Yes, there are times I miss the snow!

I’m sure my old garden looks somewhat like this photo, taken in early 2014. Yes, there are times I miss the snow!

The weather in Texas the past several days — cold, windy and downright blustery — has gotten me feeling a bit sentimental about the state I’ve spent most of my life in and where all of my siblings and parents still reside. We’ve always gotten together at my parents’ house for Christmas to eat, drink, laugh and enjoy each others’ company. Among other dishes, Christmas food always includes my mom’s homemade chicken noodle soup, potatoes, Polish blood sausage (it’s my favorite; I drown it in vinegar) and lots of cookies and candies. Of course, there’s always the customary Old-Fashioned (or three) for the adults, too! We fill our bellies before we open gifts in the basement, although several trays of goodies always seem to make their way down the stairs, begging us to munch on them while watching the kiddos delight in their presents. We oblige, of course, because it’s Christmas and it shouldn’t be any other way. Continue reading →