Phaedra's 2023 Adventure

[baymule]

I love your pictures. You give me hope that someday I’ll have a garden again. I want fruit trees, but trees, heck I’d love to just have shade trees around the house! There is another dead oak tree that will have to bone down. Will have to take down fence, a power line going to the shed, move some other stuff just to drop it.

No rain, in a drought, pastures are brown, grass is crunchy. Sheep are dry lotted, eating hay and feed. Horrible heat, have to stop outside activity at noon or risk a heat stroke. Not complaining, just stating facts.

Then I come to your threads and the beautiful pictures you post. How beautiful! How refreshing! And I am at peace despite my present struggles, because there is such splendor and beauty in your posts.

 

[Phaedra]

Another hard-working day, I didn't do any plan beforehand, just improvised. I suddenly felt it would be nice to have a small wing that produce food. As this site already on the slope, I dug a mini trench and use old pavers (yeah, there were all kinds of old pavers in this garden) to build a border that can prevent soil from being flushed away.

However, after I plugged those seedlings in, I didn't like the way those pavers look from a distance. I first took some Petunia from the windowsill and planted them on the egdes, as they would grow over and hang a bit on the upper parts of the pavers.

Then, I dug another two mini trenches, brought sages, chamomiles, and tea MUMs from the raised bed, and transplanted them here. They should be happier as the previous growing environment is a bit too shady after the mulberry tree growing up.

My expectation is, after another few weeks, the herbs in the front and the petunias on the edge will grow and meet each other - together they can hide the structural elements, those pavers.

Bobo was checking the progress.

Somehow, it's funny that in the very beginning, I want to have a specific veggie patch, a cut flower patch, an orchard area, a rose garden, and a wild flower meadow. I didn't want that any longer, just a few years later.

Creating mixed growing sites becomes my preference , and the plants would be selected according to the different conditions - sun patterns, wind, microclimate, and etc. It's also fully ok to fit some containers in, not necessarily a dedicate container gardening area.

For example, I wanted to plant Dahlias directly in the ground, I tried but failed, due to the rodents. I had no choice but kept them in the 10L pots. The advantage is that you can position the pots where you need them for additional colors or textures.

The brassica seedlings in the center would appreciate a bit VIP protection, so I covered them up. I also put some potted plants in this site - some conifers that I want to turn them into Bonsai, and the three lovely Eycalyptus 'Silver Dollar' that I grew from seeds.

The new area has the privilege to enjoy greywater recycled from the kitchen. There are in fact a lot of nutrients for the soil microbes, as long as there is no cleaning agents or oily stuff.

I decided to make it a U-shape site for maintenance in the future, easier access from different directions. With a chair setting in the center, it would be a small but charming corner that can offer incredible energy. With DH's help, I spread an entire wheelbarrow homemade compost on the surface of this area.

When I worked these two days, the question lingered on my mind is: how will I arrange the plants if I only have this small spot, so it can offer as more seasonal interests as possible?

I am satisfied with the initial results, and looking forward to check it again in another few weeks time.

Gardening is a lifelong journey and learning, and I am curious and excited at seeing what will be there with me in each chapter.

 

[Phaedra]

I love your pictures. You give me hope that someday I’ll have a garden again. I want fruit trees, but trees, heck I’d love to just have shade trees around the house! There is another dead oak tree that will have to bone down. Will have to take down fence, a power line going to the shed, move some other stuff just to drop it.

No rain, in a drought, pastures are brown, grass is crunchy. Sheep are dry lotted, eating hay and feed. Horrible heat, have to stop outside activity at noon or risk a heat stroke. Not complaining, just stating facts.

Then I come to your threads and the beautiful pictures you post. How beautiful! How refreshing! And I am at peace despite my present struggles, because there is such splendor and beauty in your posts.

Dear Bay, I believe that the time for your garden would come. Do you think some drought-loving plants in the containers might be a start? Some plants I grow in my garden, like yarrow, sedum, comfrey, and daylily can be suitable in your environment, too.

Here are some more information provided by ChatGPT:

Yarrow (Achillea):
Yarrow is a hardy perennial with feathery foliage and clusters of colorful flowers. It is highly drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun. Yarrow comes in various colors such as yellow, pink, and white. It attracts pollinators and is a great addition to xeriscapes or wildflower gardens.

Comfrey (Symphytum):
Comfrey is a versatile perennial herb with attractive foliage and bell-shaped flowers. It has deep roots that enable it to withstand drought conditions. Comfrey also has medicinal uses and can be a beneficial plant for composting or as a nutrient-rich mulch.

Daylily (Hemerocallis):
Daylilies are known for their vibrant and showy flowers that come in a wide range of colors. They are hardy perennials that can handle dry conditions once established. Daylilies prefer well-drained soil and full sun but can tolerate some shade. They are low-maintenance and can be a stunning addition to garden borders or beds.

Sedums are excellent drought-tolerant perennials that would be a great addition to a garden in southern Texas. Sedums, also known as stonecrop, are a group of succulent plants that are well-adapted to arid conditions. They have thick, fleshy leaves that store water, allowing them to withstand periods of drought. Sedums come in various sizes and forms, from low-growing groundcovers to tall, upright varieties.

Sedums are known for their colorful and attractive foliage, which can range from green to red, purple, or even variegated. Some species also produce clusters of star-shaped flowers in shades of pink, white, or yellow, which attract pollinators.

These plants are low-maintenance, requiring minimal watering once established. They prefer well-drained soil and thrive in full sun. Sedums are versatile and can be used in rock gardens, borders, containers, or as groundcovers. They add texture, color, and interest to the garden while being able to withstand the hot and dry conditions of southern Texas.
All three of these plants are great choices for xeriscapes or gardens where water conservation is a priority. They offer beauty, durability, and can thrive in the hot and dry climate of southern Texas.

For more information, I also found a link that might be interesting.

The four plants I mentioned above share another advantage - you can duplicate them by dividing them after a few years. They will offer a lot of free and resilient daughter plants for your garden.

 

[baymule]

I want a pretty back yard area. I want a patio area for BBQ, a vegetable and flower garden. Before I can do this, I have to tear down some sheds. All things come in due time. I mentioned that power line at church this morning and a guy came over and took it down for me. Disconnected from breaker box and rolled up. THAT is a big relief.

I have some day lilies. I have some iris and some canna lilies. It’s a start.

 

[Phaedra]

First of all, can a normal kale turn into perennial? I don't know. This is a 2022 kale that I cut it back this spring. When other kales die down, this one survives. However, it didn't send out the flowers and remained small until now. Maybe it's still in the biennial cycle.

Anyway, it looks lovely and is welcome.

I used to harvest on Mondays, flowers and veggies.

The runner beans this year are so marvelous - healthy and delicious.

Home-saved coriander - we didn't like cilantro (smell), but I'd love to give the seeds a try. Besides, they look gorgeous for dry flower arrangement.

Flowers on my breakfast table, like a mini flower shop. Finally, it's time for Lilies.

Petunias propagated from cuttings are ready to flower.

Last year we have drought in summer, and the bramble thrived. We enjoyed a lot of wild blackberries and decided to live with them. I did cut most of them back, but try to limit their presences instead of thinking to eliminate them. They caused less trouble after hard pruning, but still offered a lot of fruits.

I love 'foraging' in our own garden.

 

[Phaedra]

Finally, tomatoes are ready to be harvested. We will have warmer weather until this Friday, and then, it will turn to rainy and cooler temperature, said 15~20 degree C.

Another watermelon died, well, weather is something you can't fight with. There will be always winners no matter how the weather is. No time to feel frustrated or upset, I need to seize the rest of the growing season.

So, I removed the sweet peas, weeds, and the trellis.

I gave them two buckets of rain water for a good soaking, and then refilled the bed with about 3cm height homemade compost. The current residents are foxgloves and MUMs. Tomorrow I will sow some cherry radish and wild rockets to the gaps.

The second flush of Delphiniums start - compared with the first flush, this one is much shorter. I just read about this in the book talking about perennial garden. It might be interesting to see they blossom together with the artichokes.

Another funny thing - a sprouted taro that I found in the composter. They were totally silent and didn't sprout in the greenhouse (now I know, the temperature in the greenhouse was still too low for them in the late spring to sprout), so I threw them into the composter.

One of them decided to start his journey in the dark and warm space. Maybe I can grow it like Monstera? Anyway, he will stay in the greenhouse during next few chapters.

Summer heap has always higher temperature due to the massive volume of green materials.

A dahlia that decided to be unique.

 

[baymule]

Thank you for the lovely pictures.

 

[Phaedra]

Harvesting is going on, and I love to see those colorful homegrown food everywhere in the fridge and the house.

Time for pink blueberries, too.

I harvested calendula (pot marigold) flowers every several days, and let them dry in the cool place.

The carrots look promising, too.

Look at this giant sunflower!

Here are four tomatoes (San Marzano) plants propagated from the side shoots (rooted in water and then transplanted). They are shorter than the mother plants but started flowering and fruiting much sooner. Using tomato side shoots can double the harvest easily with the minimum time and efforts. I do recommend this method.

Zinnias and Cosmos added such a lovely contrast to the summer green.

 

[Dahlia]

I didn't know there was such a thing as pink blueberries! Are they yummy?

 

[baymule]

I’ve never had opportunity to eat pink blueberries. There is a variety here called Pink Lemonade.