Hope

The rain, clouds and {slightly} cooler temperatures have made it feel like a whole new world here in Austin. I've noticed lots of things growing over the past week.

I'm especially pleased that my one Esperanza plant (also called Texas Yellowbells, I think) has decided to bloom. I've had this one for a while and it's mostly sat quietly in the corner. These are its only 3 flowers, so it isn't like all the other brash and beautiful esperanzas blooming all over town, but it gives me hope for the future.

I've also been seeing a lot of these nice green scarab beetles around. Ain't he cute?

He's sitting atop the "coastal hay" that I'm using to cover my new veggie garden beds. When I went to Callahan's (a cool spot in Austin for buying all things cowboy, from hats to spurs and baby chicks), they were out of straw bales. Apparently, it has been a bad harvest this year with the drought and they don't grow much of the stuff around here. So, I'm giving coastal hay a try as mulch for the time being. But, wow, Callahan's. What a neat place.

I hear they may have straw over at the Natural Gardener...

Water from the Sky?

RAIN!! 1.25 inches so far. It's amazing. Really.

Did it really just say 76 degrees on my outdoor thermometer? In August? This summer?

New Raised Beds, A Trio

The P.O.s built several raised beds, which is one of the things that attracted us to the house. But wood only lasts so long in contact with the soil, and the last of the old raised beds decided to give up the ghost this summer. Boards rotted, buckled, and came unscrewed. The whole thing was a dirt avalanche waiting to happen. One big rain, and I'm afraid it would've been all over (and I'm still waiting for rain, dammit!).

This weekend, John and I tore out the old raised bed, which was 12' x 4' and installed to new beds, both 4' x 5'. I like the new size. It seems more manageable and makes a nice little visual trio with our other relatively new raised bed (installed last year), which is the original 12' x 4' size. We use untreated pine, which I know is not going to last forever, but I'm at peace with that. Cedar is too expensive. Plus, I imagine it would only last a year or two longer. I certainly don't ever want to use treated wood (e.g. Yellawood) or railroad ties. I just don't want the chemicals leaching up into the veggies that I put into my body. It's a trade off.

Here they are (notice we managed to save one kale):

My plan is to use one of the new smaller beds for more perennial-ish plants, like parsely, fennel, and Mexican mint marigold--things that I don't have to rotate out with the seasons. I may also sprinkle that bed with some annuals, like cilantro. The other smaller bed will be used for cooler season crops in the winter. Last year, in that same corner, I grew collards, broccoli and kale. Should be perfect for that again.

Now, I just need to buy some straw and get some compost in there for fall veggie planting.

Coolest. Planters. Ever.

One person's trash is another's treasure...

I'm just returning from a trip to Coahuila, Mexico, where I visited a winery that had the most creative planters ever. The matriarch of the Vitali family, who recently passed away, turned lightbulbs and shoes into little plant holders. Really incredible.

In two recent trips to Mexico, I've noticed that people make use of everything. I've also seen an old car tire turned into a tree planter and four round cages of a tabletop fan clipped together to protect a new plant growing on a sidewalk. I love the recycling aspect of it all.