How Did Our Garden Do in 2018?

It is time to reflect on my growing season for 2018. I would say it was a success in the fact we did have crops to harvest several times this year but also learned a lot of valuable growing information.

 The first year growing from a raised bed garden (2017) we grew tomatoes, peppers, and a cantaloupe. We had a nice harvest but, it didn’t last as long as we wanted so, we decided to expand for 2018. We had no major issues with insects in 2017 but, 2018 brought a lot of new problems we hadn't faced. We faced them and continued to grow this season well into the cooler temperatures.  We learned a lot and ended up very proud of our efforts for 2018 and even more hopeful for 2019.

My flower garden continued to flourish this year. I've been growing flowers for about 10 years or more so it was easier to combat the new issues that rose up this year. I hope to learn as much and more about growing food.

If you have any tips for us please leave them in the comment section below.

Time for Winter.

Coreopsis AKA Tick seed.

Coreopsis also known as Tick seed.

Tick seed is one of the plants known as a pollinator because of it's ability to attract butterflies to your garden. 

The pollen in this flower is a energy source for caterpillars and insects making it very important to any thriving garden.

It is the state flower of Florida. 

As you can see in my picture they are beautiful sunny flowers. I have two large patches but they did not flower as well this year as they did last year. They are really pretty to look at when they are blooming, and watching the butterflies swarming to them really does keep happy thoughts active.

Pronounced --co·re·op·sis

Coreopsis means
Always cheerful

Coreopsis Arkansa means
Love at first sight

Ornamental Cabbage

First Fairy Garden Attempt

I must say my first attempt at making a fairy garden was not completely to my liking. I am eager to get started this Spring on some new fairy garden ideas.

These pictures were taken late Fall after most of the greenery had begun to wilt.

I Went Looking for Composting Videos and Look What I Found

I have so many yard clippings, leaves, and grass clippings that I needed a quick and cheap way to make the best use of it. I again started looking for articles with good ideas, for making a quick cheap compost and found CaliKim29. I loved her videos on composting. She made it look easy and did not require a compost bin.

CaliKim29 made composting look fun and easy. Her videos let me know where I had been missing it with my composting efforts.

I will update this post on how well this worked for us. If you have some composting tips feel free to share below in comments. 

I found it very interesting that a reader on the video posted a comment that leaving the leaves in the clear bags will actually work better, so I decided to try both and see which works better.

CaliKim has an awesome website check it out. She has lots of tips on gardening and growing healthy foods.

Video Courtesy of Central Texas Gardner: Succulents

I love the idea of an outdoor succulent garden. I have a few succulents but in no particular design, so for my next project I will try to arrange them in some kind of order.

Google Photos 

Photo courtesy of Pexels

Photo courtesy of Pexels

While I was browsing ideas for a cacti/succulent garden I found this awesome video.

2017 Garden Photos

Winter is always the time I go through my garden photos to see which plants and veggies did the best, and which need improvements. I have switched out some plants for ones, that will do better in the space, or ones that I need to research to help them produce better next season.

I love to look at the pictures of how well some of our plants did this year. I have always loved to garden and it is such a great feeling to battle bugs, fur babies, and the hot Texas sun, to produce such lovely plants. 

Hard to Kill Perennials

Still perfecting your green thumb...well don't worry I have a list of some of the hardest to kill perennials.

One of my favorite perennial is the Shasta Daisy. I love to see fields of daisies growing.

⦁    Shasta Daisy- with this little garden super star, make sure to get the low growing variety such as the snow-cap, this prevents the need for stakes. You can extend the life of these by pinching off spent blooms.

⦁    Bee Balm  These little wonders perform best for you in full-sun and if you want to attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, bee balm will definitely be a great addition. Hardy in zones 3-9 and combines well with other wild flower type flowers such as, purple cone-flower, Shasta daisy, rudbeckia.

⦁    Stella de Oro’ Day-lily- This is a re-blooming day-lily, that loves full sun. Hardy in zones 3 to 9. Combines well with: Siberian iris, purple cone-flower and bee balm.

⦁    Purple Cone-flower (Echinacea purpurea) is an all time favorite for it's ability to attract bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Combines well with: bee balm, toad-lily, Siberian iris and Russian sage. Hardy in Zones 3 to 8.

Gardening in the Fall

Many gardeners do not even consider fall gardening because of the winter frosts that might make an early appearance.  On the contrary, fall gardening will result in excellent vegetables and will extend crops long after spring planted plants are finished. Vegetables produced from fall gardening are sometimes sweeter and milder than those grow in the summer and offer a brand new taste to the same old veggies.


These plants were all done late Fall (November).

Green Peppers

Our tomato plants had dozens of flowers in November. Texas is so hot most of our veggies started to take off in September.

What you choose to grow during you fall gardening will depend on your available space and what you like to eat, just like spring plants.  Even the crops that enjoy the heat, such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, and peppers, will produce until frosts hit, which can be pretty late in the year in southern areas.

However, there are some plants that will quit towards the end of summer like snap-beans, summer squash, and cucumbers.  If these vegetables are planted around the middle of the summer they can be harvested until the first frosts as well.  Hardy, tough vegetables will grow until the temperature is as low as 20 degrees, but those that aren’t as strong will only be able to grow through light frosts.

Cute Corner Pergola

Asian Landscape

Veggie Fall Harvest

These pictures are of our Fall Veggie harvest. It was small but gave us a plan for next year. The fact we had so many seeds to produce was great. Our tomatoes kept going and going.

Grapes

Grapes

Green Peppers

Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Tomatoes

Garden Delights

Winter Bloomers

Winter Bloomers

This is a list of my top five Winter blooming shrubs, of course there's more but these are some of my favorites for those (like me) who hate to see the first frost and lose those picture perfect blooms of Fall. With Texas heat my flowers seem to be at their best in Fall.

Eleanor Tabor Indian Hawthorne -

(Raphiolepis indica 'Eleanor Tabor')

This shrub loves minimal watering in clay, sandy, loamy, or silt soil. Has dark green foliage with pink flowers. Full to mostly sunny. Grows to an average height of 3” to 5” and spreads to apx. 4 to 6 feet. Drought, heat, and insect tolerant. Attracts song birds. Mounding and perfect for rock gardens. Soil PH should be around Soil pH: 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5. Young leaf-spot resistant foliage is often bright red-orange, maturing to a deep green. Zones 7-10.

Pewter Pillar  Winter's Bark

 ( Drimys winteri var. chiloense)

This Deciduous/evergreen reaches 15 to 20 ft. tall and wide. Has Fragrant, Showy Flowers and dark green leaves with silvery white under side. Loves Partial to full sun and needs feeding at least weekly. Prefers humus rich, well-drained soils (who doesn’t) but adapts to most soil types. Easy to grow zones 7-10.

 Lore:

The very first export from South America as an excellent source of ascorbic acid, considered to be the first cure for scurvy.

Pink Fairy Duster

(Calliandra eriophylla)

 

This Deciduous/evergreen shrub has dark green leaves with beautiful dark pink flowers. Blooms late Winter to mid Spring and is great for rock gardens It is a big attraction for butterflies and hummingbirds. Drought tolerant and needs full sun. Slow growing, 1 to 3 ft. tall by 3 to 4 ft. wide. Zones 7-11.

  

Fragrant Star Azalea

(Azalea x 'Fragrant Star')

This fragrant deciduous shrub loves partial to full sun and blooms in Winter. Growing up in NC I remember this shrub as being a favorite for gardens. Prefers moist, well-drained soil, rich in organic matter.  Reaches 4 to 5 ft. tall and 2 to 3 ft. wide in ten years.  Perfect for Asian/Zen, Cottage.  Easy to grow.  Zone: 5 - 9

Magenta Breath of Heaven 

(Coleonema pulchellum 'Magenta)

This evergreen shrub Reaches 4 to 6 ft. tall, 4 to 5 ft. wide. Magenta has a long bloom season with fragrant pink showy flowers. It is perfect for Cottage gardens. Does best with full to partial sun and regular weekly watering. Blooms late Winter through Spring. The pink showy flowers attracts butterflies. Zones 8-10.

Do you have a favorite that is not listed, then list it in the comments.

Seeds for Spring

Seeds: Alyssum Carpet of Snow Flower -1 Gr...
Grows up to 6 inches. Alyssum thrives in many regions across the United States because ... [More]

Price: $1.89

Buy Now

Seeds: Aster - Crego Giant Flower Mix - 1....
Growing up to 3 feet tall, this lovely strain is colorful and vibrant. Unique feathery ... [More]

Price: $1.89

Buy Now

Seeds: Early Splendor Amaranthus - 500 See...
Up to 21 days. Originating from tropical regions, this annual produces showy scarlet re... [More]

Price: $10.18

Buy Now

Burdock

Quote: A Journey of a Thousand Miles

Growing Mushrooms

 

Mushroom Mojo offers a full line of mushroom and fungi products to fit your needs. At True Leaf Market, we carry everything from organic growing kits and mushroom mycelium plug spawn to dried mushrooms of every variety. Whether you are looking to get in to growing your own fungi or simply need mushroom products, you have come to the right place for mushrooms for most species of gourmet, edible and medicinal mushrooms. We also offer books and instructions of growing and preparing mushrooms.

TrueLeafMarket.com - Mushroom Kits & Growing Supplies

Favorite Instagram Posts

Here are some of my favorite posts on Instagram currently

#junkgarden #fleamarketgardening #grannygardening #gardening #fairygarden

A post shared by nikki rice (@nikkirice) on May 30, 2016 at 10:56am PDT

When you move from a home and lose a yard, you work with the patio you now have. I've been obsessing over succulents in vintage finds lately. Like these thrift store finds of a bird cage and red metal wagon. New chapters in life bring new passions! 😊🌵 #succulents #cacti #balconygardening #fleamarketgardening #vintagelove

A post shared by Carmen's Artwork (@carmenwhiteheaddesigns) on Jul 13, 2017 at 7:44am PDT

Fairy garden in an old wagon #fairygarden #mycottagegarden #vintagewagon #fleamarketgardening #ofbluebirdsandroses

A post shared by Becca S (@bluebirdbeccas) on May 29, 2017 at 12:46pm PDT

Certified Organic Alfalfa Seeds from True Leaf

Certified Organic Alfalfa Sprouting / Spro...
Certified Organic. Alfalfa seeds for sprouting. High germination rate and easy to grow ... [More]

Price: $11.49

Buy Now

5 x 5 Growing Trays - Plastic - With Drain...
Eight 5 x 5 inserts fit into the standard 1020 flat. Each insert has 4 cells for a tota... [More]

Price: $3.45

Buy Now

Quote: Dreams