Things dying

Well, we are losing a lot of stuff.  We are in a drought and our temps have been around 100-105 with a heat index of around 110 so pretty miserable.  I am watching my vegetables die.  Trying to keep my shrubs alive.  Letting the grass go.  We will see what shakes out.  So there is that.   

In TExas heat

Build a framework over your vegetable bed and put a shade cloth over it.  This will allow in enough sunlight, but keep the vegetables from cooking in the hot Texas sun.  Also water every day.  

 

Bit of advice.

 When you buy celery, wrap the bottom in a wet paper towel and wrap the whole thing in tin foil.  It will keep much, much longer.  I always get the bunch with lots of leaves and dry the leaves for seasoning.  

Well with inflation on a runaway train.

Inflation is on a runaway train.  Gas prices here where I am in Central Texas are hitting $4.30/ $4.50 per gallon and groceries are off the charts.  I have a huge backyard.  I am digging it up and planting all the vegetables I can. With shopping at the farmer's market for eggs and veggies until mine come in, I fully intend to stay as far away from grocery stores as I can.  I supplement my dog kibble with cooked sweet potatoes, cooked carrots, spinach, apples if I can get them,  blueberries and boiled eggs.  It is better for the dogs and makes the dog food go farther.  I have Yaupon shrubs in my yard.  I am drying the leaves for tea.  Yaupon leaves contain caffine.  I will ditch the commercial coffee.  

I am putting up ceiling fans in my house.  I have one already in the living room, both bedrooms and am now putting them in the halls and the dining room.  I am learning to live with my thermostat set on 78 degrees.  It isn't bad with the ceiling fans.  Not great but comfortable.  

Lets get to clothing.  Thrift stores and remake.  I refuse to buy polyester because it is nothing but spun plastic and hot as hell.  And everything on the racks is polyester.  So will be sewing and remaking from the thrift stores.  I am cutting every corner I can.  I hope it will be enough.  

I am also emailing my senators, congressman, governor, lt governor and state senator and state representative and complaining loudly, very loudly.  Everyone needs to do this.  Everyone.  We can't fix any of this if we don't hold them accountable.   

Well spring has sprung

 I thought I had lost all my Crepe Myrtles, but some are leafing out.  I did lose one.  By the driveway.  It has been dying for a few years.  Every freeze, I lose a little more of it and now I think it is gone.  Got to get my back yard cleaned up.  I have switch grass and the only way to get rid of it is to pull it up.  You can't run a lawnmower over it because it wraps around the blade.  You can't use a weed eater either for the same reason.  So I am now pulling switch grass and disposing of it.  I won;t even compost it.  I want no seeds from it in my yard.  I may have lost 2 Rose of Sharon shrubs.  They aren't leafing out.  All in all, I escaped again this year with no real losses.  And this winter was nowhere near as bad as last winter.  

Coming on spring

I have lettuce and swiss chard already coming up and some onions.  Time to get planting.  Just waiting for this front to pass through tomorrow night.  I plan on a good garden this spring, then again in the fall.  I am planting tomato plants in among my flowers.  I have cabbage under my roses.  I will have herbs and vegetables in all the flower beds.  I also bought some flowering plants yesterday.  We have bees looking for food.  All I have blooming is dandelions.  My neighbor hates me for letting them grow and bloom, but he can just deal with it.  The bees need them.  I also have coral vine seeds.  I am going to put them along the fence along with honeysuckle.  I want nothing blooming except things the bees and butterflies will use.  Everything else I don't need.  I tolerate two Hackberry trees simply because the Gulf Fritterary butterfly needs them.  And I am not a fan of Hackberry trees.  That being said, the small black berries that they produce is very healthy.   My son made a paste of them for me and it was really rich.  Good too.  I have an abundance of Plantain, which is considered a weed, but is a very healthful plant.  I am drying it for tea and also to use in hand lotions.  Next up is drying Yaupon leaves.  The leaves of the Yaupon are really healthy but the berries are extremely toxic.  I am not as good as my son in identifying edible plants, but I am getting there.  We may never need that knowledge, but you never know.  

saving seeds

I have been gathering seeds to start new plants.  I have a collection of blue, white, and pink Rose of Sharon.  I just yesterday gathered a bunch of seeds for Beautyberry bush.  I have a ton of seeds for Cut and Come Again Zinnias.  Those will be sewn in my flower beds this weekend.  I plan on spreading mulch, broadcasting the seeds, then raking the mulch.  I will have lots of Zinnias next summer.  Will do the same with Marigolds.  Oh and I got those seeds originally from David's seeds.  https://davidsgardenseeds.com   I have yet to get seed from this veteran owned company that did not germinate.  I love their seeds.  

I planted morning glories last summer called Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory.  They have a deep purple bloom.  They are beautiful.  Been gathering the seeds for those to plant along my fence.  I also got some seed for Sky Blue Vine.  Hopefully they will germinate.  That flowering vine is so pretty.  I have yet to find it at a nursery.  And I am prepping my garden beds for spring.  I have planted greens like mustard and chard in my flower beds.  And I am almost ready to set out my broccoli and brussel sprouts.  I do have sweet potatoes to harvest now.  I love my garden.  Oh and I got a firecracker shrub. I put it out in front.  It is supposed to attract butterflies.  Hope so.  

I have a honeysuckle vine to put on the fence along with a coral vine.  Both are loved by bees.  Wish me luck.