Time at the Farm October 10 - 14, 2021

 

These are Country Girl mums. a little beaten down from the rain, but still pretty.

We both got to the farm on Sunday morning.  Saturday night all the family had dinner in Ouisie's private room for the October girls birthdays.

• I watered my carrot bed because it looked dry.
• Moved some sprinklers around for the morning watering.
• I dug up my Texas Kidneywood and moved it to the Hot Border that runs along the side of the Vegetable Garden.  It was not going to make it in that clay.  The clay had turned hard as a rock, it was like the plant was in a steel coffin.  Added some compost and watered it in really well.
• I laid down some compost around the Chinese Hat that I planted in the Star Garden last week.  
• I deadheaded basil for a long time in the Rose Garden while I did some spot watering.  The variety I have growing everywhere is Sweet Thai basil. I sowed it two, maybe three years ago.  Now it comes back prolifically from seed.  The flower heads are about a foot long, they bloom one tiny flower at a time that begin blooming at the bottom and continue blooming all the way up the stalk.  The bees are insane for the flowers, and I grow it for them.  This variety has a powerfully strong anise flavor, and I don't like to cook with it. Each plant will throw up many dozens of flower stalks.  Deadheading is a project.
• Went over to Ray and Debra's to check on their cat while they are out of town.  I walked around her gardens.  They looked so pretty.  She walks around mine while I am gone, so it's not a question of being nosy!  It's fun to see what other people are growing and to see their creative ideas.
• Nancy and Lisa got me a really cool rain gauge for my birthday and Bert and I looked around trying to decide where to put it.  It can't be in a sprinkler zone, and it can't be under a tree. 
• Monday.  Worked.  It rained the night before.  We don't know how much because our rain gauge is not set up yet!  But the rain barrels are full.  Cool morning, feels like fall. 
• I ordered 2 Louisiana iris called Cajun White Lightning last year and they finally arrived.  They are for the water tank in Mom's Garden.  During lunch I put them in a pot and set them in the water.  I had some pickerelweed growing in there that Debra gave me.  But it was purple so it was always a temporary thing.  I ordered the iris out of season last year, so the guy finally mailed it to me - a whole year had passed!
• I started cutting back the Pringle Aster.  It is on the wane.
• I clipped Four O'Clocks and other plants leaning into paths in the Star Garden.
• After work I went out and worked in the Vegetable Garden.  There must have been some heavy wind last night because all the red amaranth I had growing in the Vegetable Garden had toppled over.  I have got to think of an effective support system for those really tall plants I grow!  I cut all the gorgeous seed heads off them and dropped them on the ground.  I peeled off all the big leaves and threw them in the compost.  The tall, stripped down stalks went into one of my erosion spots.  I turned over the soil in a large area of bed in the Vegetable Garden and buried all the seed heads.  They have not formed seeds yet.  They are just soft red green manure.  Next spring that soil should be rich and ready to plant.  
• Tuesday.  Worked.  It threatened rain all day, but the rain never came.
• During lunch I drove to the Antique Rose Emporium and bought a Beverly rose and a Climbing American Beauty rose.
• After work I planted the Beverly where the Perl d'Or used to be.  I surrounded it with my compost.  I have been turning my compost pretty regularly trying to break it down.  This was pretty chunky, but I used it anyway to side dress the rose.
• While I was in the Rose Garden I cut back several salvias.  The purple berries of the Fruity Pebbles lantana were dropping into my hands when I touched them, so I gathered a bunch of them and threw them into the Noisette bed.  
• I walked down the Boardwalk and clipped plants away that were leaning in.  Lots of rotten boards on the Boardwalk.  Bert replaced a lot of boards last spring, but there is more to do.  Wood has gotten so expensive since Covid.  Not sure when we will get back to that task.
• I set up my armadillo traps again.  And now I wait! 
• Wednesday.  Worked.
• Checked my traps.  One of them was sprung, but the armadillo got away.
• I cut back 2 of my leggy Nicotiana plants in the Water Garden and planted 2 of my tiny New Jersey Tea plants.
• Raked in the Greenhouse Gardens and started a new compost pile with the leaves.
• Drove to Anne Thames nursery and bought a Pyramid Bush, a Texas Kidneywood , a mat forming Fleabane of some sort, and a Chile Pequin.  Chili Pequin (I just learned) is a native shade plant.  I am going to plant it in the Kitchen Herb Garden which gets shade and dappled shade.  Anne's prices are amazingly low.
• I cut back more Pringle Aster in the Star Garden.  I came upon 2 chrysalises hanging on branches of the aster which I carefully avoided disturbing.
• I dug up 3 clumps of swamp sunflower for Anne's native plant swap on the 30th.  I did it now to try and give them a little time to recover.  I put them in the Vegetable Garden under the goat wire arbor so they could get some water and a little shade while they recover.
• Planted the Fleabane next to one I already have growing in the Water Garden.
• After work I spent about 2 hours trying to finish up since we would be heading back to Houston on Thursday.
• I planted the Kidneywood in the large area at the front of the Rose Garden. I plan to plant a Retama in the far corner.  I was going to plant my last two tiny New Jersey Tea bushes in there as well, but I can already see a bunch of Tall Poppy Mallow coming up in there, and I know they will get smothered.  I fertilized and mulched around it.
• I planted the Climbing American Beauty on the mattress spring arbor at the front of the Rose Garden.  Fertilized and mulched around her.
• I planted the two Tea bushes in the front bed where there was a large empty area.  I had to move some clumps of spiderwort, but no worries there.  I also planted the Pyramid Bush (Melochia Tomentosa) in there.  Mulched, fertilized and surrounded all of them with chicken wire.  The armadillos like that front bed.
• Lastly, I planted the Chili Pequin in the Kitchen Herb Garden.  I plan to get 3 or 4 more to plant in there.  That should look pretty.  I'm not having any luck with herbs in there.  Too much armadillo activity I guess.  Fertilized and surrounded it with chicken wire.  
• I put some chicken wire around the Tea Plants I planted earlier in the day in the Water Garden.
• It's October, but it's hot.  I was sweating.  That was it for the day.
• Thursday.  Worked.  
• I used up the rest of the fertilizer I had on hand.  Fertilized a bunch of my roses in the front bed and the Rose Garden.  That stuff gets pretty stinky after a few days, so I kind of hesitated since we have Airbnb guests coming next week.  But it's great when the ground is wet and even better when it's raining.  Thursday it drizzled all day.
• Headed home to Houston after work.