Besides the somersaults and flips I wish I could do for the sheer joy that August 2020 is over and gone, I’ve had to face the reality that we got little to no rain the entire month. Thankfully, the rain that did fall off the roof went into a giant square water container but there’s only half a barrel left.
Some day, I dunno when, but someday, I’ll have this Texas heat figured out with a good plan to grow things despite the triple digits we endured last month. I did plant beans, some tomato plants a friend gave me, along with the pineapple plants that are continuing to grow.
The water bill reflects how much I’ve used to keep the plants alive, and the four okra plants I have are doing really well.
The one sweet potato plant continues to wander along the pallet fence, bringing a beautiful green color to the greyness of the dirt and walls of the garden.
I’m not sure which tomato is which. One is a Celebrity and the other is a Tycoon, but because I can be very scatterbrained, I didn’t lay the name next to it. IT’ll be a surprise.
These are a climbing bean. I have the noodle bean seeds that I need to plant now for a fall harvest.
I’m hiding a dwarf Mexican Petunia in a pot behind the wheelbarrow so it won’t burn in the hot sun. It would probably be okay but I have just been too lazy to move the barrow until I need it. Notice all the plastic forks? I’m not sure if they are working but I have to say I’m not finding any big holes dug up in the beds. That makes me happy.
These lucky clover patches are so easy and they delight the bunny and chickens.
I’ve never grown a pineapple from the top of a purchased one. This is exciting.
There aren’t too many beans but I’m grateful. Plus, I’ve had a pepper plant from last year that’s continued to flower, so it’ll be allowed to keep living.
This is a lemon cucumber that hasn’t produced anything since spring BUT it has flowers on it so I’m showing it mercy. Especially since it’s got dead shoots. It seems determined to do what it was made to: grow and bear fruit.
Several years ago, these passion fruit plants began growing, and slowly they’re spreading. The bees absolutely love them and when they become the small red fruit, the chickens gobble them up. I have one that’s grown in a small box in the center with no fruit. There’s also a morning glory plant that’s covered a homemade trellis with no flowers either. I’m not sure why but it’s green and green in a ‘no rain’ city is okay with me. Maybe next year.
I’m hoping this vine produces even though it’s been around since spring, as well. It looks like it’s happy but no blooms yet. Maybe my patience is being tested with all these plants. They’ll grow at their own rate. I have pulled a bunch of beans that did not do well, but I just can’t give up on these, especially since the squash vine bore destroyed all my other viney plants.
So as we leave the garden, I’d like to comment that each bed has at least one Pride of Barbados plant and if it turns out that the only things I can grow are flowers and some herbs, three lantanas, the two small purple coneflowers, and some parsley as well as the pineapple plants, then I shall rejoice until my soil gets to where it needs to be to produce better vegetables for the summer garden next year.
Then we go to the greenhouse where some creature has been getting rather plump on a type of melon that gets just big enough one day and then next day I go out to check the progress when I see it’s been eaten all around the outside. Argh! After that happened to the one below, I covered another one and it got big enough that it fell off the vine and I brought it in. I tasted it tonight and was amazed at how sweet it was. It was turning an orange color. I really need to get better at keeping up with what I’m growing~!
The fish have multiplied.
My efforts to create an environment for the babies to hide from the big ones and avoid being eaten worked! There are over twenty new babies that are really growing fast. Now to keep Rusty from pawing them is urgent! There is always something that wants to stop, short circuit, or mess up progress. The key is staying alert, proactive, and pray!
May September be filled with lots of rain, thunder, but no lightning! As Rusty grows, may I learn what it takes to take care of a cat.
Thanks for stopping by!
