Labor Day in an Austin Urban Garden – Bittersweet September 5, 2011

Finally, the weather has returned to normal, and it is feeling downright Fall-like this morning.  I have no idea if it will last.  While I was anxious to get outside with my coffee, seeds and shovel, I was glued to the television news, with images of the Steiner Ranch fire, the Bastrop fire, the Pflugerville fire.  Having gotten the updated information, I headed outside with my coffee and commenced planting.  First, I planted the seed potatoes I got from Boggy Creek Farm yesterday.  They were well endowed with roots already, and acclimated to our area and certainly organic, having come from a local farm.

Seed Potatoes and coffee

Carol Ann advised, “no additional nitrogen or they’ll burn up.”  Check that, no nitrogen until they come up and get established, then I”ll side dress with a little compost or 8-2-4.

As enjoyable as the morning was, with the cooler temperatures, every gust of wind reminded me of my friends, either evacuated from their homes, or glued to the television for news of where the fires would turn next.

I planted the potatoes in a 4×4 foot space, as always, then in the next two feet, I planted carrots, and the next two feet, I planted green beans.   This particular 4×8′ bed gets some dappled shade in the heat of the afternoon.  I planted everything fairly deep, to give the seeds a bit of additional time to sprout, in case the heat returns.

Seeds!

In a 4×4 section of the big bed, I planted broccoli seeds, in the space next to where strawberries will go in December.  As much as I was enjoying digging in the dirt again, I decided to wait to plant the sugar snap peas.  I think I might plant some lettuce in a big pot on the patio and see what the weather does before seeding a big space in the raised bed.

It was a pleasant morning in the garden, but this will be memorable Labor Day, as drought threatens our landscape, and wildfires rage out of control all around.   People are losing homes.   I fear that folks don’t realize how many trees we will lose – there are already dying trees all over the city.  It is a scary time and we really need rain badly.

Signs of Life and Hope for a Weary Gardener August 13, 2011

I’ve been attempting to get my garden beds ready for Fall gardening, without much verve or conviction.  I added some compost and turned the large garden, but the other five remain a drought hardened, fallow mess.  It has been hard to get very excited about gardening, in this weather.  The 10 tomato plants I started for myself and a friend, are still in their pots, being watered every day, fertilized, and moved in and out of the late afternoon sun.  I know it is getting close to time to get them in the ground, but still I hesitate.

Some have been flowering, although I haven’t paid too much attention.  Technically, it is supposed to be too hot for them to set fruit.  Something did catch my eye yesterday, however,  so I went in for a closer look.

Tomatoes

I couldn’t believe it, a tomato!  Yesterday it was just the larger of the now 2 tomatoes.  This is a Patio Tomato plant from The Natural Gardener.  This one little tomato plant has re-energized my tired gardener soul, and I’m adding more gardening to my to-do list this weekend.  Fall will arrive, and I want to be ready.