June 11 , 2009
From the producer: 13 May 2025
Lookee here ! It puzzle out ! My first plumeria flower ever . I never knew such a glamorous flora could be this well-fixed .
And a surprise rain lily . It may beHabranthus robustus , but do n’t take that to the bank .
It ’s also a adult week for CTG , because Tom and I get to meet Chris Corby , editor and publishing house ofTexas Gardener magazine .
In 1981 , Chris realized that Texas gardener necessitate their own magazine , since , as you know , gardening here can be rather bizarre . I rely onTexas Gardeneras much now as I did when I first start out out . It ’s Sir Frederick Handley Page after pageboy of on - butt information , write by hand - on gardeners , about the vegetable garden , ornamental plants , design tips , and maintenance how - to . I have sex you ’ll be delighted to meet him , too , and to get his wind for summer planting and survival .
Also this workweek , meet two of my other Italian sandwich : Jo and John Dwyer , the pioneers behindAngel Valley Organic Farm . We visit them at their farm in April , as they were still harvesting simoleons and watching their tomatoes fatten up . I said , “ I did n’t know that ” about 50 time that daylight . Even though you ’ll sure get some garden tip from this one , mainly it ’s the tip we all need most : how to espouse a pipe dream and deposit with it , no matter what bizarre things come our fashion , including the worm that want to beat us to our hard piece of work .
But , I ’ve lure Jo & John to join us in - studio in September to go into more detail on their how - to for summertime to wintertime vegetable transition . This summertime I ’ll be get my new fall garden bed ready !
Another thing I check from them : the ultimate garden pants . I noticed the comfy bloomers they were all weary at the farm . military personnel ’s sleeping drawers from Target . I rush there that weekend and cop mine for $ 9.99 .
nerveless , lightweight cotton wool that still protect limbs from what ouches us . And with the stretchy waistband , it ’s very comfortable to get into those cumbersome place to nab a weed or prune without stepping on anyone else . Best investment I ever made . I looked at the women ’s versions , but they were too frou frou , and be more ( go figure ) . And they did n’t have pouch . Any nurseryman knows you need pockets .
My in vogue purchase : a soil thermometer . This was on my Christmas leaning , and I drop muckle of hints , but Santa was busy . So I arrive one myself . I ’m still cypher this out , but I take the temperature in the cat cove with sun hitting at 9 a.m. and it was 80º.
In the shadiest part of the crape bottom , at 1 p.m. it was 80º.
According to the chart that came with it , pumpkins like soil temp to be 90 , so that explains why Chris Corby narrate us to plant our pumpkin seed in June ! Online , you’re able to piece from your choice of soil temp charts . For years , I ’ve know that soil too cold or too hot is a germinating factor , but now I can love for sure . Fascinating !
Both Chris and the Dwyers would have known the result right away for a spectator ’s interrogative sentence this week about why her squash shriveled up at 3 - 4″. I had to inquire , but learned ( and sustain with our Extension agentive role ) that it was a lack of pollenation .
On the dog of that , I ’d remark that this year I do n’t have that many bees or wasps . There are some , for sure , but not the cavalcade usually in my garden . MSS from Zanthan Gardenstold me that she ’s seen few wasp , too . What ’s your situation ?
But I have more ants than ever . Not fervidness emmet , but these guy still bite if I step on their turf . Certainly , I ’m not killing them since they are free soil activators , and I do n’t have a flea problem at all ( perhaps a connection ? ) . If I get in hassle with the ant , I rely on the aloe vera plant on the patio to deal with it .
decent on target , the first tree I planted long ago is dazzle us from the terrace or from the lair windowpane inwardly .
My botanic horizons have widened since I first beautify my crape myrtle with a roundabout of dahlias , a short - be newbie experiment that had me search locally for garden information !
‘ Helen von Stein ’ lamb auricle with crape petals
empurpled umbrella plant ( Tracellium ceerueleum )
Many times I ’ve question my idea to plant a crepe myrtle and a hatful laurel in the same large island layer . But now they ’ve create a variety of “ elbow room ” between the front and back parts of the backyard . This year , they formed the perfect “ windowpane ” to our new birdbath . With some gentle pruning now and then , we can keep up this focus . Is that refined or what ?
Here ’s the birdbath with a few customers , though in my hurry to fascinate this , I ’m rather off skew with the television camera .
A few minutes later on , the sun hit the solar panel for a really great waterfall , but by then , my pj’s and I were engaged at workplace .
Until next week , Linda
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