Looking Ahead--Gardening Goals



Dec 2010--Birdbath through Crepe Myrtles--Elph


I would look back over 2010 like most other bloggists, but I am an optimist at heart.  What has happened has happened, and I have probably already learned several lessons from it.  As for the great things of 2010--they are stored in my heart. So now I press onto the future. 

Here are a few goals Pat and I have talked about for the yard/garden this coming year.  Of course, one thing I will endeavor to do is help out more.  This means that all of my house cleaning, hobbies, and interestes will need to be managed much better in order to help Pat outside in the yard.  I think I am finally in a place in my life where I know I can do what I want, when I want to do it!! 

So, that was a little sappy.  Onwards to the point of this post:  Looking Ahead.  A few goals for the yard for 2011 are--





Frosty Morning--Dec 2010--Taken w/Nikon D3100!!


• Make a large vegetable garden in the front yard where there is full sun
• Cut down at least 4 trees and reorganize wood pile
• Tidy all bulb gardens
• Cindy wants to re-work Turk's Cap garden
• Replace and add more salvias
• Add more lovely herbs to the herb garden
• Read Herb Gardening book and use herbs for soaps, oils, and such
• Get a few Guineas

In sharing the list with Pat, his only comment was:  That's a lot.  Well, yes it is.  But in my mind if I don't set several goals, nothing will get accomplished.  If I have a banquet of goals, surely one or two will be tackled in 2011!  See--I am an optimist--a very cunning one! 

Spring Gardening on a Winter's Day

Sounds like a song...hmmm.  In order to get a jump start on the New Year's Resolution/Goal I went crazy and bought plants that probably should have been planted at least a month or more ago!  In my recent post, I commented that I would tackle the flowerbed next to the house.  Well, not so much today.  That spot, turns out, doesn't get the amount of light I thought it did.  In fact, it gets no sunlight at all.  So back to the drawing board on that flowerbed.  Perhaps in the spring we'll try some hostas or columbine.  For now it'll lay dormant.

Today was a wonderful day to be outside gardening.  It was cloudy and a little breezy.  The temperature was 70 degrees and there were no bugs to deal with!  Below is a picture movie of all the day's events. 

The Mountain Laurel you see towards the end of the clip has been in the ground for about 7 or 8 years now.  Mountain Laurels are native to Texas and are a beautiful evergreen tree.  Pat has pruned it a couple of times, but today it is breathtaking!  Toward the end of March, the bees will be buzzing around the luscious purple blooms which resemble Wisteria blossoms, but are more intense in color.  If you don't have a Mountain Laurel in your garden, I highly recommend this plant.  Because it is native to Texas, heat and drought have no effect upon it.  During the freezes of 2010, it was completely unfazed. The only drawback is it is slow to grow, but it is well worth the wait.

Regarding the Cyclamen, a local gardening show I was watching recommended planting the beauty during the winter, citing that the plant loves the cold.  But reading the tag made me wonder if I had the right variety, as it isn't very happy below 40 degrees.  Since we can still get cold around here, I opted to pot it, hoping that some plastic will protect it if it gets a little colder.  Otherwise, the gorgeous blooms should be a lovely bright spot in the dead of winter!

Current State: Hope for Winter

Lots of Green and Leaf Litter

Current State:  Winter Ho Hum!

Some people say you learn a lot by reading, and that is certainly true.  But I am the type of person that learns best by watching.  A new favorite gardening show of ours is Central Texas Gardner which airs on Saturdays on KNCT (our local PBS station).  The current segment they have up is a show that aired in the fall regarding winter color.  In snapping a few photos today, it is clear to see that we have a lot of green for the dead of winter, which is good.  But we do not have a lot of color.  In watching the segment this morning, I have been inspired to begin work on my New Year's Resolution (which is to help Pat more in the garden) by going out and buying a lot of plants!

Some of the winter color plants they suggested surprised me.  They suggest many plants beyond dianthus and pansies.  Kale, alyssum, cyclamen and dusty miller, all favorites of mine, are among the plants mentioned.  Two plants surprise me.  One is cyclamen, because I always think of it as being a house plant.  And if I recall correctly they can be expensive, especially if it is treated as an annual.  I am not sure I'll be planting cyclamen this time.  Another surprise is alyssum.  I always thought that was a spring flower, but they say it is definitely a cold flowering plant.  On P. Allen Smith's blog, he commented that alyssum will flower, die and even come back in some cases.  That sounds like a good one for me! 

Where I will experiment!

In looking around the garden I found where my experiment will take place.  Because I am a  lazy--uh, I mean--an inexperienced gardener, I have selected the bed near the house--uh, closest to the water source--to plant my winter color.  This is a good bed to select because we haven't really found anything that grows well here other than monkey grass.  Plus it is a small space and will likely catch my eye for attention.

So, what shall I plant? Well, for starters it will largely depend upon what is available at the local greenhouses. A trip to Bonnie's is in store for me this week for sure! I am hoping to find some dusty miller, kale, and alyssum. I am not thinking that planting seeds right now is a wise choice, so whatever I plant will need to be already started. A bag of compost will be necessary, too. Ugh. Sounds like work already!

Winter Mulch

In viewing the segment currently on CTG's website, they talk about the importance of mulching in the wintertime.  Mulch is expensive, and Pat has experimented with a lot of different types of mulches, but one thing he does well is he doesn't rake the leaves.  Or, if he does, he puts all the leaf litter in our flower beds.  What I didn't realize, and probably should have, is this provides protection for all those beneficial garden types such as lizards and garden snakes.  In looking at the bed I will experiment in, I will be sure to carefully remove the leaves and put them back once all the plants are in.  At least that won't cost us any money!!

Frosty Morning

The Spineless seems okay!  Dec 2010

As promised, here are a few pictures with my new Nikon D3100.  Sunday morning brought a light dusting of frost outside which was nice for a different look at our waning winter garden. 

St. Francis looking out for our Roses!

St. Francis looks a little colder than usual, and our Knockout Roses are sending sugar to the roots for protection! 

It didn't take long for me to head back into the house. It was just a little chilly the day after Christmas....a perfect day to rest and relax!

Merry Christmas!

Peace on Earth--Luke 2:8--14 NIV

For unto us a child is born...

   And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

     Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

      "Glory to God in the highest,

            and on earth peace to men on

                   whom his favor rests."

Merry Christmas everyone....

my prayer is that you have Peace and Joy this Holiday season and throughout the New Year!

    

One More Night Shot



Full Moon and Crepe Myrtle--Dec 2010

 Uploading this photo to my computer, all I saw was a white speck in the middle of total blackness.  Thanks again to Picasa 3, when I added some light I saw our Crepe Myrtle in the foreground.  Yes, I totally planned the shot that way!

Night Shots

Bradford Pear branch at sunset--Dec. 2010

I apologize in advance for some of these photos.  My best photos are taken under perfect conditions!  However, in preparing for using my new camera, I bought a magazine Getting Started in Digital SLR Photography:  Improve your photo skills and take better pictures.  I have been reading their articles which are very well organized and somewhat easy to understand.  It is opening my eyes to how my trial and error approach to photography was not too far off base.  However, a little well-timed knowledge makes all the difference!

Our tree behind grapevines--Dec. 2010

One article I was reading in another magazine said to take photos of Christmas lights at twilight.  Well, I did try with my little Elph, but apparently an ISO of 400 isn't the right setting to get good night shots with my little camera.  As you can see in this photo of our tree through our "foggy" windows, it just isn't quite right.  I'll get to experiment when I officially receive my new camera later this month!  By the way, if you are prone to camera tilt like I am, Picasa Web 3 has an amazing "straightening" tool.  If I hadn't had that tool, your head would be tilted slightly to the left trying to view the above picture correctly!



Ring of Trees at Sunset--Dec. 2010

This was the sunset the night of the rare lunar eclipse.  I wonder if the upcoming event had anything to do with the gorgeous colors!  Thanks for stopping by!