It's Raining

Yesterday, it was nice and balmy here in our local area.  We went around in shirt sleeves and enjoyed the nice weather.  Today, it's turned colder and raining.  Naturally, that makes it uncomfortable to people who are "cold natured" like I am.  When the cold is a wet cold, it seems to cut right through my bones.  I would much rather have warm sunny days, than this stuff.  I realize that we need to rain for our lakes to fill up and help with the drought in our State.  So, I put up with this weather, but I'm not liking it.

OH MY........

Gift Cards

While visiting the Burpee website email, I saw this and knew you would be interested in giving this to one of your friends or a family member who is avid in gardening.

Help Today

The story on the news, is telling us that there are many people going without food, lately. It's my concern that we as the American people, need to rally and help our fellow citizens who are in need. Since our government isn't doing much to help, we need to follow up on the needs in our own towns and states.

Corn?

Container corn is something I've always been interested in having.  This will help me this coming season.

A Tomato?

Wow, this is looking to be a great tomato this coming season.  What do you think?

Grow Carrots in Post

How to grow many vegetables with this miracle pot that is a great idea.

Green Onions

Have green onions over and over......mostly with your food. But here is the way you can have them over and over and just have a great time with your planting schemes.

Pest Control

They are taking care of this man's pest problems that attack his garden.   

Backyard chickens|garden makeover|Central Texas

This couple found a good way to compost and that's very convenient to them on a daily basis.  

Rain Again

It's been raining for the last two days and this is "night and day" slow rain.  There's no bad weather or storms, no high winds just good slow rain.  Now, I don't know about you but I thought the mowing season was over?  Here is my yard with high weeds and grass again in November and I will have to catch a good sunny day soon to get the mowing done.

Holiday Wreaths, etc..........

You can get your holiday decorations shipped from Burpee........

Farm Machinery

Living in a rural area is something I've experienced most of my life.  I'm accustomed to seeing large tractors ahead of me on the FM roads.  It's necessary for the farmers to move their equipment from one field to another, when the work needs to be done.  Naturally, the drivers who are behind them are scowling at them for being slow and in the way of traffic.  I'm sure they are in such a hurry with their own lives and world they can't realize that these farmers are part of what keeps our nation in needed food supplies.
The  farm machinery  they use is a dire implement utilized by all farmers, whether they are owners or laborers.  Each piece of farm equipment is used to do certain jobs necessary for the production of crops and conditioning of the soil for later planting. 
The local rural area where I lived was known for it cotton and grain crops.  We have a working cotton gin and grainery in our small town.  The freight trains come through here often and stop to pick up loaded grain cars to take across the states to processing plants.  In the same trip they drop of empty cars to be loaded with more grain held in the huge silos waiting to be shipped.  I haven't noticed the traffic of the cotton, from the "gin" once it's been processed into huge bales.  I have seen many trailers filled with the boles of cotton, that has been gathered by the farmer's and their equipment. 
I can even remember sitting under a trailer, when I was young, while my grand parents would pull cotton and place it in the big sacks they towed on their backs down the field rows.  When I grew older, they took cotton ducking and made me a "cotton sack" half the size of theirs so I could pick cotton to make a little money for my Saturday town candy run.  Going to town on Saturday's was something to us back in those years.  Having some jingle in our pockets made us feel good.  The candy was great too and times were considered hard back then.  We had no idea how this world would become so commercialized the way it is today.

Crops

I've noticed the farmers are gearing down from this year's crazy growing seasons.  Here in Texas, we have drought and that's become a problem to the farmer's who need hay for their livestock's survival.  Growing the grass takes a certain amount of rain to keep the process going.  If they plant certain types of grass mixed with other grains, then they really want some help from "Mother Nature".  I know they are having a nice feeling with the rain we've had recently.  Too bad it wasn't coming back during the growing season when it was most needed.
Some farmers have been putting their livestock on the markets in order to down size their stock.  It's become too expensive for them to operate and maintain healthy animals for market when they are grown.  Good essential crops are necessary to handle the load of operations.

Blueberrys

Plant Fall Cover

Fall

So, now the real work has begun and you are mulching like crazy, doing the last of the mowing, and getting the soil ready for next season's planting.  You might consider saving a small area for those fall plants that carry through the winter months.  Kale, and a few others really are good during the winter months.  Consider these when you make your next vegetable garden.
There are also the flowers, and bulbs for your spring blossoms, so get everything ready for winter's blast and springs' arrival.

More Rain

How nice the weather temps have been since last weekend's rain.  Now, we have the chance for more rain this weekend.  Guess "fall" is officially arrived.  I look at the grass and see the possibility of one more "mowing" before the season is over.  It's fine with me as long as the rain doesn't bring bad storms.  Texas, is full of storms during the summer months and even now, we still have the "hurricane" season in effect.

Summer Heat

Wow it's really getting hot here in North Texas.  I mowed the lawn a few days ago and it's not trying to grow, because of no rain and the heat.  That's okay with me cause I have to mow when it's cool in the mornings or late evenings.  The  mosquitoes are bad again this year and mowing in the evening, is not a choice.

Supports

Squash?

Peaches?

Let's see how many make it through the growing season?  I'm sure the bugs, wind, storms, birds and ants have their ideas.  This is a small tree, planted last year.  It never had any fruit the first year, but this year it managed this.  The other peach tree was loaded, the first year in the ground but doesn't have any fruit at all, this year?  Go figure?

Tree

Ok, what part of die don't you understand?  You were cut down because I didn't want you there anymore, in the way.  Here you are fighting me on this issue and I don't like it.

All Green

Spring has finally burst forth with all it's glory.  Everything is green, I'm having to mow the grass again and the days are nice.  We have had 2 cool spells here in the month of May.  This is hard to believe, since you don't expect this type of thing this late in the spring.  Record cool temps  were registered this last week.

Rose Bush

 Finally it's blooming, which is something I've been waiting for.  It took it's time this spring, for some reason.  I suppose the weather had something to do with it.  Warm and cool spells were rampant during this spring time. Makes yo wonder what the summer will be like?

Yellow Rose

The first bloom on my yellow rose this year, turned out to be a thing of beauty.

Rose

 

This rose bush was here for many years.  The bottom picture is a bout 2 weeks ago when it was just beginning to grow well.  The top picture is of it starting to bloom with the warm weather we've been having.

Peaches

Ok, this is something I don't understand?  Last year the other peach tree was loaded down with peaches.  This year this peach tree which is located about 50 feet away from the other tree, is the one with peaches.  The other tree which was loaded last year, is bare?  Explain this one?

Iris

These are some of the yellow iris that mother planted several years ago.  They are blooming out very pretty this year.

The Trees

Once again spring has arrived and the trees are turning green.  I love this time of year and all the new growth and flowers that bloom.  God sure has made a beautiful world.

Iris

 

These iris are right at the front door, which gives me pleasure each time I go in and out of the house.

http://nitawatson.com/blog/2011/06/25/business-legal/ This yellow iris is at the south side of the house next to the back window.

Red Rose

Last year I planted this rose bush and this year it's showing it's approval.  I really love roses and hope to get this nice bush to grow and thrive.

It's This Way

 

If you don't like Texas weather, just wait a few minutes.  It will change.  Don't be sad if it isn't what you were hoping for, because anything can happen.

A Texas Temp?

It's been a crazy year, so far.  We've had all types of weather and many disaster's have hit certain areas of the US.  Texas, has been having the warm cool type of weather with a bit of rain on occasion.  While this helps the drought conditions, we are still below what is needed to keep the lakes at a good level.  Today, is a beautiful crisp spring morning, with low 40's at 9am.  It's a warm up trend which will last two or three days and once again a cold snap.  My sinus's are killing me, with the new pollen that is being strewn around.  I'm ready for warmer weather, how about you guys?

Spring Yet?

 

Well, what do you think?  These spring flowers are blooming and the temps are real nice.  The ground hog predicted that we would have an early spring.........so, now it's a wait and see.

Rain

 

It turned out to be a fast moving storm, with alot of high winds and some rain.  There was thunder and lightning to go with the scary time.  Even my grandson, who lives up in Nebraska,  saw on the news that it was bad down here and chatted with me to checkup on me.  It wasn't as bad here as it became other places.  For that I am thankful because of the huge old trees here in my yard.

Trees

These are some of the trees around my house.  It gets downright dangerous when a storm comes through our area.  I keep my fingers crossed when there are high winds involved.  You never know when a big limb can come crashing down.

How To

There are two different types of growing for tomatoes........do you know the difference?

It's Crazy

During December and through January the Texas weather has been crazy.  You can see this snow fall and the very next day it was all melted.  Gone and temps in the 60's came back to grace us.  I wonder what this weather will do to the bugs infestation this year?  Last year we had grasshoppers that ate everything in sight.  Hopefully we will have a better year.