Garden Girl

from Austin techgeek hipstas 100% complete.
Two years ago Mr. Garden Girl & I were the kind of people who impatiently complained about the next SideKick from T-Mo not coming out ALREADY because the browsers on our handheld communications devices were just SOOO SLOOOW *grump*.
Now?
Now we have one cheapie cell for emergencies with a paid minutes card between us, but we have a somewhat expensive German engineered bike trailer capable of hauling big bags of soil for our hanging tomato plants.

Oh &… 3 drops of rain in far N.E. Austin so far– whoot!

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Pam, over at Red, White and Grew has started a fun meme to encourage us to share our victory garden inspirations and information.
Anyone who would like to participate can contact her or, if you want to pass the meme along,  just link to the meme page from your blog.

Here’s the page:

www.redwhiteandgrew.com/replicate

and my answers:

* What are your favorite local garden resources (ex. nurseries, blogs, reliable regional “celebrity” gardeners,county/parish extension office)?

When I lived in South Austin, I loved the Natural Gardener:
http://www.naturalgardeneraustin.com/

The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful and the nursery and store beat any other gardening supply place I’ve ever been to. Even just spending a few hours wandering around the nursery is a sure fired way to make your day.

My favorite local gardening celebrity is Howard Garrett (The Dirt Doctor) and his site , forums & newsletter have really helped me trouble shoot some garden problems.

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/

I also love the *You Grow Girl* Forums.

http://www.yougrowgirl.com/forums/

* What are your favorite books and magazines?

Organic Gardening Magazine

http://www.organicgardening.com/

& a book I keep coming back to is *Gaia’s Garden*

http://www.amazon.com/Gaias-Garden-Guide-Home-Scale-Permaculture/dp/1890132527

The best introductory book on gardening I know is *You Grow Girl*

http://www.amazon.com/You-Grow-Girl-Groundbreaking-Gardening/dp/0743270142/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218560134&sr=1-1

* What is your favorite gardening tip?

Water less often, but deeply & always first thing in the morning.
Feed your garden: compost tea & compost are your garden’s friends.
Focus on amending til you have good soil & the rest will come.

* Why do you call your garden a _________ (Victory Garden, Peace Garden, Freedom Garden, vegetable garden…etc.)?

I like the way “victory garden” is catching on but mostly I just call it a kitchen garden

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As we wait indoors for Edouard (hoping that he won’t come in looking for a fight) , here’s a little online shopping to feel good about:

Hand made *Worm Inns* make vermicomposting fun for the fashion conscious gardener.

I’m seriously digging on my worms & I recommend them , even for folks who aren’t gardeners. Why fill the landfill when you can feed some green growing things, even if it’s only your houseplants?
They are nuisance free, quiet and the only odor so far is a faint smell of good rich soil.

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continues. One extra tall, metal plant hanger for baskets of tomatoes & peppers successfully pedaled home by Mr. Garden Girl

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The Texas sage in the empty lot next door is alive with bees– honey bees and even a bumble or two. My own crepe myrtle bush behind the cottage is home to a dozen or more lady bugs. Even in the midst of a dry scorching summer here there is life. My peach tree has made a remarkable recovery. The willow stump out front has foliage taller than me now.
And on the ride yesterday to the tea house, we came upon a hawk with a fresh rabbit feast (there were kids & parents on the bike path too & I wonder how many kids got a lesson about the circle of life, rather close up & gory- heh).
Pictures of all this except for the hawk at his/ her repast:

Can you spot the bee?:

Tags: gardengirl, victory garden

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Homegrown Evolution: Gardening in an Apartment Windowsill

Something to make your weekend

Honestly, I don’t know if the raised beds here will be ready by Fall. I haven’t started to build compost yet, the summer looks like it’ll be a dry, nasty, over a 100* often- as- not affair, & I’d like to save money for a jujube & a (probably white) mulberry tree next Spring.

I know mulberries are messy, but I love ‘em.
I’m trying to follow permaculture logic– start with trees & create micro climates, & when you have established zones of shade, sun, & protection, *then* put in your ground crops.
The mulberry tree will complete a semi circle of fruit trees we’ve planted close around the house (sides & back) that will provide weather protection for Fig Tree Cottage & bring in some birds.
The jujube will go out front to give us a head start on having a tree to replace the Bradford pear, which I expect to start dropping branches & being a problem child in just a few more years.

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The weather was breezy & perfect & the lake was crowded with families.
We had our own independence celebration before we even left home tho. We took a small step toward food independence, by eating our first food grown in our yard- a truly luscious, ripe, sweet fig from our own tree.

It was truly a wonderful moment for us that made us feel like this really was our home. It’s nice that the first fig was sweet & nummy

May your holiday weekend be a fun and safe one!

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http://thatotherpaper.com/austin/inspiration_san_franciscos_victory_garden

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Red, White & Grew - Victory Gardens and More!: This Letter Came in the Mail Last Week

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More good news.

I’m happy to learn that oak galls are not that harmful to the trees:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN022

I’ll be happier come Fall when I can get the dead wood pruned & the trees inspected tho.

aaaaaaaaaaaaand… the peach that was showing no signs of life & even had some withered branches? It’s sprouting leaves & new growth, and it’s become the favorite hang out for the baby cicada killers from the nest on my front deck. It must have just wanted more heat & dryness. Plants can be tenacious, for sure & they’ll surprise you, if only you can find what each individual plant needs. There’s some good life lessons for all of us

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