Finally....Fresh Herbs!

from left: rosemary, basil, mint

Half of my herbs have really come to life! They are mature and strong enough now to use for cooking, without fear of them dying easily.  Yesterday I made a refreshing pitcher of iced tea with lemon, honey, and of course, mint from my herb garden.  It was the perfect drink to sip while sitting outside enjoying the beautiful day with friends.

Let's eat!

Only a few of my spinach plants made it through the chilly winter months, and even the light snow.  But the ones that remain are growing strong with deep green leaves (supposedly rich in vitamin C). I'm surprised at their progress despite the every increasing temperatures. However, I have been watering them every other day and weeding around them once a week.  I also plan on spraying them with a mild insecticidal soap to keep the bugs away until they reach their peak. Soon these healthy, leafy greens will go from garden to table.  I can't wait too long though, it's heating up around here!
To find out about the health benefits of spinach visit http://www.whfoods.com

To the rescue!

Last Spring my brother-in-law and I were doing yard work and discovered a clump of mysterious bulbs in the back corner of our yard.  Not knowing what they were or why they were in such a strange place, we eventually decided to dig them up and transplant them to a little flower bed along the back side of our house.  Over the past year I have watered and watched them, waiting patiently to see what would emerge from the bulbs.  I wasn't sure anything would ever become of them, especially after finding out from my mother, "you don't separate bulbs in the spring!" Well even after another one of my gardening mishaps, everything turned out okay.  The flowers, which turned out to be a red-violet colored iris,  have been blooming non-stop in the past few weeks adding some much needed color and life to our back yard.  It was a long wait, but definitely worth it!

for more info on iris growing visit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris

Tomato babies!

A few weeks ago I planted the remainder of my tomato seeds that were leftover from last spring.  I found a large pot in our shed and filled it with seed starting/potting soil.  I watered it thoroughly and left it out on our patio table since the weather has been sunny and mild.  My tomato babies popped up in no time and now are well on their way to being ready to plant in the garden!

calling in reinforcements!

Somehow or another my garden fencing has started to come down. It could be from the vicious tornadoes that torture us here in Austin (kidding!), but I would have to bet it has more to do with a certain doggie duo, to remain unnamed of course. My husband and I adopted a new pet friend a couple months ago, and while he has been a joy to have in our lives, my garden has paid a price for his presence. All hope is not lost though. On one of our many and frequent trips to the home improvement store I picked up a few supplies to rebuild my garden walls and regain its defenses against the dogs.  My list included: a spool of medium sized bailing wire, four additional garden stakes, and a refill for my staple gun.  After adding the support of the new stakes and securing the chicken wire with staples and bailing wire the garden is in much better shape. But, we will see how long it lasts, since the dogs love getting in there and sniffing around....or just to take a nap!