Monday, August 29, 2011

Six of the Most Beautiful Words in the World...

..."Your Garden Crossings Order Has Shipped"

Half of my order is a dwarf pennesetum called 'Piglet'...now who could resist that?


For added contrast, I also indulged in several Spilled Wine™ Weigela (shown at left) and Sunjoy Gold Beret Berberis.

And it's a four-day weekend coming up. And the forecast is for high temperatures under 100°. Life is good.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Cool Season Vegetable Gardening in Hell

Triple digit temperatures remain around DFW in late August, but the end is in sight. My lustful fantasies about working comfortably in the yard in a sweatshirt are becoming closer to reality as the calendar marches forward.

And, as Marianna Greene correctly stated in a recent Dallas Morning News article, as gardeners, we can't pay attention to anything but the calendar, especially when it comes to vegetable gardening. We must put a gloved thumb to our nose and get on with it, even if it is bloody 105° outside.

Here's what I started in Jiffy jumbo-sized peat pots today:

Cabbage - Deadon (Savoy)
Cabbage - Samantha (Savoy)
Mustard - Purple Wave
Mustard - Tah Tsai
Broccoli - Belstar
Beets - Gourmet Blend
Bak Choi - Red Choi
Radicchio - Red Surprise
Radish - Round Black Spanish
Nasturtium - Mahogany
Nasturtium - Peach Melba
Nasturtium - Variegated Queen

Most of these varieties prefer cooler weather and, when they sprout, we'll all be hoping fall is just around the corner.