PLOW & HOSE Gardening in Central Texas

July and August are tough months for plants in Central Texas, but it's the best time for preparing to plant a fall garden. Consider another round of summer faves. Don't forget to include shade trees in your planting plans. 

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Newsflash! Summer is here! Julie enjoys endless blossoms from wild sunflowers! Learn about sunflowers and safflowers--cousins that keep our birds and squirrels fat and happy through the worst of summer.

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Julie's veggie garden may be smaller than previous years, but still attract pests like spider mites. The spring rains continue even with the start of summer making it muggy and mosquito-y. It's fine because we can disrupt their lifecycle with a simple, organic treatment. With less veggies, Julie has planted more flowers--lots of native and adaptive perennials--including bee balm, also known as Monarda.

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Green peas have a really small planting window in Central Texas. Like potatoes, they need to be planted by Valentine's Day. English, shelling, sugar snap and snow--plant them and enjoy some tasty spring veg!

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So many things we can plant this time of year--but don't forget to get your seed potatoes ready for planting in mid-February!

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Julie is getting back in the swing of things...It's a new year, new season with new weather! It's the perfect time for garden planning and thinking about the summer garden. If you want to plant your summer garden as soon as possible--you need to sow seeds indoors NOW. As seed catalogs roll in and the temperatures rise and fall--January is an exciting time for gardeners in Central Texas!

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This summer has been brutal. Pretty much no rainfall since May, July was irrationally hot and August continues to be RUDE with its heat. But Julie is hopeful for a fall garden with a modest tomato harvest. The star of the summer is the Retama tree that popped up in her yard this spring. With absolute no care or attention, the retama is blooming and proves to be a winner for a xeric landscape.

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No surprise, it's hot & gross. What's not dead is struggling, including the cucumbers which are growing weird and some times bitter. Yuck. In better news, Julie bought new plants while out of town and they are so freaking cute--Fame Flowers. 

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It's so hot, Julie invented a new weather term. "It's an irrational heat." It's hot and people are talking about xeriscaping...including grey water. How to heat-proof your garden as best you can--plus ideas for improving watering habits + xeric landscaping garden design (a reminder of what it is and isn't) Enjoy!

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Lots of rain this week--which is wonderful, but present some challenges with heavy clay soil. Dirt is dead. Soil is very much alive. Learn some tips for keeping your plants (and soil) happy and healthy! Advice for dealing with blossom-end rot.

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