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Lavender Rose Texas Sage
One of the many Texas sage (Savlia coccinea) varieties I have planted in random spots around the Acre. I can't remember the name of this one, but I really like it because it's a lavender-rose color (instead of the usual red or pink) and has these unusually long, tendrils that grow at the end of the flowers like a big curved horn. Makes it seem more dramatic for some reason.
How to Make Awesome Hot Sauce
Fermented hot sauce is more complex and flavorful than a standard hot peppers and vinegar sauce. Better yet, it's not hard to make your own. Here's how.
Ready for the Spring Garden
This is my weekend. Transplanting tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and onions from the greenhouse out into the vegetable garden. My goal this year, first fresh tomatoes on the block!
Keyhole Garden Progress – March 4, 2020
The winter crops continue their rotation out of the bed. Broccoli is all done (save 1 plant), and the Romaine lettuce and peas are calling it quits as well. We cut the cilantro down to an inch high to keep it leafy and stop it from bolting. I replaced the broccoli with cucumbers (National Pickling) over this past weekend and infilled some of the empty spot in the lettuces with spinach (Space) I'd been holding in the greenhouse. Just a couple more weeks and the keyhole garden will have been in continuous production for a whole year and the soil [keep reading...]
Bee’s Bliss Sage in Bloom
Late last spring I got a Salvia Bee's Bliss from my friend @linsaycrazyplantlady's nursery. I planted it near the rocks by the fish pond and left it do its thing. Turns out there were a couple of giant white squill bulbs lurking below the surface in that location that I had forgotten. In November the squill erupted from the ground, leafed out, and completely covered the Bee's Bliss. And so I forgot about the little sage. Yesterday while doing some badly needed weeding I noticed these little lilac flowers poking out from under the squill leaves. A closer look showed [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Progress – February 26, 2020
Winter crops are petering out in the keyhole garden. Broccoli is heading out, cabbage is ripe, peas have been picked and the Romaine lettuce is about done. Just in time too. Cucumbers, more lettuce, tomatillos and tomatoes are all waiting in the greenhouse for their turn in the garden.
Fresh Cilantro Hung to Dry
We have so much cilantro in the Keyhole garden that we're having trouble eating and/or giving it away (and I live in an area of the U.S. where Cilantro is used in everything). The end of winter is fast approaching and some of it is start to bolt. Rather that let it all go to seed, I cut the plants back to the first set of leaves, bundled up the cut plants and hung them to dry. If you're not familiar, fresh cilantro is quite strongly scented. The entire front half of the house currently smells like the world's largest [keep reading...]
Cyclamen in Bloom, no Photo Filter Required
The cyclamens outside the family room bay window have begun to bloom. The plants are on a well-shaded slope and it's gray and raining, but the flowers are literally glowing in the low light. Amazing. Bonus: I bought them off the clearance rack at Lowe's last fall for $1 each. Booyah. Bargain! Anyone have any guesses as to the variety? The pot labels were struck out so I couldn't tell.
Keyhole Garden Progress – February 20, 2020
We've been harvesting romaine lettuce and cilantro for several weeks, and we cut our first head of broccoli just the other day. Tom Thumb peas are all ripe and ready to be harvested too. Good thing. The greenhouse holds spring vegetable seedlings getting close to transplant time.
A Brassica Bouquet for My Bride
Yesterday was my 31st wedding anniversary. I told my wife the traditional gift was "A Brassica" and gave her this beautiful brassica bouquet fresh from the keyhole garden. Then, she ate it.
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