Dog Days of Summer that is. Tomorrow is August 1st and it's here. The heat. It's literally the best we can do to just try to keep everything alive.
Lots of water.
Plants AND us.
These are some of the plants on the porch that we need to plant in the ground but it's just too hot to attempt that now (including the pecan tree).
They will have to wait until the Fall.
Here is yesterday (Sunday) at about 3pm. With humidity it felt like 118 degrees. Needless to say, we didn't even go out to the farm. Saturday was just all I could do to get anything productive done.
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| Lemongrass and Lantana |
The flowerbeds are hanging in there. These are the recently planted (recently meaning early June) lemongrass and lantana. We really want them to make it. The lantana does so well in our climate and the lemongrass, well, we just want some to use and once it's established here, it does well. I found two of the smallest size plants and have been keeping them well watered and they are making it and growing
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| Texas Lantana |
This is a lantana that we thought was dead last year after it was overlooked in a pile of container plants that had died and we were throwing out. A little sprig came back and I figured, why not plant it and see what happens. It's getting large, can't wait for it to fill up that end of the bed. Lantana does so well here, we might just have to have it all over the property. Thankfully it comes in lots of colors.
Next season might just have to be the season of planting lantana!
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| Flowerbeds |
Speaking of, these were planted as very small plants back in June. Two lantana and one penta per bed. They are doing great. I soak them twice when we're there...once when I get there and then once again when it's time to leave. So far, they are growing and doing well between watering times.
As for the garden, the two eggplants are covered in blooms and setting more fruit. I didn't think they liked the heat but apparently they do, for now anyway. Maybe even they have a limit, ha.
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| Okra dying |
The okra on the other hand, is a different story. Here it is. Ugh. This time last year, our okra was so tall I couldn't reach the top of it. Almost looks like something has eaten it but I looked everywhere and didn't find anything. Oh well, I think 2nd Man is tired of okra anyway. I'm a good Southern boy, I can't get enough but I can wait till next year I suppose.
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| Jalapeños and eggplants |
Here's the harvest for this week. More jalapeños and a couple of nice eggplants. 2nd Man is going to make some jalapeño cheddar bread so we'll use some of these for that.
'Tis the season...to stay inside where it's cool!
That's a lot of peppers to put in bread. It makes me hot in the mouth thinking about that. This can be a good test of which plants can make it your location. You could develop your own land race.
ReplyDeleteHa, it would be. No just a few, we'll chop up some for freezer, keep some for some bacon poppers and use some for the bread. ;-)
DeleteWe are doing a sort of test to see what works and what doesn't. Last year okra was great, not sure what happened this year. Will have to do some research.
What kind of soil do you have there? Clay??
ReplyDeleteHello! Yep, clay. Pretty heavy clay. But it's "live clay" as they call it, not dead soil so that's good. Now the raised beds are 12" deep so it should be enough for any veggie but not sure if they roots have hit something on the way down or what. Last year the okra was great. We'll see.
DeleteWatching things get crispified in the heat is heart-breaking isn't it? Lantana is classified as a noxious weed in several states here because it spreads so prolifically. I hope yours thrive.
ReplyDeleteLOL, I have heard about the lantana being a weed but not here in Texas. Maybe they just figure it's the only thing that will grow and they give it a pass, haha!!!!
Deletethat heat would be the end of me! maybe you should make hot sauce with all of those peppers. i am staring at 2 bowls thinking about doing the same!
ReplyDeleteMmm, hot sauce, didn't think bout that. Thank you!!! I'll have to look up some recipes.
DeleteWell blessed with peppers myself. I have been slicing them and putting them in the freezer till Fall when the temperature is cooler for canning.
DeleteBesides making hot sauce you could also make / can some pepper mustard of which I had canned up a few jars earlier this year; (May in fact)
Dig out them 'cool ties'; let set in cold water, put in ziplock bag and store in refrigerator and when it's time to use one, it's nice and cold
DeleteI'm glad your flowers are doing so well in this heat. Lantana is a very hardy plant - I've had them come back from a frozen stump. Butterflies love them.
ReplyDeleteLantana is poisonous to cattle, so make sure it isn't allowed to set seed in any pastures near you!
ReplyDelete