Spring and choices or decisions!

Category: Choices | Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:22 am

Choices! I've always hated making decisions or choices. Here again I'm faced with decisions. I moved from Arizona to Texas. I had flower beds and gardens all set and every year I added things to them. I moved the vegetables around so they didn't grow too many years in the same spot. I grew things in pots if they didn't do well in the desert soil such as it was. It was very alkaline. So, now I am in Texas. What grows well in the Texas soil. It isn't the same as Arizona soil. It isn't even the same as the soil we had when we lived in Wisconsin. It seems to be sandy. I added some mushroom compost along the front of the house and raked it into the soil. Maybe I should buy a big bag of potting soil and mix in with it, too. When I planted my lettuce and spinach I mixed potting soil, MiracleGro moisture control soil and mushroom compost and it seems to like it. The spinach is outgrowing the lettuce two to one. I bought a new tub yesterday and will start some more lettuce and spinach. I'm thinking of adding a row or two of beets for the greens. dr likes the greens and they would add to the salad, I think.
I dug along the front of the porch to plant vines. dr put up fencing for the vines and tomorrow he is going to add a gate so we can close off the space. Chance will be able to go out with us in the afternoon and evening when we sit outside. I'm hoping the vines will grow up the fence and provide a windbreak and close out some of the afternoon sun. Now, I'm trying to decide if I need to dig it a little wider to plant some lower growing plants. Do I need something other than the vines. I know the morning glory vines have flowers at all the levels but I think the sweet peas only have flowers higher up or am I mistaken there. I think I will look for some more vines too. I found some hyacinth beans. I think Netty sent them to me and Glenda gave me some. I like Scarlet runner beans, too. I have a small packet of cardinal vines. I have a melon that my son Tom sent me that is grown mostly for fragrance. They are called pocket melons because ladies used to carry them in their pockets for the scent. I am thinking I will also plant some morning glories around Chance's fence in the back. I want to put some hollyhocks along her fence, too. Maybe some lower flowers. She likes to "stop and smell the flowers." I've seen her doing that sometimes. She loved the rosemary that grew in her yard in Arizona and I just might plant some more for her here.
So, with the big yard I still have a lot of space. I'm going to dig a circle around the windmill in the front yard and fill it with mixed flowers. I was thinking of planting the cottage mixture and the wildflower mix and a perennial mixture. I have a package of each. I also have some zinnia that I could mix in with them. But, dr thinks that would require a large circle and he thinks about four feet all around would be enough. That would make the bed eight feet across. I don't want something that climbs on the windmill though because I like to see it turning. Do you think beds dug around trees look good? There are several trees and bushes in the front yard. Some of them have oxalis growing around them and it looks good. Would it be too much to have circular beds around the trees if I have the big circle around the windmill?
I need to get a start on some green stuff like Swiss Chard before it gets way too warm for it. I did see some Swiss Chard listed that says it's tolerant of heat and drought and would grow through the summer. I'm not sure of that. It may be too late for Kale. I usually grow it more in the fall so it can go through a frost.
I have 10 different tomatoes and 8 different peppers and 18 different melons to find a space for. I know the yard is big but I really wasn't planning on digging up the whole space. Whatever I plant has to have a fence. I mean for the vegetables and melons. The neighbor works nights and he said when he came home at 6:30 am the other morning there were nine deer in his yard. He has dogs too and they didn't chase them. I just know they will move here if I don't put up a fence. In Arizona we had to put up fences, too. They were for javalina and cattle that roamed at will. Ranchers didn't have to have fences. If you didn't want the cows on your land you had to fence it. Most people did fence their yards. Who wants to clean up after cattle and javalinas?
I'm going to start seeds in my peat pots tomorrow, I think if it isn't too windy. I probably should have started them already but there is that word "decision" again. I'm really not good at making decisions so tend to put things off rather than making a wrong decision. I'd much rather someone else made decisions or told me I was making the right one. dr says I have to decide. He's not the gardener.
There is just too many choices here and I'm still learning my way around. I ask a lady at the garden center about the soil here and she told me she didn't know. She was just buying what her husband put on the list for her.
Does anyone want to make a list for me?
dooley

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glendann wrote on Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:38 am:

Laura I think the soil here will grow almost anything in it just make sure you put good compost in the dirt and the mushroom compost is to me great.

Sjoerd wrote on Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:50 am:

Good luck, Dooley. It sounds like you have a good grasp of conditions there and what to do.
I reckon that your neighbour lady can help you alot. ;-)

Droopy wrote on Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:49 am:

Oh, I feel worn-out by your "to-do"-list. Best of luck finding out what goes where, I hope you'll have a bumper crop with flowers, veggies and garden joy.

Palm Tree wrote on Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:07 pm:

Amazing that you have all the energy to grow all those flowers and veggies. I dream of doing, what you are doing now, that in a few years' time when I can afford to live on a smallholding.
Good luck with all your efforts. FOr now I can only admire you.

kuntrygal wrote on Thu Feb 26, 2009 3:19 am:

Laura, when I have had trees large enough, I always had a circle/round flower bed. I think they look great. When the trees were large enough, I would have caladiums or other shade loving plants. But it is your yard, so make it like you want it. I told Glenda today, that I was thinking about driving over and meeting all of you, then saw her message that she was going to Montana. So if I don't get there before she leaves, I will be there afterwards. I know you will have a beautiful yard.