Kevin's Watch

I suspect that if we *did* have to live off of our own produce, we'd be a lot less cavalier about, say, throwing away a whole tomato when a stupid squirrel took one bite out of it. (No, stupid squirrel, you don't like tomatoes. Yes, I know, they're a lovely, eye-catching red color. But no, you don't like them. And you didn't like the last six you sampled, either. SO STOP EATING THEM! )

SO true and SO funny

And this comment does not belong here at all, but I really needed that laugh. Just finished watching the film Incendies. That's one hell of a film journey to go on. I'm wrung out. Anyway seen it?

And a bit less squeemish about eating Squirrel...?!? LOL!

OK, so here is what is coming up in my backyard with the rais we have had this week (a rarity here in Texas!):

When I planted theses roses they were nothing but root stock. now they are up to the top of my house:



In the corner, I have a small Mexican Lime tree (key limes) that is having a tough year...



but the Avocado tree beside it is going gangbusters!



and a better picture of one



in the back corner, I have a fig tree with a LOT of figs on it



and right beside it is the Pomegranate tree. There are two of them on this tiny tree in opposite corners (UL/DR)



I also have Yellow Roses (what else would you expect in Texas?)



And against the fence outside I have Red Don Juan climbers



and Simply Marvelous (my favorite smelling ones) that are purple.



When my bananas spout fruit, I'll post some of those too, as they are fascinating!

Thanks for looking at them!

Doc

Cool plants Doc!

We're still having unseasonably cold weather over here so not much is growing well . On Tuesday we had a really heavy hailstone shower that ripped all my tomatillos' leaves. I'm hoping all but one will recover as there are new leaves coming through. They now all have their own shelters build from 6pint milk cartons on bamboo skewer legs, in case it happens again!

Thanks, Stonemhybe. What an ingenious use of milk cartons!

We have had unseasonably warm weather here, and almost nothing of a winter, which has led to me having Avocados. The last two years, we have had one weekend that the weather dropped into the 20s and killed off the foliage, so the next year would be a rebuilding year. But now, they are growing and I hope they do well.

I hope the Bananas start to fruit soon. they are making me crazy!

Doc

I've waited a long LONG time to be able to say this.....

Vader, I HAVE GOOSEBERIES!

I have never had Gooseberries...but I am happy for you! Are they yummy?!?

DoctorGamgee wrote:I have never had Gooseberries...but I am happy for you! Are they yummy?!?

SRD, when he said 'aliantha', meant 'gooseberries'.

oh, and



(though that was 4 or 5 days ago, we've had a wonderful week weatherwisw, most are twice the size now!)

ten days of great weather, most of the above are now nearly at the tops of the canes

8 days out of the country, and I expect most of them may die though

Gamgee- just saw the avocado tree. SO awesome.
That is soooo cool you get to have all those fruit trees!
Limes and avocados and figs and pomegranates - fun!

Do you eat the roses, too, then? Great covered with sugar!

Stonemaybe wrote:

(though that was 4 or 5 days ago, we've had a wonderful week weatherwisw, most are twice the size now!)

What are the plastic containers for? And the water bottles in the soil?

Lorin wrote:

What are the plastic containers for? And the water bottles in the soil?

A couple of days before that pic was taken, we had a torrential hailstorm that ripped some of the plants' leaves to pieces - the containers above were an attempt to stop it happening again. The bottles in the soil have a hole punched in the side, near the bottom, aimed at the plant. Idea was, if we had to go away for a few days, to fill them with water that would gradually leech out into the pot. Waste of time as every time we've been away, it's rained quite alot.

I'll try to get a few more pics up soon. Tomatillos have been fantastic (4 harvests and counting, plenty left), tomatoes great, chilis are now starting to fruitfruitfruit and I've had a wonderful gardening summer!

A couple of the tomatillos are taller than me, most are around neck-height, a couple waist height. They are beautiful, graceful plants. The bees love them! I'll upload some better pics later, these ones easy to post as they're already on facebook. The pots in photo above were sufficient but next year I'll have to come up with better support ideas than just one flimsy bamboo cane.



This was the first harvest a few weeks ago, enough for chilli verde and salsa verde

good to see you on the Watch, stone.