After years of battling Hill Country soil, invasive grasses, and time constraints, we decided to completely revive our old vegetable garden using organic methods. The hard work paid off, bringing back the joy of homegrown produce and memories of my Nebraska roots.
Continue reading →I have been interested in gardening since I was a child and spent time with my great grandparents who were gardeners. The Square Foot Gardening method was developed in 1976 as a simple alternative to labor intensive and inefficient row gardening. Explore the possibilities . . .
Continue reading →For the last ten years, we’ve been farming bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) around the place. It started when I planted a few seeds and gradually, they’ve bloomed and spread. Because I’m impatient, I also helped them along by mowing the plants after they had gone to seed and spreading the clippings to other parts of the ranch.
Continue reading →To paraphrase the old saw, into every life, a little appliance repair must fall. This must be my week. We’ve been living at Roy Creek Ranch since 1996, and the appliances are admittedly getting old. So far, I’ve replaced a … Continue reading →
Two years ago, I bought a packet of Italian beans at the nursery thinking it would be fun to have a trellis or wall of beans growing in the garden. There were (as I recall) three types of beans in … Continue reading →
In an earlier post, I alluded to “bins” or “pens” That I constructed in the greenhouse. Something of a cross between a raised bed and a giant pot, these miniature gardens are very efficient, and easy to construct. Here’s how: … Continue reading →
The greenhouse has been in operation for a couple of months now, and beginning to show some results. Since this is my first real experience with one, I’m learning as I go along, and there are some surprises along the … Continue reading →
This morning marks the completion of a long-standing project here at the ranch. You may recall the construction of a greenhouse last year, one made of PVC and plastic sheeting. Well, now for the rest of the story: it was … Continue reading →
Saturday dawned clear and warm. The perfect day for completing the greenhouse! I had a nearly square frame to use for the foundation, done the previous weekend, and now it was time to level the ground and anchor the frame. … Continue reading →
One of the problems we have periodically here in the Hill Country are hard freezes. Given the length and heat of the summers, it’s a surprise to some and it catches many off-guard. Folks with tropical plants in their gardens … Continue reading →
