I'M THINKING SPRING

Last week I started to think about next years garden. I thought summer was finally over. It wasn't__ we are back in the 80s again. I had started to move a few things around thinking it was now time. How foolish of me! I'd love to have a break but then this is Texas and as my husband reminded me when he told me we were moving to Texas, "You are going to a place where you can garden year round" At the time I though that was a pretty big selling feature-I'm not so sure anymore!

The basket has been sitting on my dining room table for a while as I collected packets of seeds and bulbs for planting this fall.
Among the bulbs I have Ipheion, Narcissus 'Rip van Winkle', Several packet of species tulips, 'Lilac wonder' 'Tinka', 'Van Tubergans Variety', Anemones, Narcissus, Erlicheer, pink Rain lilies,  Packets of seeds of Nigella, Alyssum, flax, Indian paintbrush, blue curls. I already planted the bluebonnets.
I have also been collecting seeds from summer annuals.

It's a little too early to put the bulbs in yet, maybe after Thanksgiving, but now that we have had rain I think I can start planting some seeds. Before I do that I need to deal with two problems.

The enemy of seedlings. The decollate snail. If I thought I had stemmed the tide last year I was sorely wrong. They are back in force again this fall.

Snail gathering has been a priority this week with all the rain and I have gathered hundreds.  I avoid using snail poisons so I hand pick and use decoy bait. Perfect timing as the grapefruit harvest is in and we are eating grapefruit for breakfast every morning. Snails may do plenty of good out there but they also love the new seedlings of blackfoot daisies, violas, purple skullcaps, larkspur and bluebonnets not to mention vegetable seedlings. They can mow down a row of arugula overnight. I prefer them to eat the grapefruits and yesterday I discovered they love carrot peelings. It's the first job of the morning to go check the grapefruits and look underneath the blackfoot daisy plants. That's where they really like to hang out. But there are so many places to hide; underneath agaves, down among the rocks, along the edges of the raised beds in the vegetable garden deep in the cedar mulch.

Then there is the enemy of bulbs. A mouse has been collecting seeds and tomatoes and storing them behind the cushion box on the patio. I think he is thinking of setting up his winter quarters inside the box.

Just as long as he doesn't shred the cushions for nesting material.

There will be may more enemies of the garden that will come to light as I clean up the leaves and debris of a growing season. There is much work to tidy up before our Texas winter. All in the name of next year's garden.

IT'S RAINY AND IT'S COLD

What a difference a day makes. I think I said that once before but this time the temperature shot down from the 80s yesterday to the 50s today and the rain gauge says 3.1" of rain have fallen since last night. No gardening today.

Thank goodness I got out yesterday and planted all my bulbs which arrived the previous week. They should settle in nicely over the next few days. I added to my species tulips which were so beautiful last year. HCG had a special 2 for 1 and I can never resist a sale.

I also planted the cactus pads which Zanthan gardens had kindly given me. I hope I am not too late with this project. Last year I potted one up and kept it inside for the winter. Opuntias are pretty tough so I will risk it this year.

I also found this fragrant white mist flower, Eupatorium havanense, was in bloom. It is the first time it has flowered because often the deer browse the leaves before it reaches this stage.

I got down to smell and it does have a fragrance.
On Saturday I managed to identify my mystery flower. It is the native Toothleaf Goldeneye, Viguiera dentata. I have distributed its seed around the outside garden and it is now growing in many places. It is a fall flower.

On Saturday, there was a garage sale going on close to Lindy McGinnis' garden. I bought these two little wall hangings. $1 and 50c. I know I can find a place for them on one of my walls.

These were another find this summer. I think they were probably used for some floral display and were originally some kind of plant with aerial roots which has been sliced across. I thought they would be nice for some little cactus or succulent. At $1 for all three how could I go wrong.

They are now potted up with agaves and succulents.