From My Backyard

We have had a very wet and soggy spring here in Houston. I had hoped to have a bumper crop of strawberries but the ground bed has stayed too soggy, damp and cool. The local critters don’t seem to mind the mushy berries. I am a little more particular. The strawberry towers are producing pretty well but most of the plants are first year plants and harvest is meager but still tasty. 

My bride is not too happy with my ventures through the mud and back to the house. Apparently I manage to bring too much garden debris back through the back door. I try to be a good husband but my inspection process is not up to her standards! 

Some good news from the garden;

Asparagus is coming up! So sweet when freshly snapped off and enjoyed in the garden. The Meyer Lemon tree is blossoming out and spreading the intoxicating scent of the blossoms! The lime tree is also blossoming but can’t compete with the scent of the lemon blossoms. Four tomato plants are sending down roots and should bear fruit in early May. Sugar snap peas are done blossoming but I still snack on the few remaing pods.

The weeds have been working overtime in my absence! My consulting work has had me covered up. Fortunately my wife does an amazing job pulling weeds! Unfortunately it is a never ending task! 

The bees are another bright spot. Barring more rain I will open the hive and inspect it next week. If conditions are right I may be able to pull 10 to 15 pounds of honey without any negative impact! The only issue I encounter is; the bees take off and landing path is directly across the asparagus bed. They tend bump into me multiple times while picking. I need to remember to wear light colored shirts so I don’t agitate them! I haven’t been stung but I am acutely aware of their continual presence. I keep telling myself, “they don’t want to sting you Bishop, they don’t want to sting you!” 

My worm compost bin had been ignored for most of the winter. I cleaned up the trays, gathered a couple pounds of castings that went into the tops of the strawberry towers. The worm population looked diminished but should quickly rebound over the next few weeks! 

Enough for now. I’m down to three more trips to North Dakota for my client. It may not be a good thing as demand for my consulting skills has dried up with the collapse of oil prices. I may have lots of free time for the garden! 

Originally written many days ago so before I post I want to add updates. My awesome partner and weed puller has limited here boundaries. She will no longer pull weeds in the flight path of the bees – stung twice last week. She will also not pick the asparagus as it is in the flight path. 

The red on is a Chandlet berry and the other is a “Pineberry”, a hybrid that is barely pink when ripe and tastes a bit like pineapple. 

Dewberry blossoms in my secret location. It will be a bountiful harvest in about 2+ weeks. For a fee I will disclose the location. 

Look close- the vines are exploding with blossoms

TTFN

Bishop

The most important competition among gardeners everywhere centers around who can produce the first tomato of the season. I think, hands down, I am the winner for 2015 for the outdoor grown tomato.

My performance is almost unfair! Why? My red, ripe tomato was produced on a 2014 plant. A little unfair but let me explain. At the end of the 2014 season I had a healthy and robust plant that was still producing blossoms. It had dense and green foliage. I largely ignored it and hoped for a “tomato” miracle.

Then came the first freeze at the end of January. The good looking and hardy tomato plant died! In my ignorance I failed to notice several small tomatoes, two of which showed signs of ripening. Shown below is one. No taste test yet, it is very firm so I am guessing it will not be as good as a true outdoor, Sun kissed, 2015 planted tomato! Competition brings out both the best and the worst in people. So, nah nah nah nan nah! I win!

I still plan on having a juicy ripe 2015 tomato before the end of the first week in May! Be prepared for more bragging!

It may not be big but it is pretty.

I do have three tomato plants in the ground with fingers crossed! A freeze could set me back! The birds and I are “fixin” to go to war! I need to put up bird netting to protect my strawberries or starve my wife’s three cats as a ploy to get their help! That tactic may get the bird lovers up in arms! How about withhold some of their food so they looked menacing to the birds?

Sugar snap peas rarely make it into the house..,.they are garden snack payments to my bride for her efforts to keep everything alive! Thanks Hun! And also For so much more!!!!!! Wink-wink.

TTFN – from the frozen north- Williston North Dakota!
Bishop