Hello, y'all, and hello, fall!

Hello, gardening friends! Since my last (brief, photoless) post, I've been vacationing in the South Texas desert. We stayed at the Big Bend Getaway,
Big Bend Getaway, Terlingua, Texas

Sunny morning patio view, Terlingua, Texas

View from bedroom window, Terlingua, TX

Front porch at dusk, Terlingua, Texas


hiked the Grapevine Hills Trail to the Balanced Rock in Big Bend National Park,
Grapevine Hills Trail, Big Bend National Park

Grapevine Hills Trail, Big Bend National Park

Balanced rock, Grapevine Hills Trail, Big Bend National Park


and went swimming at Balmorhea State Park.
Balmorhea State Park, Toyahvale, TX

Balmorhea State Park, Toyahvale, Texas

Balmorhea State Park, Toyahvale, TX


Since I've been back, I've been getting the raised beds ready for the fall garden, and today I got the first round of transplants and seeds planted, yay!
Planting the fall garden

I planted arugula, artichoke, dill, beets, broccoli, carrots, chard, cilantro, cucumbers, green beans, lettuces, mustard, parsley, radish, sage, spinach, and tomatoes. Yeah, it's a bit late for those summery ones, but hey, it was 101 today. We'll have very warm days for another six to eight weeks, and daytime temperatures above 70 for at least a month after that.

Are you ready for fall?

Words and photos © 2009-2012 Caroline Homer for "The Shovel-Ready Garden". Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Comments

  1. Glad to be back in the desert light that you show, though this dryness is wearing thin. Seeing those really wild places down south makes me long to make my 2nd trip to the Big Bend. Something about the rock formations, different colors and shapes, with that lighting grabs me.

    Good luck on your fall garden!

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    1. It grabs me too. It's a great place to fall off the face of the earth for a week!

      If anyone's interested, I have more photos of Big Bend on my Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolinehomerphotography/collections/

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  2. The Big Bend is one of my favorite places. A place of such beauty and tranquility--a special place. On one of our trips many years ago, my husband took a photo of me in the exact spot that (your husband?) is standing under/beyond the rock.

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    1. Yes, that's Jack, my better half. We did the "easy" hike this time around! Don't know that I could hike the South Rim again, but I'm glad I did it.

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  3. I enjoyed seeing your pictures. I've never made it out to Big Bend, but I have been to Balmorhea and loved it. I'm totally ready for fall, but I'm sadly lagging behind in the veggie garden. I planted some broccoli a couple of weeks ago, but today my chickens decided to eat the plants. Little brats... luckily, I still have time to replant if necessary.

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    1. Oh, no -- shame on them! I was bummed when I broke off my most robust broccoli transplant while loading my nursery purchases into the car last week. I can't imagine losing them all.

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  4. Are those PVC pipes curved over the raised beds? And how do you anchor them in place? I'd like to be able to do something like that.

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    1. Yes, ma'am! They are anchored by 18" lengths of rebar (available at any home improvement store) pounded halfway into the ground with a hammer. The 1/2" PVC can be cut with bypass loppers to fit the width of your bed. Super easy to do!

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  5. Beautiful desert views! I didn't fall in love with the desert when I was there, but I did find the morning and evening light beautiful, and you've captured it very well. I wish we'd had time to stop and swim at Balmorhea -- that looks so inviting!

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    1. Thanks, Pam! The desert takes time to grow on some. Mid-November is my favorite time to visit - the Death Star's not as oppressive and the nights get so nice and cool. Balmorhea is a glorious oasis!

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