I can't tell you how much I appreciate other gardeners and how generous they are. It's seed trading time on a couple of the Facebook Garden groups that I belong to, and I'm getting ready for next year's garden now.
These are heirloom tomato and pepper seeds that I'm ITCHING to try! Oh the fun I'll be having in January in the greenhouse. I can't wait! I got mostly sweet peppers this time, with a few hot ones thrown in there.
These were from a fellow gardener here in Texas who's hobby is HOT HOT HOT peppers. The Facebook group that specializes in peppers - what a bunch of nice people on there. They (and me!) really enjoy sharing our experiences, varieties, and recipes! I asked for one variety (the Sugar Rush Peach) and he included all the rest of these when he sent it to me.
I also got some green cotton seeds from another gardener, and he included a few other seeds with the packet in the most beautiful hand-made and stamped seed packets. Some people are so creative. Puts me to shame.
I'm going to challenge myself to begin serious seed saving this coming spring/summer garden. I've dabbled in it, but have not been really serious about it - that's going to change!
Out in the garden, the Shanghai choy and the Extra Dwarf baby choy are both doing so well - we used some of the dwarf choy tonight in stir-fry veggies with dinner. I'll start some new seeds as soon as half the bed is harvested.
There are tomatillo plants coming up all over the garden. I'm pulling them up as soon as I find them, but I've left a few to see if we'll have time to get any fruit. We'll see how long we have until our first freeze.
Meanwhile, I'm starting some greens in pots for the greenhouse this winter. Two types of kale, some spinach, and two pots of lettuce, a pot of corn salad, and a new variety of basil (Lettuce Leaf Basil.) They're all sitting out in the potting garden for now, but will go inside once it starts cooling off here.
I started one tray of micro-greens in a tray, also - it's the basic salad mix in the picture above. They're coming up nicely (I had a cover on the tray for a couple of days, but took it off today so they wouldn't cook in the heat.) If they do well, I'm going to try to start a tray every couple of weeks.
John covered the greenhouse for me this week. I bought a shade cover for it when I got it, but we've taken our sweet time to put the thing up. It makes it so much more pleasant in there! He's getting ready to run the electricity and add a light in there for me, and then he'll hang up my grow lights.
Here is one of my "something new" this next year! I got cuttings for Mayan Tree Spinach. It sounded interesting and perennial, which is desirable. The scientific name is Cnidoscolus Chayamansa "Estrella". I got 5 cuttings and have potted them for the greenhouse.
Have I told you lately that the cotton plants just won't quit?! Good grief! More flowers!
John has been working in the orchard this week - he's mowed and plowed and planted a cover crop of crimson clover in the back. The two pomegranate trees are growing so well, and the Russian mulberry is growing by leaps and bounds. I tell you, mulberry trees are the easiest things we've ever grown.
One of the pomegranate trees with lots of new growth.
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