Containers Growing ?

[GrowingCoastal]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I was getting sleepy, but I don't get much time without drama, and I love talking/writing about growing tomatoes and so many other things. Nature is important to me. I planted wild Black Eyed Susan seeds and thistle in the raised beds that I've written about. Morning Glories that have grown there for years - they are extremely invasive and are not growing there.

No mosquitos - it's weird.

What type of thistle and why did you plant that?

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by GrowingCoastal

What type of thistle and why did you plant that?

The simple answer is because I like thistles, but there's more to it. 6 generations before me, my relative moved from Scotland to America. A thistle is the national emblem of Scotland.

[GrowingCoastal]

So, it is the Scotch thistle and not the Canada thistle you grow? The flowers of both have a lovely soft scent as far as I can recall. The Canada thistle acts like a magnet for black aphids if there are any around. In one garden I let them grow with my peas one year when those aphids were on the plants and pods. Worked like a charm. I almost wish I had some in the yard here but once the Canada thistle arrives it becomes invasive . I read that the Scotch thistle does too but I don't think it is as tenacious as the other.
I like them just because.

[AlittleSalt]

I just found this Cirsium texanum https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=cite2That's what I'm growing.

[GrowingCoastal]

Nice.

I'm growing something called, among other names, Texas Tarragon. And a pot of Texas Catnip for hummingbirds but I think I'll pass on the thistles .

[AlittleSalt]

I didn't know about the national emblem of Scotland thing until last year.

I was dating two young women 35 years ago. One wouldn't eat much when I took her to fancy restaurants, didn't like fishing, and couldn't care less about gardening. The other ate like I did, loved to fish and wade trotlines, and one day we went out collecting wildflowers - especially thistles. I married her. July 1, is our 34th anniversary.

[AlittleSalt]

About those tree pictures. I plan on using the camera tomorrow around our 11 acres. Some of the trees are around 100 years old. I have read a lot about my local area history throughout my life. People cut down just about every tree possible for fuel and housing. I have nothing derogatory to say about that - people lived with what they had.

I have been busy with the "Quickly Wilting" thread http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=49237 that some of you have participated in. I did learn in that thread and that I could have done a lot more to make the container gardens better - I had already been told about those things, and yet, I forgot.

[AlittleSalt]

I was hoping to get a start on those pictures today, but the weather isn't cooperating. This type of weather happens in a lot of places. All I can write about from experience is what's happening in my neck of the woods.

Today the high temperature is supposed to be 95F. Heat index between 105 and 110. Severe storms tonight, and a cold front. Tomorrow's high 80F. It's June in Texas.

[Worth1]

Yeah it's 100 here in Bastrop.
I was going to clean the truck out but no not hardly in this weather.

Salt if you like Basil it is a fool proof plant to grow.
It is thriving in this heat.
I can't eat it fast enough, I need to make more pesto for the freezer as it keeps very well.
There is more to life than tomatoes.

[Worth1]

Basil so easy to grow in containers even Worth can do it.
IMG_20190610_28963.jpg

IMG_20190610_45275.jpg

[AlittleSalt]

Tree Picture #1

Hey it's cold out here. Let Me In!

[AlittleSalt]

40 years ago there was a wildfire that burned this area for a week or so. That is what damaged the bottom of the trees. In the last picture - that's a Juniper tree growing with the oaks.

[AlittleSalt]

Those trees in the pictures are in the background of our container garden - It's part of the overall experience to me.

Getting back to container gardening: I've been watching an area for the fall container garden. There are places that will not get enough sun in the existing container garden starting around October 1.

I was going to get a picture of a few tomato plants that I'm going to need a short stepladder to reach the tomatoes. I stand 6'-1" and can reach 8 feet flat footed. The plants are putting on tomatoes above my reach. I remembered too late to get a picture of them in the sun today.

[Shrinkrap]

Nice trees! And nice basil! It's 105 here today.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by Shrinkrap

Nice trees! And nice basil! It's 105 here today.

That's too hot!

It's 68F at 10pm here in this part of Texas. It isn't unheard of but it is odd for June 10th. I opened the door to let the cat out and it's cooler outside, so I turned off the AC and opened the windows. So far, this year has been the mildest one I have seen in my 54 years. It has been in the low 90s two times this year. Once in April and yesterday it hit 91F right before a cold front came through.

What that means for the rest of the year - who knows?