Tend Your Garden - Winter Gardening Post #7

Planning Our Winter Garden
Photo by: Chandra Brown

A winter garden, those two words almost sounds like an oxymoron especially when you grew up in Colorado, attempting a winter garden wasn't even a thought. You let the snow blow and just waited for the first signs of life in Spring. Living in a warm climate like Texas has opened up a whole new world of gardening possibilities for me and lends meaning to terms such as winter gardening.

For some odd reason a winter garden makes me think of setting down roots. Maybe this correlation is due to the fact our family transplanted from Colorado ten years ago to a new environment. I think of how our family cultivated a new life on our own away from anything we knew. We were like individual plants transferred from cool hardy zone 6 to a warm hardy zone 8. Adaptability was key to survival and thriving in this new environment.

Laying Out The Greens

Just A Spritz of Water

I must admit, my husband and daughter have transplanted better than I have. I like to say I have far extending roots that stem from Austin to Denver. This winter garden concept has made me realize the unique aspects of the place I live in and if I take the time to dig in and learn about them my Austin roots may just grow a little stronger and help solidify me in the present state of being.

So in honor of our family roots and our new found enthusiasm for winter gardens, Alex and I took advantage of a rare 81 degree day (ha, not very cold) and planted our first winter garden. We learned leafy greens although delicate and soft to the touch are perfect for cool weather. They have a tendency to uptake more nutrients during the cooler months which cause them to flourish in the taste category. They can also yield quit a bit of produce even after the first harvest.

This information caused much delight, our family goes through large plastic tubs of spinach and kale. If I can successfully grow my own this will help cut back our quota of plastic in the recycle bin, add dollars saved at the check out line and last but not least, I can revel in the convenience of fresh, organic pickings literally a hop, step or jump away.

Winter Garden Produce

• Winterbor Kale
• Romaine Lettuce
• Bonnie Spinach
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Beets
• Onions
• Leeks
• Legumes

"Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them." -Vincent A. Simeone

UPDATE: A couple of weeks have passed, and some darn bug has eaten all my spinach. Good in that the bugs want it because it's organic. Bad, because I can't tell what kind of bug it is to treat the area. There are a lot of different bugs that LOVE spinach. I've got my homework cut out for me.

Tend Your Garden - Post #6

It's been a cool, wet Winter here in Texas and under longterm drought conditions you gladly wait out the weather with a good movie and some hot tea and just hope for inches to accumulate so the Spring and Summer months won't be so harsh. We just got through two long days of a continuous soaking that was a bit chilly, the forecast called for sun and decent temperatures the next day which brought smiles and anticipation for the great outdoors.

It's January, but that doesn't mean working in the garden can't be done and the mud won't stop this amateur from attempting to upgrade that status. Shovel in hand I met the sun and decided to do what I think a good gardener would do on a beautiful day in between rain storms. I weeded, turned-over the dirt, graded soil and even planted a few plants.

I started this learning garden with my family a few years back and we've tried to do right by our efforts each planting season but with little success in the yield. Some of the problems were human error but others were out of our control. As I worked on my little plot of land, the lessons started to shout back at me through what plants were still healthy and alive.

We know now that Mexican Oregano is a very hardy herb. It's so healthy it took the entire corner of our garden bed. I had to cut it back. This plant is an all around great plant, it can be used for ground cover, it's edible and it has an evergreen look year round. Although 'Mexican' is in its name, it can be used in Mediterranean and European dishes. It adds flavor to fish, poultry and pork, can be used in salsas and made into an herbal tea.

Prepping the Bed

Who knew? We hear strawberries can be difficult to grow in Texas, but alas, all our strawberry plants made it through the winter and have new growth. Last year the birds ate the fruit, so now we just need to make a net to remedy this. We must have picked the correct spot in the yard for this miracle to happen.

Our garden bed is made of wood and is starting to rot. I think I can get another year out of this version before we need to repair and re-do. I've already researched the next step and the upgraded, longer lasting, a bit more expensive but worth it version will be made with corrugated metal.

Herbs as Aesthetic Elements

I decided to go outside the garden box and plant some herbs in one of my regular beds. This is taking a chance with the ever present, bed-trampling dog. She did give her sign of approval though when she snuck a kiss on my cheek as I placed the German Thyme in the ground. I added Lavender and Lemon Thyme to the area as well and it gives a varied texture to the walkway into the yard. Deciding to use herbs as a decorative element to the landscape makes aesthetic sense.

Lemon Buds

I didn't work long outside but the time I spent revealed underlying success in our learning garden. I have lemon buds growing on my lemon tree (I had to treat it for disease in the Fall, and protect it from frost in the Winter, so I'm proud my efforts have saved this plant) and empty pots to imagine varied botanic arrangements in for the near future.

It may be Winter but life is wanting, waiting and ready to burst forth. I put my muddy shoes and shovel away with a euphoric sense of what Spring will bring.

"A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them."- Liberty Hyde Bailey.

Homeschool- Sixth Grade Cathartic Release

It is our second year of homeschooling. Sixth grade is definitely different than elementary school. The challenges and learning curves seem a bit more sophisticated. There seems to be more student responsibility, and organization seems to be the key to success. There is no room for laziness and the schedule demands procrastination remove itself from the docket. A grueling task that demands a lot more attention to detail than my daughter wants to give.

The first semester was daunting and with the fresh start of the second semester I had to plan some fun in the mix. Since fun and learning can mix we accomplished this with a field trip to Laguna Gloria and The Blanton Museum. It started out with an educational assignment but ended in more fun and laughter than we could have imagined.

The Artists
Photo By: Chandra Brown

Letting loose during the stressful times of hormones, body changes and academic demands can help relieve those tense muscles and prepare the mental landscape for retaining information, even if it is on the silly, quirky side.

Goofing Off At Laguna Gloria
Photo By: Alex Brown

I charged my daughter with an assignment for our outing. I wanted her to pick two pieces of art that stood out to her, write an opinion piece and do a little research with historical background for the other. That assignment changed real quick once we started viewing the exhibit. We couldn't help ourselves. We were giggling and laughing and bouncing humorous scenes off each others minds.

Click on the the following link that will take you to my daughter's blog- Foxtales. The blog posts named 'Narc At the Museum' is what the assignment morphed into. Leave sophistication and snobbery at the door because the following art critiques may just take you places you never knew existed in the world of art.

We leave you with this truism by Twyla Tharp:
"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."

My Angel Fair

'My Angel Fair'  by:Chandra Brown

My Angel Fair

Alexandra, angel fair

my little girl with golden hair

not long ago you were a babe

cuddled tightly in my arms.

You are a precious gift from God above.

Each year your date of birth doth bring

a merriment of remembrance

when friends, family and visitors

heralded your earthly entrance.

Alexandra, angel fair

my beauty with a felicific flare

through hazel eyes and soft brow

you personify good nature's grace.

You are a precious gift from God above

and with each passing year,

my love for you compounds

at the amazing growth I see in you.

Love Mom

Happy Birthday!

My Favorite Rag

'Defensible Space' by: Katy Widger Fine Art
Fiber Art 

Bright, white fibers tight and soft
folded up in the drawer.
I brought you home for usefulness
duties of plenty to perform.

Hard work won't stain your durability
Tough strands are your make up.
Project lists, weekend chores,
spills, spots, dirty floors
they won't change your consistency.

Days, months years, time
dull, grey fibers loose and threadbare
folded up in the drawer.
I take you out and look at you
sorrow seeps into my pores.

My favorite rag; all used up.
Holey, unraveled, barren strands,
what good are you for?
Somehow I can't discard you
so I put you back in the drawer.

Moments pass through hazy thoughts
questions linger near.
How can I salvage something disheveled and worn?
My favorite rag has become useless,
limp, there's nothing left to its' form.

A silver strand of weavers thread,
sapphire flecks of dust,
orange, green, red pigments
It just needs an artists' touch.

Tenderly holding threadbare cloth,
fingers gently stroke the fibers.
The Artist begins His work
minutes turn to hours.
Mending, molding, taking shape,
through expressive form.

Bold, colorful fibers beautiful to behold
no longer folded in the drawer.
My favorite rag: refined and new
no longer used for chores.
Resting in its' rightful place, in the open
for others to adore.

My favorite rag; a work of art
hanging on my wall.
Transformed from listless certainty
to glorious rekindled curiosity.
Redeemed by The Artists' touch.


By: Chandra Brown

A beautiful song for all God's children. When we meet with God this is what He does with our lives. Makes us into something beautiful!