Winter is now upon us.  Although Texas winters are relatively mild be sure to watch the forecast for any light freezes and be ready to cover your plants with a light sheet or a commercial frost protective blanket. With a little protection from freezes we can still grow a vegetable garden.  Here is a list of vegetables that can be sown into open ground, Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower plants, Swiss chard, chives, collards, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, onion, parsley, peppers, radishes, spinach, and tomatoes. To keep your vegetable garden thriving be sure to mulch well to fend off weeds and to protect roots from freezing temperatures, you can also continue to lightly fertilize.  As for your Annuals and Perennials,  when a freeze kills the the tops of your perennial flowers and grasses cut them back to the ground and mulch around them well.  Also continue to lightly fertilize you annuals and perennials every 4-6 weeks.  Want some cool color for your garden these plants will continue to bloom throughout the season, Alyssum, Calendula, coreopsis, cornflower, Delphinium, forget-me-not, hollyhock, larkspur, lobelia, pansy, petunia, phlox, blue saliva, snapdragon, verbena, and violas.  Don’t forget your bulbs December is last month to plant early blossoming  spring bulbs, also be sure to mulch. Also take advantage of our mild winters rethink your garden “Do I want to move any of my shrubs, tress, or prennials?” If you do do so now, this is the best time to plant your garden and fill in those holes.  By planting or transplanting now your giving your plants enough time to establish a good root system to survive the the stressful summer months ahead.

 Happy Gardening!

February is a great time to move any azaleas you may have in a bad spot.  Just be sure to keep them watered, with good drainage.  

Daylilies can be divided now if the clumps have become too large.  Any summer flowering bulbs can be planted now also. 

January through May and July through October, gladiolas can be planted in 2 week successions for a continuous bloom. 

Fertilizing your lawns, trees, shrubs (not azaleas, camellias or pink magnolias) with a complete fertilizer will ensure healthy new growth for spring.  Be sure to water it in and keep the fertilizer away from the trunks.

Now is the last opportunity you will have to prune many shrubs so that you do not lose your summer blooms. 

Do not plant roses any later than February and if you have not pruned your existing roses, do so now.  Spraying your rose beds with a fungicide can prevent black spot.  New rose bushes should not be fertilized until after their first blooming.   

You can sow seeds in flats for your summer vegetables such as eggplant, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and more. Spring is just around the corner and I for one will be very happy to greet it. 

Happy Gardening.

The trash pile left by the concrete crew

After a lot of work with a pickaxe

Holiday party on December 4, 2010 at Bluebonnet Herb Farms.

10am to 4pm

Cottage Cheese with Chives
Makes 4 servings

8 oz.  Cottage cheese
1 T. mustard
1 shallot
1 bunch chives
1/2 t. paprika
Salt
White pepper

1. Blend cottage cheese and mustard.
2. Peel the shallot, chop finely and mix with cottage cheese blend.
3. Wash and dry chives and snip them finely.  Stir about 2/3rds of the chives into cottage cheese mixture.
4. Season the cottage-cheese mixture with the paprika and add salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the remaining chives on top.

Enjoy!

The scent of the peppermint oil triggers the hippocampus, a part of the brain linked to memory.  Mental fatigue is not only relieved, but also nausea and dizziness.  It is also effective in fighting respiratory infections from colds to bronchitis and sinus conditions.

Dilute and apply to the skin for a soothing and cooling effect. Mix a base oil, such as sweet almond oil, with the peppermint oil and rub a few drops on the nape of your neck and on your forehead or temples.  This has been known to relieve migraines and headaches.

For fatigue place 8 drops of peppermint oil and 5 drops of lemon oil in an aromatic lamp. This can reenergize your mind and memory also.

Children should not use peppermint oil due to the high menthol content.  This could irritate sensitive mucosa.  I hope you enjoy the healing effects of peppermint oil.

Where has 2009 gone?

We hope you come and stroll through our gardens and perhaps have some lunch. If you have not eaten at The Garden Café, you are missing out on a truly delicious experience. The Café uses the herbs grown right here and combines them with the freshest of ingredients for mouthwatering dishes.

If you are looking for a charming spot for your Christmas party, the Garden Café would be the place for good food and a great time.

We invite you to come celebrate our Christmas Open House on December 5th. Please join us for complimentary refreshments while shopping for that unique gift for the special people in your life.

We have been truly blessed this year to have had the opportunities to design and landscape the entrance to a new subdivision in Waller, put in large terraced beds that lead to a pool in a residential area, and xeriscaping a southwestern style home along with many other projects. Be sure to check out our website for photos of some of our jobs.

Fall is here now though and we need to get our plants prepared for the oncoming cold weather. At this time azaleas and camellias can be moved if needed. Keep them moist to lessen cold weather damage. Mulch well. Plant spring flowering bulbs at this time. Mix 1 tbsp. of bone meal in the soil at the bottom of the hole. Tulips should be refrigerated now for the next 3 weeks to create strong root systems. The tops of perennials can be cut back now. It is time to thin and transplant seedlings.

This is a great time to plant fruit trees, evergreens, flowering and deciduous shrubs. Pansies can be placed in beds now, be sure to use a little blood meal under each plant. Calendula, delphinium, snapdragon, stock and wallflower can be pinched back to encourage bushy growth. Chrysanthemums should be cut to the ground after they finish blooming. Your roses need to be fed lightly, but do not use nitrogen fertilizers and do not prune at this time. Deep watering is great for roses.

Mary Helen Latimer-owner/chef
(979) 826-0404