It's January -- Must Be Time for My Annual Growaganza...

Yep, it’s that time again in North Texas where we get a few warmish days and I go all garden crazy. But this time there are a few differences.

Last year I was confined indoors by colder weather so I focused on microgreens, plant propagation, indoor aquaponics and the aquariums. This year, I’m reviving the straw bale garden, dealing with my propagation success, and planning for a new greenhouse (high tunnel, actually).

The straw bale garden went up in 2018 and we had a tiny bit of success. Last year, I tried again, but my international travel and other projects delayed me until April. Which was a bit too late. Last year was basically a bust. Does that put me off? No way—I have all that infrastructure and the remnants of last year’s bales to spur me on! Today I replaced the most degraded bales and started mulching around the beds, deeply, so that the Bermuda grass and other weeds won’t sneak in and make a mess. The dogs and cats kept me company in the perfect weather—59 degrees (F) and not a cloud in the sky.

A flock of eastern bluebirds sang while I trimmed back a lot of the woody perennials in the flower beds.

I also fluffed, weeded and amended the bathtub beds and will sow some spinach and other winter crops in the next couple of days. Is it too early yet? We’ll see, won’t we?

When the sun went down, I turned to the Little Red Barn where most of my houseplants are hanging out, as well as my little succulent/violet propagation station. The violets I started from leaf cuttings last January have gone crazy! In fact, I needed to separate some of the babies that had popped up in bunches. These guys will need new homes to make room for the metric ton of heirloom vegetable seedlings I will be growing in a few weeks!

It’s been a wonderful garden day. A lot begun and a lot accomplished. Go big or go home, eh?