Re: [gardeners] Saturday

Allen and Judy Merten (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 14 Nov 1998 22:01:15 -0600 

Hi George,
    It's raining again in Bastrop Co. Isn't this a year of weather
contridictions? We had a 50 yr drought this summer. A 150 year flood in
October, and it has not quit raining for more than 3 consecutive days since.
We have had over 20 inches of rain since Oct 1st. It is the wettest October
on record. If anyone, in the future, looks at the rainfall totals for 1998,
there is now way that they will say "Oh yeah thats the year those folks had
such a terrible drought."
    It's been too wet to plant or even work the garden soil, so no fall
garden this year. I hate it when that happens. I really look forward to all
the greens and Cole family crops. I am still getting Anaheim Chilis,
Jalapeno Grandes and Jupiter and Big Bertha Bell peppers. Those Anaheims
make great chili powder. I have dried some of the bells and some of the
Jalapenos also. Most of the bells went into the freezer. Only half of the
Jalapenos got pickled. I dried some and ate a bunch. Tell you what, when
those Jalapeno Grandes get a few of the woody streaks on them they are
killers. Son # 2 works with a Mexican man who wanted some of the jalapenos
after he heard bout them. So I sent him a sack full. He ate a couple and
gave the rest of them to his father-in-law who is from Old Mexico. He sent
us a message that he really has enjoyed them. He knew that they were going
to be good when he broke a sweat eating them. I also sent him a half gallon
of salsa that we made. He sent us some homemade tamales. Whoo, to die for!!
I got me a connection here!
    When, if, it dries up I'm going to spend the winter adding organic
material to the gardens. I'll plant my 1015's in Jan from transplants.
Didn't get to plant the seeds on October 15th 'cause of the wet soil and
raining that day, too.
    That's about all the garden news that there will be until Jan. So I'm
keeping busy cutting firewood and transplanting pines and cedars out from
under the mother trees. We lost 22 pine and cedar saplings that we
transplanted this spring. Watered them regularly. It was excessive heat that
killed them. I had planted some crook neck gourds this spring. They didn't
start setting fruit until mid September. Didn't do too well they are all too
thin shelled. Another bust, Gus.
    We have a wildlife habitat certificate from the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Dept. I'll spend a lot of time this winter doing improvements to the habitat
to keep busy. Closest thing to gardening I'll get to do.
    Hope yall don't get as wet as we have.
Happy Gardening,
Allen
Bastrop Co.,Tx

George Shirley wrote:

> The day started with a very early morning deluge. We finally got some of
> the rain that was hitting the Houston area last week. Minor street
> flooding, no home or car damage, just lots of wet. The rest of today has
> been a variety of weather, when the rain stopped the sun came out for a
> couple of hours, then it started sprinkling rain again, then the rain
> quit and the clouds came out to play. Has been twilight since a little
> after 1:00 pm.
>
> Not able to play in the garden I went off to a clients place at 9:00 am
> and then back to home to put on a pot of vegetable and turkey neck soup.
> This is really more of a "stoup", it's pretty thick with tomatoes, green
> beans, a variety of dried beans, corn, carrots, and bell pepper. Gonna
> be right tasty this evening. We had contemplated going out to dinner but
> elected to stay home with more bad weather threatening. I also made a
> pan of bar cookies, made with persimmon pulp. Tasty little things so
> will probably make some more. Helped a friend learn more about his
> computer software yesterday and he gifted us with oriental persimmons,
> about 20 of them. The pureed pulp now resides in the freezer as they
> were almost over ripe. Looks like we'll have a persimmon pie on
> Thanksgiving and we may make a batch of persimmon jam.
>
> It's been a good day to sit around and read with Sleepy Dawg laying up
> beside me snoozing. I'm re-reading the works of Nicholas Monsarrat and
> thoroughly enjoying his sea stories. Hope all are having a good weekend.
>
> George, Miz Anne, and Sleepy Dawg