September 1-2, 2013
I dug a small triangular bed between the existing C-shaped bed and the back fence. The dirt was very dry and hard. I had to break up the dirt clumps to remove the grass from it. I then added the grass, along with some dirt, to my new compost pile in the back yard nook. Soon thereafter (not sure of the date), I sowed vetch seeds over that entire bed with the intent to break up the dirt and add nitrogen for later crops.I removed the old cardboard from the ground under and around my compost pile and put it on top of the pile.
I sowed seeds for mustard 'Red Giant' and Swiss chard.
September 5, 2013
The nandina around the house had a lot of berries. I would later snip them all off and put them in the trash.The monkey grass was flowering.
The loropetalum was only growing in a small area on the west side of the water oak. It would later spread over a larger area.
I photographed the Algerian ivy growing towards the west end of the back fence. It was competing with the star jasmine, which was also climbing the fence there.
I photographed the goldenrain tree, that had grown between the fences. It was considerably taller than the power lines running just on the other side of the property line. Around this time, Goldenrain tree seedlings started to appear all over the place.
I photographed the Chinese privet that was also growing between the fences. It was considerably smaller than the goldenrain tree.
A tuft grass was growing out of the star jasmine along the back fence.
I photographed the Chinese tallow tree growing near the east end of the yard between the fences. It seems to be the most mature tree growing in that space.
Raccoons or possums left holes they had dug in the new garden beds.
I discovered the Japanese holly fern hidden in the nandina behind my bedroom.
I photographed the bougainvillea growing hanging over the fence from my eastern neighbor's yard. It was not flowering.
In the east yard, I photographed the Persian silk tree for the first time, a live oak seedling, and a small pecan sapling growing out of the nandina.
I photographed the kusamaki for the first time.
September 6, 2013
Red giant mustard clearly emerged from seed, next to some erect dayflower seedlings.A sweet basil seedling emerged a few days earlier.
Some Kentucky wonder bean seedlings had been visible for at least a week while others were just emerging.
September 7, 2013
I photographed the ferns behind the garage, as well as the other fern species behind the kitchen, for the first time.Dayflower seedlings appeared in the C bed, near the mustard seedlings.
An oak seedling, with post oak-looking leaves, was growing by a fence.
September 12, 2013
I started clearing out the nandina from between my bedroom wall and the back patio to make room for herbs.My transplanted greens–collards, broccoli, kales– were nearly at a size where it would be good to take some leaves.
My Jalapeno “mucho nacho’ plant’s leaves had yellow blotches.
The tulsi basil was growing quickly.
Some of the tomato plant’s leaves began to curl and yellow.
I placed some dry St. Augustine grass from my compost pile around the Kentucky wonder bean seedlings as mulch.
The Texas lantana I had planted in August had already lost most of its leaves.
I yanked all the star jasmine off the east fence and laid much of the pulled vines on top of the jasmine on the ground by the fence.
I put a lot of the pulled star jasmine in a pile by my air conditioning condenser, starting a “long-term pre-compost pile.”
The vetch I had sowed was emerging in the triangle bed.
September 14, 2013
I finished removing the nandina from between my bedroom wall and the patio.I moved the nandina sticks and leaves to the wood pile.
September 15, 2013
I moved my hose spool away from the back of the house so the hose would not interfere with my new herbs.I planted these herbs in the new herb area:
- Bee balm
- Wintergreen mint
- Lemon balm
- Peppermint
- Sicilian oregano
- Rosemary ‘Spice Island’
- Thyme ‘Porlock’
- Sage ‘Berggarten’
- Savory
- Catnip
- Turk’s Cap in the herb garden near the bedroom wall
- Coral honeysuckle by the west fence
- Shrimp plant in the northwest corner, near the lantana
September 21, 2013
I cleared the star jasmine from the northeast corner of the fence and discovered that the fence boards in that area were rotten and had big holes in them.The radishes were growing well.
Texas sage started blooming.
I went to Joshua’s Native Plants and bought:
- American beautyberry, with berries
- Butterfly weed, flowering
- Hummingbird bush, flowering
- White autumn sage, flowering
September 22, 2013
I replaced the rotten fence boards with new ones.I planted the plants I had bought the day before.
- American beautyberry in the northeast corner of the back yard
- The other three along the back fence near the lantana and shrimp plant
I put a store-bought tomato cage over the tomato plant.
I photographed the Boston ivy for the first time. It was hanging off the Chinese tallow tree growing between the fences and competing with the star jasmine.
The mustard 'Red Giant' had several true leaves.
Acorns were on the ground and the patio.
September 23, 2013
Some swamp lilies were about to bloom.Acorns were starting to fall from the water oak.
The lantana leaves were inflicted with a fungus or other pathogen.
I found a few different mushrooms in the yard.
I identified a darkling beetle as such.
September 24, 2013
The collard leaves were quite large.The sweet basil had multiple levels of leaves but still no branches.
The shrimp plant had many flowers.
I photographed the narcissus leaves in the recently cleaned up area that became my herb garden behind the kitchen. I was only able to identify the plant as a narcissus the following spring.
September 27, 2013
Morning glory vines were coming through the fence from my western neighbors yard, and flowers were blooming on my side of the fence.The butterfly bush was not looking good. Some star jasmine was still growing nearby.
For the first time, I picked up bags of grass clippings left on the curb for trash pickup in my neighborhood. I dumped the clippings on the compost pile in the back yard nook.
Swamp lilies were blooming.
September 29, 2013
An Agaricus mushroom appeared in the yard.A Texas lantana leaf had leaf-miner tunnels on it.
Some Parasola plicatilis mushrooms appeared in my C-shaped garden bed.
