Fall Weather

Fall is here and I couldn't be happier with the weather.  It's cooling down and the rain is still only intermittent.  Plants everywhere are loving it too.  This little guy was just growing away in this planter near one of the shopping centers nearby.

Cooler weather also means less need to water so much to keep things from dying.  Not too little though, so much still has months to grow and become hardy for the winter.  We have turmeric that I still need to figure out what to do with.  The fig tree I plan to mulch so it stays warm over the winter.  Probably also get something to go over it so it might have a good start in the spring as well.  Early to rise early to fruit.  No figs this year after its near death experience last winger.

The plumeria will have to come inside when it gets too cold.  Also have to figure out when that is going to be.  This is the first time I've gotten one of these to grow so well and not die after a week.  I can't have all of the plants people give me die immediately.  That wouldn't be very encouraging.

I have a few seeds that I want to get going too.  One is a pine seed I got from a nice tree outside a hotel.  I intend to plant it where it can really take off and not destroy my foundation or water/irrigation lines.  So much to do and no time to do it in.

Hot Cocoa Recipe

The weather has gotten colder (a nice cold front moved through DFW last night) and it's getting to be fall.  Which of course means hot beverages and soups.  We've probably all had a nice cup of cocoa on a chilly day but have you had a really good hot cocoa yet?

This is one that you can use Hershey's cocoa for.  Of course if you want to fancy it up any cocoa will do.  For me it isn't the cocoa but the milk that makes it better because frankly there's a lot more of it.  If you were on the other hand making drinking chocolate I'd suggest a nicer chocolate with a more complex flavor.

Here is my take on cocoa for the coming seasons.

Hot Cocoa

Take a tablespoon of both cocoa and sugar and mix them with as much whole milk (cold is ok but warmed milk will mix faster).

(People will tell you that 2% or skim milk will do, but not really unless your doctor says otherwise.)

Mix this together until it forms a thick consistent texture.  Let it sit for a few minutes so the sugar has some time to dissolve and the cocoa has time to absorb the liquid. Your mixture should thicken up quite a bit.  This will allow it to mix well with the rest of the milk when combined.

To prepare your milk, heat it on the stove on low to medium heat, depending on your stove, stirring constantly so it doesn't scald on the bottom.  When the milk gets steamy and starts to form little bubbles it's ready to mix. Depending on how rich you want the chocolate flavor you can mix anywhere between 4 and 8 ounces of milk into the chocolate.

Optionally you can add a little vanilla extract, peppermint oil, salt, or other additives to your taste.

The Heat Dies Down

Although the heat is on it's way out this is not the time to get lazy and let the garden go.  Watering is still very important if you want your garden to produce well this fall season.  It's a good time to plant new crops since the heat won't wither them when they come up.

A thorough weeding of the garden is a good idea too and needs to be kept up since the heat won't keep them down either.  It's now prime growing time and there isn't any time to loose.  Before you know it we'll be having cold snaps and harvesting of late vegetables before the first freeze.

If you're stuck on ideas of what to plant here's a few ideas:
Beans will grow quickly and can be harvested throughout November if you get them in the ground now.
Carrots will always be a good idea and can be harvested around the same time.
Winter squash and possible summer squash should do well.

This is also a good time to get an herb garden started if you don't have one already.  Many herbs will grow throughout the year but now is a good time to have them root well.

Fall Tomatoes

Even after being run over with a trailer and sat on by neighborhood cats, my tomato plants are still trying to produce tomatoes for me.  The first couple had some bugs but there are several that are doing really well.
The weather seems to want to cooperate with me too.  No freezing temperatures in the near forecast and plenty of sun. All I have to do is keep them watered and happy and we'll have some good pasta sauce in our future.  Likewise the basil plants are continuing to grow and look healthy.  We'll probably harvest them soon and make more pesto and save some for making sauce.
The beet plant is still getting bigger but no flower stalks yet, a few more weeks of waiting and we'll see what happens.

Cantaloupe Season is Over

No need for a photo today.  I was hoping the cantaloupe plant was only going through a short slump but it seems the  cantaloupe season has ended for our area.  The last fruit has been picked and is sitting in the fridge waiting to be eaten.  The vine is turning yellow and the lieaves are shriveling.  The night air is reaching the mid 60's signaling the end of summer is comming.  Time for the fall harvest to start producing!

My next project is to sprout some black currant seeds and have something in the ground in the next few weeks.  Hopefully they will have time to produce for next fall.

Texas Fall Colors

The color change in the north central Texas region isn't what you might call colorful or long lasting but it's nice when a little color comes to the yard. There will be a lot of raking in a day or two. Figs tend to loos all of their leaves in a short period of time.
The only other color in the yard is the crape myrtle. It's a little scragly looking at the moment since i've been trying to kill it. I should probably try something this winter while it's dormant. It might be easier to kill then.
The fig has gotten to a good size this year and should produce well in the spring.
Lots of other things to start this winter inside so the gardening should still be busy.

Fall is nearly over and the plants can't be happpier. All summer long the radishes lay there crying, barely growing at all. Now that they are growing the make great additions to salad.

Our purple basil has gone to seed and is nearly ready to collect seeds for next year. Not enough leaves to worry about and the ones that are still on the plant are pretty small.

Another prodigious grower is the ever present dandelion. They're a little too bitter at this point but they aren't too bad when they just start sprouting in the spring.

Unfortunately fall also brings around spiders. When coming back from our trip we saw tons of strands waving in the breeze at the airport shimmering in the parking lot lights. I don't mind them hanging around but I don't like running into them in the woods or yard.

Pansy Time

When I came in from the field, still afflicted with rashes of poison ivy, I saw the landscaping crews outside the office ripping out the plants that had been flowering and putting in pansies. They do this every year around this time when the heat is bound to stay down.

I personally don't do pansies. They look neat and come in lots of colors but I prefer things that come back easily and rough it out. I also prefer things I can use in everyday cooking.
You can, of course, eat pansies, not sprayed with pesticides. They make cupcakes look really neat either plain or crystalized with sugar if you aren't going to serve them right away.

If you dry them you can incorporate them into homemade paper or other crafting projects. My wife has made a pendant using dried flowers. She picked smaller ones though due to the size she was working with.

Fall Yet?

They said it would get cooler yesterday.
Then they said it woud be cooler today.
Then I stopped listening to them and just waited like everyone else.
Granted, it was a little cooler today. I stayed in the truck more with the AC running. I've been out doing surveying work. The worst part is the mosquitos atacking. As I was swatting them away from my head with one hand and a hat, I failed to notice my other hand. By the time I looked down there were nearly a dozen on the one hand alone, not to mention my jeans where they couldn't get to me anyway. I smacked them off and red smears were left.
All things said though, it is a little cooler. Not as much as I would like just yet but it'll be here soon enough.
We'll be cruising out of Baltimore November 4th. Then I may just be thinking why I wanted the cool weather to come so soon.
The cantaloupe is still growing. It's been netted for some time now and just hasn't ripened. So far I haven't found a reason for this. In the mean time I guess I'll keep it watered and fed.
The cooler weather has done wonders for the weeds in the yard too. I pulled out a bunch of them recently just to have them replaced with a new batch.