January 2025

January 13

It looks and feels like winter, but the horizontal pastel stripes on the horizon make me think of spring. This magnificent view was from our back porch this morning. It is time to begin preparing the STEAM gardens for our pollinator visitors.

January 14

We have been removing tape from cardboard boxes, cellophane windows from envelopes, and binder clips from old file folders so they can be used as weed barriers in our new spring gardens. Hint: It is easier to remove tape from damp cardboard than dry cardboard. We deeply appreciate companies that use a paper-based tape for packaging.

January 14

This year, we are adding two large nectar patches in front of the greenhouse. These will be Nectar Patch 3 and Nectar Patch 4 and they are in our Observation Garden. Nectar Patches 1 and 2 were established 5 years ago in our Visitor’s Garden. They are well established and productive, but we need more food and host plants for our plethora of pollinators.

January 15

Instead of weed barrier fabrics, we use thick layers of cardboard and paper products to kill Bermuda grass and weeds. These areas also become temporary carbon sinks. We strive to cover the soil with an inch of cardboard. It is crucial that the edges overlap layer on top of layer so no space is open for rhizomes to emerge in their search of sunlight.

January 16

Plastic cattle feed tubs form the boundaries of our Nectar Patches. A 10” hole is cut in the bottom of each pot. This allows for drainage and, if needed, long roots can penetrate the soil below.

January 16

If we are planting a shallow-rooted annual, or if a pot needs to weigh less so it can be moved easily, we add empty 1-gallon cans to take up space. We appreciate the local restaurants that provided over 120 cans for us this year.

January 16

Nectar Patch 3 is taking shape! I love the height of these molasses cattle feed tubs. Like raised beds, they make it easier to see young plants growing; to weed, feed, and mulch the surface; and to ensure water penetrates the soil instead of running off along the surface.

We collect empty tubs and recycle them in our garden.

If we need more tubs than we can collect, we purchase them from: Positive Feed Ltd 1952 Highway 36, Sealy, Tx 77474 (979) 885-2903

pf4feed.com

January 18

I suggest you buy the best soil you can afford. Don’t forget that soil must be cared for and nurtured just like plants. Soil is filed with living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, nematodes, earthworms, and more. Good garden soil is porous enough to hold air, water, and decaying organic matter.

January 19

Our black tubs are filled with rich soil and then about 18” of soil is added in the center of the Nectar Patch. Taller native plants will be planted in this communal area in the coming months. However, since we are in a drought, we might wait until fall to plant large, deep-rooted shrubs.

January 21

Snow rarely accumulates to cover the ground in Central Texas, but it happened this year. We have been preparing the soil for spring, but it will be weeks before we can plant. You can see the greenhouse to the far left of this photograph. We are supplementing the struggling heating system to keep over 350 seedlings alive.

January 22

The surfaces of the goldfish ponds are frozen, but the fish are fine in the frigid water underneath the ice! All fish are cold blooded organisms so their body temperatures are affected by the water temperature. Fish go into a state of torpor, or a mild, temporary hibernation-like condition to survive. Some of our goldfish are three years old. In spring, the pond appears as seen in the image on the right. We cherish the goldfish because they eat mosquito larva.