amber77's Profile

I'm a fellow Texas gardener, and with our summer temps staying above 100 all season, we haven't even attempted to start winter squash! So if you want to try along with me... Once September comes, I'll be planting winter squash (butternut and acorn). Swiss chard loves it here and grows year-round, hot and cold. Lettuces and greens are perfect for containers and can handle a little shade. Radishes and turnips do well too! I have on good authority that winter gardens in Texas can be your most prolific. Check your local county's website for a planting guide (i.e., Travis County Planting Guide) for an even more in-depth look. You'll find that planting season is NEVER gone in Texas! Happy gardening!

@Emmi—sadly, this barrel is not mine (our free one is a white plastic barrel; not much to look at but hey! I'll take it!).. but agreed. It's lovely.

@pyh—I like this idea!

@John B—yes, keeping an eye on the temperature of the barrel is definitely important for the fishes' sake. But it would be great to have a natural ecosystem, and the fish poo would be good for the garden, to boot.

@inspiredkara - The chairs at the table are from Ikea. I just searched on the Ikea site, though, and couldn't find those exact chairs. We bought them about 4 years ago, though, so they may be out of production.

@LovieDovie: Believe me, that fridge drove us crazy! Talk about inefficient cooking. And it was energy-inefficient to boot. It was recycled last month and replaced, much to our delight.

@barnwoodurbanist: absolutely love this idea! The plan is in the works; as it stands now, my husband and I have to duck in order to have a conversation on either side of those blocky things. So yes, someday, it'll all be open. But, we'll be sure to send those cabinets to Habitat Restore when we take them out.

@Keritha: love this idea too! Although just yesterday I put in a raised herb bed outside that window, but who knows! Maybe someday.

Beautifully written, as usual Dana. Thank you for sharing this.

@meplus3: I added the photo links below, so you can click through to find the Bedrock Industries tile from the first photo. Happy browsing!

Wow, this looks incredible—and will be put to good use this week when I get chard in my CSA box. What a lovely recipe! Can't wait to try it.

Many times I think of a casserole as accidental, but always nurturing (and usually cheesy). And can I just say that the potato and goat cheese gratin pictured above is incredible!? I made it all summer long, with gorgeous veggies from my CSA and local chevre. Delish. Everyone should try it.

@vertigoxcured: Google can be your best friend. I did a quick search for "CSA San Antonio, Texas" and came up with a couple of local farms. Looks like Braune Farms in Seguin has a CSA, and maybe even stop by the Schertz Farmer's Market to see if there are any farms that you can volunteer with. Central Texas is so awesome for its year-round supply of foods. Right now, we're seeing a lot of leafy greens and root veggies in the CSA boxes and at markets. Good luck! Hope you find something that works for you.

I have to agree here—I've been a vegetarian for one year, and probably only eat soy about once a month. Meat replacements weren't the reason I became a vegetarian, so it's easy for me to only eat them once in a while. That's not to say I don't indulge in a veggie burger once in a while (and love it!). But the impact of soy on the environment is a big enough reason to avoid eating it daily/weekly. When I do eat soy/tofu, I make sure it's organic and grown close to home.