It’s going to be 78 degrees today (!!)

in Garden

Bees and Blueberries

And it will be 40 tomorrow night. Typical. But then we’ll be done with “winter” weather and it’s all dinner on the patio and backyard strawberries from here until August when the oppressive heat sets in and I wonder why the heck we stayed in Texas when we could have lived somewhere not as Seventh-Circle-of-Hell hot.

But I’ll have plenty of time to complain in August. And right now, I’m far too excited about spring to think about it anymore. So… green stuff and sunshine and bees!

Lady bug and peach blossom

That’s a lady bug. And a peach blossom.

Peach blossom

And less than a week later, that blossom is a baby peach! And when she grows up, she shall be peach cobbler. Or a peach margarita. I’ll support her in whichever delicious path she chooses.

Right now, our garden is shaping up like this:

Patio/Backyard
2 Peaches
Plum
Celeste Fig
Rio Star Grapefruit (pot)
2 Key Lime (1 potted)
Mexican lime
Pomegranate
Meyer Lemon (pot)
Lemon (pot)
4 blueberries

Last year, we had everything in pots except the plum and peaches. That looks like a lot of trees – and it kinda is – but growing citrus in pots is a really great way to maximize garden real estate. They do really well as long as you keep them fertilized and trimmed to a manageable size. And they make your patio look really nice. And when your grapefruit tree blossoms open, they’ll make your patio smell insanely nice.

Grapefruit Blossom

Vegetable garden
In the ground already
Serrano
Jalapeno
Red Bell Pepper
Zucchini
Juliet tomato
9 green beans
~25 strawberries

Strawberry, kale, and plum

Seedlings
Kale
Spinach
Broccoli
Basil (purple and green)
Cilantro
Oregano
Green onions
Eggplant
Tomatillo
2 San Marzano tomato
Yellow Pear tomato
Beefsteak tomato

Grapefruit Tree

I think that’s it… for now. I have my sights set on a Tangerine tree and a 5th garden box for more tomatoes. But those dreams might have to wait another year!

14 comments… add one
  • I have to say, I’m a little jealous of your warm weather. Ours is still a couple months away, but I’m starting to day dream about fun things in the garden already! If I can find a peach tree that will tolerate WI winters, I’m totally planting one this year!

  • Wow!! I’m so incredibly jealous..what I would do for a backyard like that!! Maybe I should move to Texas…I think I can deal with the “seventh circle of hell” haha it’d be worth it for all that amazingness at arms length growing in my backyard!!

  • I read the title of your post and thought, “I hate you.” Then I read the first sentence of your post and thought, “I hate you.”

    But I didn’t really mean it.

  • I am so insanely jealous of your awesome garden. I have such a black thumb and am always so intimidated by growing plants/fruits/vegetables! I can’t wait to see what amazing things come from your garden.

  • Your garden looks fantastic. We are getting ready to plant ours next week if we can ever get past the warm days and then snow the next. St. Louis weather is also a mess!

  • Love your pictures!

  • Oh, I am so jealous! I have at least two more months before I can really get out in the garden (I’ll start planting spinach in about a month). I got a meyer lemon tree for Christmas and I am having trouble with aphids. Do you put anything on your fruit trees to prevent pests?

    • I haven’t in the past but I’m strongly considering it this year. We’ve had problems with those little white flies and leaf miners. Last fall, the white flies made a mess of one of my key limes but they’re mostly harmless and riddable with just spraying water. But the leaf miners nearly destroyed the meyer – it’s still in pretty sad shape.

  • Tracy

    I’m in NW Florida and my citrus started blooming even before mid January and I didn’t get them pruned so now they are a mess and I don’t know if I should leave up or cut them – there are flowers everywhere!! BTW what do you and when do you fertilize yours?

    • I did the ‘seasonal pruning’ mid/late January-ish. And because many of ours are potted and we want to keep them on the small side, I’ll prune whenever something looks gangly or out of balance. I fertilize year-round every 3-4 weeks with a citrus-avocado fertilizer.

  • I admire your garden discipline, Shawnda! Now that I’m in Mississippi, you’d think I could get my act together and make use of the warm weather. But, I am so not as focused as you. Send me some of your gardening super powers, pretty please? 🙂 (BTW, beautiful photos!)

    • It was new to me once not too long ago 🙂 But I promise – after one season, you’ll be an expert. Water, fertilize, weed, and treat for pests as necessary. It’s pretty much that easy!

  • Gorgeous photos! And I’m so incredibly jealous of your backyard!

  • Amanda

    Exciting!!

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