The orange tree I keep almost killing

A few years ago, I bought a dwarf orange tree for $10 at Lowe's to keep in a container on my back porch and bring inside during the winter.  Container plants can be a challenge in the summer because it gets so hot here, and we usually have a spell without rain, AND my biggest problem with gardening is not watering enough. 

So, each year it struggles during our hot spells in the summer and struggles with my lack of watering it indoors in the winter.  This year, I went out of town for a few weeks, and realized that I had forgotten to give my husband instructions on watering it.  I figured that was it for the tree and kicked myself for not remembering.  I had also intended to repot it before going out of town, but didn't have time. 

When my husband joined me on the trip after 4 weeks, he mentioned that my tree had seemed "dry" and that he had set it outside, to soak up our ample spring rain, since he figured the danger of frost had past.  I was surprised to hear that my tree was still living and thanked him for his thoughtfulness. 

When I returned home, I discovered that his version of "dry" was that it was brown, and all the leaves had fallen off.  "It's dead," I told him.  "It's not your fault; I didn't tell you to water it."  He expressed optimism that it might come back.  I am too lazy to take care of anything in a timely fashion, so before I could compost my little dead tree, it started growing green leaves like crazy. 

I remained concerned that I had stressed and damaged so much that it will never be capable of producing fruit, and wanted to get rid of it anyway, but those new green leaves looked so pretty and vigorous.  When I shook the think loose of its pot, I saw that it was potbound.  It just looks like it wants to live, so I won't kill it. 

I cut off the parts that appeared to be truly dead and repotted it today.  I hope it is happy in its new pot with fresh soil. 

Basil Perpetuo, a dream come true

Today, an order I had placed with the Burpee catalog came.  I got 2 more tomato plants and a pepper plant.  All were varieties I couldn't find enough of at my local garden store, but then, of course, after I had ordered them, I discovered the garden store had gotten more plants in stock, including one of the tomato plants I had wanted, as well as the pepper plant (poblano). 

In addition, I ordered 3 basil plants, of a variety called "perpetuo."  I grew it last year.  It's a great plant because it never flowers.  Flowering makes basil taste bitter, although I do know people who keep on using it after it has flowered.  I don't recall the flavor of perpetuo being quite as strong as that of the regular old basil, so I will have to check on that, but it was quite good.  And it was very nice to continue to have basil after all my other had flowered.

 So, perpetuo is a mutant plant that doesn't flower.  It also has pretty green and white leaves.  And, the best part is, apparently it can be wintered over indoors!  I can have basil all year without starting seeds.  I am putting two of my perpetuos in the garden and one in a pot on my deck.  In October, I will bring it inside and hope that it will get enough light in my bedroom to survive the winter.  Apparently, these plants can grow up to 4 feet tall.  Imagine having a beautiful varigated basil 4-foot in a pot to make pesto out of year round. 

Hopefully, I will not kill my basil perpetuo.  I will post again this winter as to how my mutant basil is doing indoors. 

Picking up the pieces after a gardening hiatus

Well, I have not blogged in some time because I have not been gardening for some time.  But I got started back again last weekend. 

One thing I had to admit is that with homeschooling and all of my other activities, I didn't have time for as large of a garden as I had.  I also wanted my beds pushed together, so that there weren't spaces between them to worry about.  I had eight 4' by 8' beds.  When I tried to move them, I realized many of them (the non-cedar ones) were rotton.  I had to get my superhusband to help me, and now I have three 4' by 8' beds all in a row, no spaces in between, and superhusband can mow around all of them.  (Before, I had put mulch around them to keep the grass weeds out, but this proved to be a lot of trouble and expense to keep up.  I'd rather just pull the bermuda grass out.  Or at least we're going to try it.) 

I've used my cardboard weed barrier technique to plant 2 of my remaining beds, and one is ready to be planted.  I also want my superhusband to help me put in one additional bed. 

That will give me half the space I had last year, and I don't think it will affect my harvest.  Last year was a disaster, with me not having time to water or weed, and a lot of my garden died in mid-summer.  I'm going to take care of the space that I have, choose my plants very carefully, and try not to go overboard. 

Plant addiction is no joke.