Another project done: My rock garden

Every couple of years I have to remove the large river rock from my front yard, smooth out the dirt and put in new weed barrier cloth before putting all that rock down again.

It usually takes me two days just to remove the rock. This time, on the second day, Greg helped, so I wouldn't be left a basket case. For the record I filled 10 extra large buckets with rocks. My best buddy, Mel, reminded me that she watched a movie where prisoners did that all day long. That's me. Doomed to move rock (and dirt) for the rest of my life. There's a good chance I'll be doing it in my ghost life too. 

This year I'm putting a double layer of weed barrier. To be honest, it's not the weeds so much (though they are pernicious), it's the fire ants.

Every year they find a way to build a nest in that spot. The only poison I ever use in my gardens is Amdro, but even that is losing its efficacy.  

This time we burned them out. It's a longer process because we have to let them rest and regroup before we disturb the nest again, but it's very good at killing the larvae, princesses, and queen if you can find them. 

The thing about ants is that they never stop. I admire their focus, but I can't have them ruining my garden. They managed to push dirt up and bury even the biggest stones. It was a real game of hide and seek finding all that rock. 

I walked away with quite a few stings, and one excruciating mandible bite, even though I was careful not to linger too long in one spot. 

The fire ant is the poster pest of Texas.  They prefer warmer climates and range from Texas through the Carolinas, also dotting a few spots in southern California, Arizona, and Virginia. 

They hurt like the dickens, and their name is well deserved. If you get stung by a regular ant and a fire ant, you'll immediately feel the difference. And they attack ferociously. If you have toddlers or baby pets, you want to scope out the area before you let them loose.

In the end, the finished job looks nice and neat, but lo and behold, the fire ants started again to regain their turf within hours!

I will keep fighting them until they decide to move elsewhere. 

You shall not win, fire ants! 

The picture above shows the rock garden, minus the plants. This year I'm going to put in some potted sage. The bees love sage when it's in bloom. 

In other news: The vegetable garden and orchards are doing well. It's a real struggle to protect young trees from deer. I have to keep everything behind a fence or under netting.

My persimmon saplings finally leafed out only to have something chew up their leaves. I suspected grasshoppers, but Google suggested beetles or caterpillars. It left my nearby pear trees alone, so it's probably a pest that's particular about species. Grasshoppers are not fussy at all. They'd eat you if you stood still long enough.

I'm going to try Neem oil. It's non toxic to bees and butterflies. 

One of my two apple trees seems to be doing better now that I've put it back in a pot. The other is still struggling. I am looking for Granny Smith apple trees now. I might have to wait until the fall. I started making apple pies this year and Greg is in love with them. They are very tasty.

Once I find some Granny Smith trees that should end my search for any more fruit trees.

The weather has been such a wildcard this spring. One day it could be 60 degrees, and the next, close to 90. I think it's starting to level off now though. 

I'm not looking forward to hot weather, but I feel more prepared now that I have shade cloth and a wider area to shade potted plants. 

Are you planting yet? What's on your radar for the future? 

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