Moving Day!

Rooster and I are moving in the morning back into my parents old farmhouse.  I am very excited to be back in the country with the animals, yards, garden and birds. 

It is very hot here, 109 degrees today and for the past 37 day it has been over 100.  Thank heavens for AC. 

May Brings Many Changes to the West Balcony

May has been a very busy month for Mr. Rooster and me.  Our grand-peep started playing T-Ball with Rooster as the coach.  Yesterday was his last day of kindergarten.  We're so proud of him finishing school two weeks early because he has passed all his test to have early release.

My west balcony has grown so much over the past month.  My Morning Glories are now climbing the fishing line above the balcony rails and each morning I have purple flowers.  I have tomatoes on my patio plants, lots of blooms for future tomatoes. 

My upside down tomato plant is doing great, about 15 blooms so hopeful the warmer weather of June will bring lots of tomatoes.  I soak this basket every other day for about 30 minutes in a large cooler I fill with water.  Because of the Dusty Miller, Petunias and other plants that share this basket I feed it twice a week with bloom and tomato fertilizer.  Soaking wet this basket weights about 50 pounds!!!

 A Sunflower peeks out of the Morning Glories. 

West balcony hanging baskets with Sweet Potato vines, annual flowers that need a little more heat to start flowering. Morning Glories climbing up the fishing line, they give us a living privacy fence.  We've enjoyed waking up each morning to the pretty flowers.                           

This week I hope to see my third Gerber Daisy flower bloom.  The first two blooms have been yellow and pink.  What color will this bloom be??!!

I started this young tomato in January from seed.  My only tomato seedling that made it through the weird spring weather. 

Morning Glories climbing higher, I added the fishing line last week, this week they've grown another foot taller. 

 My daughter gave me a start of what my mom called Hen and Chicken.

 I planted this patio tomato plant in February, I've harvested a few tomatoes each month and now that the weather is warming up it has grown another foot and added lots of cherry tomotoes. 

My largest hanging basket with my upside down tomato plant, Dusty Miller and annual flowers. 



June should bring more flowers and veggies to my west balcony with the warmer weather in Texas.

Dallas Zoo Raised Gardens

My little peep grandson, Tommy had a field trip with his class to the Dallas Zoo.  I loved their raised garden with herbs and vegetables. 

I had Tommy touch the chocolate mint basil then smells his fingers...he thought if he licked them they would taste like chocolate!!!

Fun day with him and my daughter. 

My New Plants and Planters

New tin Rooster planter with a "rescue" Gerber Daisy, Begonia, some seedlings and a Sweet Potato vine.  Drained holes for drainage.

 Close-up of the pink Gerber Daisy.  Bought a Lowes after the storm for $2.50. 

 My first tomato from a patio tomato. 

Begonias from Lowes, 44 cents a 6 pack.  Poor babies needed a new home on my east balcony. 

 Africa Daisy in a Rooster planter.  Another "rescue" plant from Lowes. 

 My new basket (garage sale find) pink Geranium & Sweet Potato vine.  It is lined with newspaper and moss then soil.  Makes a wonderful welcome to my front door.

East balcony. 

 East balcony.  I only have to water this balcony every other day.

Vintage pitcher that I drained 4 holes in for drainage, Pink Geranium.   One of my friends gave me one of her babies from her Airplane plant it is in it new home a vintage green ceramic pot that I drained holes in for drainage. 





This evening while watering my plants I saw a big worm come up for water.  Last week Mr. Rooster when fishing and brought home not only fish but is left over worms.  I sprinkle a little cornmeal and coffee grounds to feed it and he lives in my plants.  I feed him and his other friends he works my soil.  We both win!

My Balcony Garden after 90 MPH Winds Storm Last Night

 Sunset this evening off my west balcony.  My east balcony didn't hardly get any rain or damage.  After photo.

 My one red tomato made it through the storm!!!!  My onions are bend and broke but I had blooms on my white Zucchini this afternoon after the storm.  After photo.

At 6:00AM my poor seedlings came out of their holder and fly across the balcony. 

Home Depot had an 18 wheeler flipped over these are the trialers in their parking lot.  Damage everywhere just a few miles from my balcony.  I feel lucky tonight.

 My basket of newly planted Geraniums, Mornings Glories, Tomatilla, Bell Peppers made it with little leave damage.  My Purple Passion did great didn't even lose a leaf.  Right after the storm.

All cleaned up after the storm.  The Sweet Potato vines I planted Saturday did great. 

This building is one mile from my west balcony!!!  Bye-Bye.

This is my local Lowes, the tops of their green house is gone as well as all the tin buildings in their parking lot.  2 miles from my balcony. 

This salad planter did great except the purple onions are sad, the heirloom tomato did great as did the squash plant. 

All cleaned up tonight.  My seedling for the community project are all mixed up but after a little tender loving care under the grow light for the next few day I should be able to tell what is damaged and what I can save. 

Our first Texas spring storm.  More to come I am sure!!!  At least they all got tons of great rain water last night.  I added about 2 inches of potting soil to all my pots to help with stress and the cooler temps tonight from a high yesterday of 90 to 49 tonight. 

Night, night babies!!!

Texas evening on my balcony garden

 Morning Glories, Sunflowers along railing. 

Hanging basket.

Cute little red wagon with Zinnias and Sweet Alyssum, tomato plant in green planter.

My first red tomato of the season...hopefully more to come.

Drilling Drain Holes In Vintage Ceramic Pots

 This is my MIL ceramic pot that needs drain holes.  I tested the Bosch Titanium Drill Bit I bought at Lowes for about $3.00 on it.  The salesman told me to go very slow with little pressure. 

 I decide to drill the first hole in the middle and work outward SLOWLY. 
I made 3 holes, it worked!!!

Different pots I really loved from garage sales and family. 

I picked this ceramic green planter for 10 cents, the sewing machine planter came from my MIL's collection. !  Now it will be a home for my herbs. 

Some of my container for the balcony

My daughter made me a Rooster clay pot, has holes to add climbers to go up the ropes.

This is a roll basket that works great for a hanging pot.

Found this at a garage sale, hummm what should live here??!!

My purple Passion Flower next to a clay pot with Morning Glories.

Wire baskets with tomatoes, Petunias, Dusty Miller and other assorted plants.

Morning Surprise

Saturday while doing my grocery shopping I saw some Hyacinth in the flower section.  This pot of Hyacinths cost $4.00, I picked one that hadn't bloom but wasn't sure what color mine would be. 

When I came downstairs this morning this is what greeted me. 
Mine is pink!!!  Just right for this Easter. 

Moving Pots to the East Balcony

Today I started moving my container garden to my eastern balcony.  My biggest worry are the cats that killed my plants last year using them as a kitty box!!!  I put red pepper flakes, hot spices on top on the moss on the top of each plant.  My grandmother, Granny taught me this, we'll see if it works.  LOL



The western barrel has a Canna Lily that should grow to be about 3 foot.

Rosemary, Marigolds and assorted seeds.

Our neighbors love to have a beer and a smoke at our community table. 

Flowers, tomato plant, squash and a few red onions in the long planter.  For summer salads!!

Flowers.