Summer 2020, Zone 8b: Garden Updates

This summer started with some forage-style gardening.

This is a prickly pear cactus (Opuntia genus) that I grew from seeds I got on a nature walk. I simply sliced open a prickly pear that was ripe and spread out its seeds shallowly in some potting soil. I don't recommend poking it.

This is a "Turk's Cap" mallow flower plant (Malvaviscus arboreus). It's native to my region and has edible flowers which turn into edible berries. I was a dunce for removing the huge one that was in my backyard when I moved in, so I'm making amends by planting the replacement that I grew from a trail cutting.

Honey suckle! This member of the Lonicera genus grow all over my neighborhood. These were easy to grow from cutting and this one won't be the last one in my yard.

These are just some mustang grapes (Vitis mustangensis) I grabbed on a walk. Sour but delicious, and easily confused for muscadine (also delicious). You know you have mustang and not muscadine if the back of the leaves are white and fuzzy. 

This summer, the main garden beds were overflowing with squash and cucumber vines, carrot tops, and green onions.

Notice the little dog fence I had to install. Cute, right?

Here's a smorgasbord harvest that represents the summer crops pretty well: zucchini, carrots, okra, turnip, and cucumber.

Carrots are always a welcome guest at the table.

Finally planted some sweet potato vines.

Pretty zucchini flower, had to share!

Found this sucker on my mulch. Slime molds are cool. Break down that wood, slimemold!

Okra loves our native 99.9% clay soil, so I love okra now.

In the words of Pumbaa, "Slimy, yet satisfying."

Check out these Black Spanish grapes! They ripened over summer, and I can't say I care for the seeds 😑

          

What I do care for are Texas figs! (A Ficus carica variety)

(and blackberries! can't remember which variety)

I hope you liked my Summer 2020 photo montage. Happy gardening!