Pears, pears, pears

Pears are great fruit that will thrive in our lovely NE Texas climate and soil.  It seems that no matter where I drive out in the country, I see a pear tree loaded with fruit.  They may be beside an abandoned barn, in a front yard, or standing in a field next to a park.  One of the things that this tells me is that once a pear tree is established, it is resiliant!  I read one post in my search for information about this hardy produce that jokingly suggested that the only thing you could do to kill a pear tree is pamper it.  Hmmm, this is sounding like my kind of tree!  In truth, I have killed a pear tree or two.  I have a couple struggling in the back yard right now that wish I had planted them somewhere else.  It seems that, once again, picking the right variety and proper location are the key to success. 

The picture at the start of this post is a small portion of the haul the kids and I gathered from a lonely tree next to the park my kids play at.   After some research, I have come to the conclusion that these are Kieffer pears.   This tree is described on Texas A&M horticulture website as the "old standard of pears".  They are heavy fruit bearers that will ripen in late September to October.  It also says they are "higly reistant to fire blight".    Sounding good...

Just on a state level, we seem to be on the border of Texas tree growing zones one and two.  That leaves a wide variety of pears available to us to grow.  I love the idea of the old, hardy, do-nothing-to-it and have it produce year after year kind, but the fruit of the Kieffer is not the high dessert quality that some people prefer.  Never fear, there are still more than ten variety of pear trees that will survive in our area if you find the right location!  One that is good in Zone one (which seems to encompass most of west Texas all the way over to Grayson County) is the Moonglow.  I have seen this particular variety in many nurseries around here, and have some in my yard.  They struggled over this hot summer, but did survive with only one watering from us.  The yield was very small, but the trees have only been in for two years.  The other pear tree we have planted out there is an Asian variety.  I have not given up on these trees and feel that they will thrive in years to come, but my next one will be a Kieffer and it is getting planted on either the north or east side of the house.

So, what do you do with all of those pears?  Give them to friends of course!  And eat them and make preserves, pies, and pear butter. 

I have a pan of pears boiling on the stove right now.  Trying out new recipies is a thing of joy!   The recipe for today can be found here:  http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pear_butter/

The pear butter in the picture is from here:
:http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spiced-Pear-Butter-2789

I don't know how today's will turn out, but the cinammon/vanilla recipe is wonderful!

Have fun and happy gardening!

Outside The Box

Yet another fine example of gardeners finding new uses for old items. I love the versatility of combining rebar and PVC. Have a look.

Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens)

As it's name suggests (at least it's non-scientific one), this very pretty shrub is native to Texas.  It really is drought tolerant, thrives in rocky soil, and loves the heat.  As a matter of fact, most of the information I read about this plant indicates that one of the few things, other than too much water, that irritates it is too little sun.  It really is native to Texas and loves our harsh climate!  It is also known as Cenizo, Purple sage, Texas Ranger and the Texas barometer bush.  I can attest to the fact that the flowers do seem to emerge right before it rains.  The above picture was taken today.  This is a couple of days after our last rain, but the flowers have been on it for about a week.  My husband even commented on them and said he hoped it was an indication of rain to come.

The bush usually grows 3 - 5 feet tall, but may grow as tall at 8 ft.  The bushes on our place are right in front of the house and are over 6 ft tall.  We have let them go unpruned for too long and they are beginning to look scraggely, but a good fall pruning can take care of that.  They can be grown from seed or propigated from semi-hardwood cuttings.  Any of you lucky enough to attend the lecture hosted by the Master Gardeners of Fannin County last week will know how to propigate from cuttings! 

Aside from a very hardy, attractive shrub, the leaves and flowers can also be used to make an herbal tea.  Several articles have been written describing the use of this tea for medicinal purposes.  Some believe it is useful in treating colds, coughing, and fever and chills associated with the flu.

We have found this plant a welcome addition to our flower garden.  I hope you find this information useful if you're looking for any native shrubs to add to yours.  As always, happy gardening!

Pokeweed

For the last two years, our yard has been home to pokeweed.  Having never encountered it before, it took a while for me to figure out what it was.  I finally asked a couple of my native Texan friends, and they didn't hesitate to identify it.  I am still debating what to do with it.  I hate to pull out a potential food source, but this particular food source can be poisonous if not prepared properly.

Here are some things that I've noticed.  First is that it seems to be drought and heat tolerant.  Everything in the yard has been struggling this summer except for the pokeweed.  It has doubled in size!  Second is that it is very prolific.  Apparently the birds eat the berries and pass the seeds.  I noticed little sprouts in the raised beds early this year and pulled them right out.  That proved a very easy task and they haven't grown back.  Last year, before I knew what I was looking at, I allowed one to grow in one of the beds.  The things was nearly as big as a tree before I pulled it this spring.  It took a shovel and a lot of digging to finally get the roots out.  I have allowed the patch to grow next to the peonies on the north side of the house, but I'm afraid they are taking over.  To top it all off, I just noticed it growing in the rose bush island out back.  It's starting to feel like a plague! 

Those sounds like bad things, but if I can keep it controlled, I have to admit that it's somewhat attractive and is obviously happy with our harsh soil and climate.  And like I said before, it can be eaten.  I've heard some people refer to it as a southern delicacy.  (Does anyone remember the song Poke Salad Annie)?  There are even recipes for it on some of the more popular recipe sites.  I'm not convinced to try it out yet because of all the 'cook it just right' warnings, but I'm not sold on just pulling it up as a nuisance plant either.

If you have pokeweed on your property, or find it just shows up one day as a gift from the birds in the area, these are some things that you'll have to consider before you decide what to do about it.  I'll keep you updated on ours, and will be sure to let you know how it goes if we ever decide to eat it!

Ever see a squash flower?  Aren't they pretty!  If you're not already out tending to your fall plantings, then get going! It's a lovely day to be outside, and your garden will benefit from your attention. As will you! Happy gardening.

How Bad is The Texas Drought

Here's a quick article on how bad the drought is here in Texas, and how it can affect even Americans who don't live in Texas.  The article focuses on beef, but keep in mind that Texas also grows a lot of wheat and cotton.  These crops have been decimated as well.  Click here to read more.

Drought? What drought? Part 1

The moss rose (portulacas) has decided not to participate in the drought.