OUT INTO THE COLD

With tonight's impending freeze there were several urgent gardening chores to do today. I plant to leave two Agave desmettiana plants in the ground this winter and if the temperatures drop below 25 they won't survive. I surrounded them with wire cages and filled them with leaves. This should offer them some protection.

I'm afraid we have been spoilt this past few weeks. November has been one of the prettiest I remember in the 16 years we have been in Austin. The only negative for the gardener has been the lack of rainfall. You don't expect to have to water the garden at this time of the year. In fact I turned off the drip system weeks ago. That has meant some hand watering, especially in the vegetable garden.

I have had the best fall crop of vegetables. I planted beets and snow peas back in October, fully expecting them to sit doing nothing over the winter. This week I picked peas. They are standing 4' high with masses of flowers and plenty of pods. Peas are generally pretty hardy but to give them a better chance the sprinkler pipe frame has been reinstalled. I will drape with a cloth tonight.

Beets are starting to fill out and there are plenty of beet tops to pick.

Back in October I broke down and purchased a six pack of Swiss chard plants from the Natural Gardener. For someone who normally starts everything from seed this was no easy task. I'm glad I did because they are beauties. I also bought some broccoli and cauliflower.

The potting shed is filled with cactus and lemon trees. The standard hibiscus, left by Gardener's Supply and the large agave from the side entry are safely tucked away in the garage.

Milk jugs, wine and juice bottles, filled with water, line the tables in the greenhouse. That, along with the gravel on the floor will offer some passive heat during the night.

After an hour outside, and with freezing cold hands I came inside and got busy wrapping the Christmas presents for the grandchildren. Then I put the marzipan on the Christmas cake.