Reorganizing the Garden

Have you planted your fall collards yet?  

In west Texas where we live, it's time -- maybe past time --  to start growing collard plants from seeds. Then I'll transfer these to the garden.  

Here's a helpful site to guide us through the process:

How to Grow and Cook Collard Greens in Texas - Experiential Gardener

In my backyard, we've been gardening in feed tubs elevated on pallets. After a few years, the pallets are wearing out, and the tubs haven't produced as well as we expected. Now I'm changing over to a big above-the-ground garden box. Some of west Texas is semi-arid during the good years, but lately we've been in a drought. 

New Garden Box
My daughter and son-in-law are filling it with dirt.
These days I'm not quite up to shoveling.

I'll purchase some seeds and plant collards in flower pots. Then when the plants come up and grow to an acceptable height, I'll transfer them to my new garden box.

Tubs on Pallets
Notice the pallets are disintegrating. 
Pepper plants can endure the hot Texas sun. 

~~~

When I'm not gardening and cooking, I write novels. Here's the newest one:

     All Her Dreams of Love

It's a story about a woman named Nancy, who lived close to the earth in the late 1800s.  

Description of a meal on a fall evening:

The coolness of fall felt pleasant, especially in the evenings and early mornings. Nancy’s garden yielded new fresh vegetables - tomatoes, onions, collard greens, and beets.

She invited Jeb to supper again on Friday night. After they feasted on fried green tomatoes, cottage cheese, and a variety of vegetables, Jeb helped clean the kitchen.