Bugs.

On the last visit to Farmer's Market I noticed citronella for sale, and thought this would be a great idea around our pool. I tend to get eaten up by the skeeters, and I'm probably mildly allergic to them which makes my finding a way to keep them far, far away from me a very worthwhile cause. After researching about planting citronella to keep mosquitoes away, it turns out that it may not work especially well for this purpose afterall. However, I did come across lists of other plants that supposedly accomplish this task pretty well. The following are what I'd like to plant out back to see whether I notice any mosquito repelling effects:

Citronella
Marigolds
Catnip
Horsemint
Ageratum
Rosemary
Basil
Lemongrass
Garlic

If you know of any others, whether in theory or that you've experienced, please share!

MASTER Gardener

Went to the Rangers game on Monday night with my in-laws, and after telling my Mother-in-Law that I had started a gardening blog, she informed me that one of her best friend's husbands is a Master Gardener! There's a test and everything! The next day after talking about it with my friend, I found out that her grandmother is a Master Gardener too! We are definitely looking into this. In the words of Carmen, "We can be Master Gardeners together, and make our own spaghetti and salsas!" Ummm yes, please.

http://mastergardener.tamu.edu/become/

Ok, well, it doesn't look like there is a test. Just 50 hours of training and 50 hours of community volunteer service within the year following the courses. Consider it done!

Feed your soul.

I was motivated to begin this blog by a friend of mine who told me that I was her only friend our age that had a garden and could keep things alive. That's not saying much, but after thinking about it I didn't know many other friends who spent time on their yard or “gardened” either. This is probably because in your 20's girls don’t tend to be focused on that sort of thing. But for me it is a way to escape the stress of day to day life and just play in the dirt. A garden can be changed relatively easily and quickly to suit your mood or changing tastes without much disruption, and for someone as indecisive as me this is an exquisite trait to find in a hobby. It’s therapeutic for me, and it’s only slightly less expensive than attending actual therapy sessions.

Zones

My garden is in Cedar Hill, Texas which according to plantmaps.com is USDA Hardiness Zone 8a and is part of Ecoregion 32a - Northern Blackland Prairie. That being said, I have tried to plant things that I have read on other sites to be perfect for this area that I couldn't keep alive if my life depended on it and that I don't see abundantly throughout the area. I have also planted some things which shouldn't do well here, according to comments online about that particular plants best or most favorable zones, which have really taken off and been some of my favorites. So while noting a plant's zone(s) is usually a good starting place, they aren't necessarily binding; and you shouldn't be afraid to try something you love even if you're a few zones away.

THINGS I’VE LEARNED

      What some may refer to as "The Basics". What can I say? I learn things the hard way. Those who know me can vouch for that. I rarely trust anyone, and then when they're proven to be right after all, I'll get mad at them for not insisting that I listened to them to begin with. I'm a hands on learner. So, several hundred dollars and multiple seasons later, I can attest to the following:

1.   Don’t rush to plant things after you buy them. Put them in their   containers where you want to plant them for about two weeks to see if they will get the right amount of sunlight there, and test out how much water they’ll need in that amount of sunlight also.

2.   This will sound like a no brainer to some of you, but you should dig your hole and plant the plant so that when you set it in the ground, it is level with the earth. Don’t leave any of the original ball of the plant and the root showing. There are roots that often begin at the very top, and if they become dried out the part of the plant supplied by those roots will eventually die.

3.   As a follow up to that point it’s important to dig your hole, and then fill the space around the new plant (once you’ve set it in the ground) with some of the dirt that you've just dug up and some Miracle Gro, or other plant food, to really pack it in. It’s imperative that you don’t leave air or space around the plant. I learned this the hard way in the beginning when I would spend a lot of money on something fantastic, and then be afraid to pack dirt in around it because I didn’t want to squish it or even touch it. The truth is that if you’ve got it in the right type of dirt and in an area with the right amount of sun, and you water it properly, as soon as you get it packed in, it should perk up and look sturdy in the ground. There are probably very few plants that you could hurt by pressing the soil into the newly planted roots, if you’re doing it firmly and not throwing all your weight onto it.

4.   A lot of plants can get too much water pretty quickly, especially if they're not in a well drained area. For some reason, I seemed to think in the beginning that the more I could water something, the faster and better it would grow. Not always so. Pay attention to each plant, and only water as much as needed. If they look healthy and full and not dry and...crispy?... you’re doing good and just stick with whatever routine got you there.

5.   Watch out for ants. And mosquitos.

6.   And wear sunscreen. And fun gardening gloves. And cute clothes.