May in the urban garden

Is it really the last week of May? Here in Texas, kids are getting out of school. It is time for the local festival, Chisolm Trail Roundup. There will be parades and all sorts of good stuff in the month of June in my small town. But May in the urban garden has been so busy!

We have the first sheering of our Angora Bunnies, Harry and Hermione. We have gotten a new puppy; Aurora is about eight months old. Our garden is putting out squash, cucumbers, beans, and peas. Our microgreens are almost overwhelming us with great produce. To top it all off, we have a big delivery today!

So where to start?

The Angora Bunnies

I will post about the bunnies sheering separately. That is going to be an adventure! But otherwise, they are doing well! We have cleaned and reorganized what we are calling the bunny room. They now have their own air conditioner. With that much fur, that is kind of non-negotiable in this Texas heat.

We have to get u pretty early to take them outside. They have little bunny runs to play in. But once it gets above 75′ I bring them inside.

I adore these two! The more they grow, the more their oh-so-different personalities shine through!

The Huskies

Aurora, the new husky puppy, is growing on us. She feels more comfortable and will now come up to us asking for pets and scratches. She really hasn’t gotten any bigger. She did have a puppy vet appointment, and he thinks she is 6 to 8 months old. He gave her a good bill of health. Thank you, Chisolm Trail Veterinary Clinic, Lulling Texas. 

This was our first time using the Lulling clinic, and we loved how they were with our puppy. Thanks!

Walter and Disney are growing used to having another pack member. Aurora is high energy, so Walt gets all that energy out. Disney is our grumpy ole girl. She is after all, ten years old! She snarls at Aurora for “touching” her. Overall though, they get along well.

There are rare moments of quiet when I remember to snap a picture!

The Garden

Here in Texas, May is our “wet” month. I use that term very loosely. This year though, we have gotten quite a bit of rain. The cucumbers are thriving! I really should have given my one plant way more room on the trellis as it has taken over even my one little experimental pea plant’s space over. Lesson learned. Zucchini was not a success. We had one early on but since then, nothing. I am going to have to research that one for next year. On the other hand, the eggplant and several large squash are almost ready!

My one lonely little pea plant has done amazingly well, and next year I will plant a whole row of them. Maybe instead of tomatoes.

Let’s talk about tomatoes, figs, and pears. My gauze bag trick? Didn’t work. Nearly all my pears are gone. The squirrels took the bags and all. Once that tree was stripped, they moved on to the tomatoes. I have gotten some tomatoes, but most mornings, I go out to find green tomatoes on the ground around the bed, a bite or two out of them. I have managed to get a few that ripen before the squirrels find them, but next year I either cage them all in or grow the peas there instead.

The fig tree still has an abundance of figs, so we will see how much we actually get to enjoy!

Growing Microgreens

Let me tell you, I love this little venture! It could be the lack of squirrels. I am seriously considering doing the local farmer’s market to sell microgreens! These things are fun to grow, good for you, and they grow prolifically!

This time we planted melon! Oh My Word! These things taste like melons! I love them! Today I am planting more broccoli and trying some salad greens. The peas we grew are still going strong but are almost past their prime, even though I have given loads away!

I ordered more lights and fans to set up another shelf system. I can’t wait to see it all growing with green things!

What do I use these in? Salads and sandwiches are so yummy with microgreens! Yesterday I put the last of the broccoli in my smoothie!

They are nutrient-dense, so they have many good vitamins and minerals you need. If you are like me, you probably aren’t getting them.

Now, let’s talk about just how many I am growing! There is a lot on a tray. Hence, I am seriously considering the farmer’s market to support my new hobby!

My Delivery today

Today is when I get the Mother’s Day present that my wonderful hubby bought me!

This is an affiliate link for Harvest Right.

That’s right; I am getting that freeze-drier I have been drooling all over! I am so excited!

Now not only am I going to do stuff for our prepper closet, like chili and eggs and maybe even candy! What is the use of surviving a zombie apocalypse if you don’t have some sweets?

But I am going to Freeze Dry my microgreens! That way, I have them in a powder form to add to my smoothies and anything else!

Freeze drying is the most efficient method of preserving food. Not only does it last for 25 years if stored properly, but it also has more nutrients than other methods of preserving.

I don’t know about you, but I have had my freezer go out from an electric outage and lost tons of food. If that food had been freeze-dried, it would have been shelf stable.

Can you tell I am a bit excited?

Well, that’s it for the end of May update. I know I covered a lot. Once it starts getting warmer than the surface of the sun here in Texas, I am sure that I will be blogging more.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments! Would love some feedback!