Cuttings and seedings
I plan on populating the new garden bed cinder block wall with oregano and thyme cuttings. I divided the newest thyme (elfin) in 2 and already planted them in 2 blocks. I took golden oregano, variegated oregano, variegated lemon thyme, and lime thyme cuttings yesterday. Oregano, especially the golden variety, tends to be a very tricky plant to take cuttings from, since they are very sensitive to disturbance. Both the mother plants and baby plants suffered serious wilt. I decided to bring the cuttings indoors and keep them under artificial light. I’m not sure that the golden oregano will make it. The variegated oregano had tiny white flowers when I divided it; unfortunately, the mother plant is not doing so well. The cuttings however look as fresh as the day I took them. Too bad I can’t grow these things from seed.
I did take some verbena cuttings as well. I have one big mother specimen that survived the last two summers that I’d like to increase. The purple bed looks especially lovely because of them.
I decided to sow my Toy Choy and Guy Lan seeds today. It’s about the right time of the year for the fall harvest season. I hope I get to feast on Chinese broccoli and baby pak choy this coming October. I also started Bride Eggplant and Red Rubin basil indoors. I need some ornamental pepper seeds to grow in time for the October/November holidays.
August Gardening
It’s the August plant sale! Time to stock up on cheap perennials for $1-$2 a piece. Calloway’s and Lowe’s had plenty of specimens to choose from: salvias, verbenas, irises, coneflowers, lantanas, stonecrop. I also picked up a lisianthus (not pictured) and some kind of woolly or elfin thyme (?). The bag of Miracle-Gro will go toward planting a dark-leafed canna.
August Bed Buddies
Guess who’s napping together?
Pecan Smoked Brisket
I picked up this USDA Choice butcher-cut point brisket at Albertson’s when I saw the stacks of pecan wood outside the store earlier that week. It was time to try the taste of pecan smoked brisket. Alas, I still didn’t have time to smoke the this beast entirely–at 10 hours, it still hadn’t reached the grey color so desired in perfectly smoked brisket. I hit the dread stall, and the temperature gauge wouldn’t budge past 170 degrees. I even foil wrapped the brisket and let it sit in the oven for 3-4 hours, but no such luck. At least the blackened exterior looked and tasted good. And the pecan smoke was oh-so-pervasive, I was smelling pecan smoke in my hair and clothes nearly a week later.
