Now is supposed to be the time to get going on the Central Texas Fall Garden.  The local planting calendars suggest planting all kinds of stuff before the beginning of September, to make sure that plants mature before our average first freeze date. 

But also consider, we are currently experiencing the kind of drought that changes long-term water management policies, changes people’s idea of how horrible a Texas summer can really be, and challenges everyone’s priorities.  Self-sufficiency is admirable and positive and a key component to sustainable communities and a rewarding and beautiful lifestyle, yes.  But veggies need lots of regular water, which can be a problem when our sources for local drinking water are like, 50 feet lower than normal for this time of year.

Like all new gardening seasons, this season should be handled just a little differently than the last.  Maybe hold off a few weeks and lean more heavily on the veggies that can be planted later in the season, when we just might get some rain.  Use that extra time to expand your rain harvesting system (or start a new one, it’s easy!) or to amend garden soils to maximize their water holding capacity. 

For those with a particularly empathetic sensitivity to the outside world’s problems, maybe even consider skipping a garden this year.  Most local farmers use a set amount of water, purchased in advance from groundwater management districts, and have a surplus of food to satisfy a fluctuating demand.  So if you want to be the most sustainable consumer you can be, save the resources you would consume towards your own garden, and buy surplus food from local farmers who have already used those resources. 

Each garden season brings new challenges and rewards.  This fall, the reward could be extra opportunity to improve the foundation and infrastructure of your garden while giving the soils a break.  At the same time, your increased dependence on local farmers could cultivate a new or improved relationship with the commercial grower community, which could give you new resources and/or inspiration to make an even better spring garden.

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