Yes the seasons do overlap but my summer vegetables get pretty tired during the summer heat. I don't try to carry over tomatoes unless they are cherries. I just replant in July. I do keep the peppers and eggplants but the squash are replanted. Cucumbers can be hit by cucumber beetles and I replant them too. It also helps not to plant the whole garden so I keep a few areas open. You can also plant lettuce and radishes and beans under the larger plants. This works really well in wide rows but might not do so well in square foot gardening. That's one of the reasons I still do row cropping. Now if you've planted potatoes and corn, they should have been harvested and open up room. Same with the onions. I think the real problem is that most people in Texas only plant a few different types of vegetables that are perennial in their native tropical setting. Since we rarely have a real spring and fall, we don't "feel" the proper time to plant veggies that like cooler weather. That's my 2 cents worth and I had the same problem but after missing fall veggies for a few years, I forced myself to cull and replant and have been satisfied ever since. Good luck

Wayne, Mine are very finely shredded, almost dust.The mower shreds, then the DR mulch/chipper vac shreds them again. It was at least a foot deep when I spread them in the fall, about 6" when I planted this spring. I've pretty much decided to put the leaves in the same place. Turn under the buckwheat and other residue, and replant clover again. Then next spring, mow the clover, lay off rows and plant corn since the prices on corn is so high. It's about 1/2 acre so I would have a lot, weather providing. If the prices stay up, which I think they will, I could make a few bucks.

Any one living near the Huntington Gardens be sure to visit the new Childrens Garden. They have a large cement bowl of sand that has a lot of iron ore inside, beach sand has Iron ore. They also have a large magnet to gather it up. Children can play with this by the hour. They have a pebble stream, a fog forest. A TeePee make believe, fake Ravens sitting on the bench, I rainbow tunnel, many other clever things for children to explore. Visit and it will give you some great ideas. I wish I could come and help you with your garden. Use a lot of bushes with texture. Pansy's for color, miniature persimmons, miniature Peaches to be picked. Bean Poles shaped like a TeePee for the beans to climb, and Tomato cages to keep them off the ground, the more you plant up, the more room you will have, peas climb up, Japanese egg plant takes little room, and you can eat them. Stubby carrots are great tiny and grow in poor soil and pots. My children's garden was all in pots set in space on the driveway that wasn't used for other things, miniature tomatoes in 3 gal containers and Luffa sponge in 5 gal. clay pots. A row of pot for herbs, I had a weeping willow bottle brush tree, hummingbirds just loved visiting. Miniature squash, which grows fast in a five gallon glay container, and up a tomato cage, and the old standby a row of radishes with germinates in three days. Have the childen make a scarecrow with your help of course. I started growing food at four and a half. Be sure to tuck in some parsley and rosemary for you. A large tall Sunflower plant, one is plenty and grows tall about (8ft). It will attract birds. Gourds, grow up and make a fine trellis plant for a lath house. Just ideas, Norma

I'm no expert I just know a lot of people are doing cement board around me. I am not sure if they glue then screw and caulk to prevent hiding spaces. Best to check with an expert. However. It can all have the same look with a smooth stucco or other surface and scoring. Here is one with a slight two tone chimney. Not to much but enough to diminish the height a bit .