Well we got hit by another really bad storm today. It leveled all my corn, I used bamboo skewers to lean the corn on to keep it upright, hopefully it'll somehow still pull through. The small green bean plant is still standing on it's own and I used skewers to prop up the bottom most branches/leaves of the larger green bean plant to keep it outta standing water and off the wet ground. 2 of the okra plants I'm pretty sure are gone, they're laying flat and not much I can do about them. They spent nearly all day submerged underwater. 2 of them were still standing as of an hour or two ago. I've already got more okra seed going and going to watch the corn closely for next couple of days to see if it's going to make it. When I transplant this new okra I'll be sure to do the mound method. I'm not really holding out hope that the okra out there already that's still standing is going to make it, but when it comes time to transplant the seeds I started today, if those two are still alive I'll re-transplant them in mounds. As for raised beds, I've been considering going with those when I expand. I hadn't even heard of it when I started up my practice garden though, or I might've just went with that to begin with. My yard, and actually this entire town, is extremely prone to flooding during moderate-heavy rain. It's not very often we get that much rain though, so it's not really a problem you can count on having. Might actually be cheaper to go with raised over in ground method since I wouldn't need to purchase a tiller. I favorited your soil guide and when it comes time to expand, whether in ground or raised I'll be using it. Thanks for all the advice. As for sending the rain away to other parts of the country, believe me if I could, I would have already. But be careful what you wish for, look what happened to me. Lol.

lol@coolshare...real neat st up you used for your bamboo..haveing lived in san diego years ago ive been to your n-hood looking for birds and always liked it.i don't think know what your place would sell for. i have 18 different types of bamboo and i feel like a picker compared to some with high numbers in less land. i am on almost 8 acres that slopes ,with half of it wooded where i have my 5 fagesia growing...the open area has 12 runners here and there...more coming this fall.. all except one spectabilis are small 3-5' plants..i figure i have 3-4 years before i have to do anything to keep them from running into each other.so i can save up $ for a tractor in order to dig a ditch around them as barriers are way to costly for my useage....i am hopeing in 3-4 years to find and mybe afford to sell this mtn top home for 50-100 acres...thats my dream....i love bamboo but grow birch trees,lilac,blueberry bushes and apple trees too just to name a few...if/when i move ill take a ton of bamboo plants with me and leave some.....i planted some to block out all signs of others liveing below me as to only see greenery... Here is a link that might be useful: east coast bamboo group

Wow, it's amazing how fast the threads move these days...my post was already down near the bottom so I rescued it just in time...LOL. THANK YOU for commenting and for your enthusiasm. After lugging an unending chain of garden hoses from garden to garden for 4 1/2 hours to water everything I really appreciate positive feedback! mantis....the last rose pictured (palest pink)is Austin's 'Belle Story'. And yes, that is Rosarium Uetersen in the cat patrol photo. It is immediately recognizable, isn't it? Great color that lights up a garden. Thanks again everyone....and YES, I am exhausted. Celeste

Austin has some pockets of really truly cr@ppy soil, and some good stuff. Soil tests are our friends. Learning about the different solutions for amendment. I have heard that some people with red death clay have brought in some composted HARDWOOD native mulch and tilled 6" in and then not done anything with it for a year and let it rot. Others have loaded on 6 inches of compost and let the bugs cary it into the dirt. Sounds almost to good to be true. I used to live on clay. Not red death but a river cut bank with round river rock in it. Everytime I was out their with a shovel, I had compost from the Natural gardener to work into it. It got to be glorious dirt. I could grow everything. I thought I was a good gardener till I moved to 30 miles west of Austin on a high limestone hill with caliche and marl with mostly not much topsoil in the area around the house.. Many natives need to have the clay worked into loam by the bunch grass roots. that have broken it down. Find native grasses that want to break down the clay. Find a way to create structure in the clay. Gypsum, expanded shale, compost . Be aware the adding sand or decomposed granite has to be done in conjunction with more than equal amounts of mulch. One has to add at least 50% sand to have the clay not go back to cement. Research research research. I live on caliche now and I created raised beds in some areas where I grow vegetables because it was easier and immediate. I recommend compost tea. Geo Growers and the Natural Gardener for soil products. If you have a recurring bug or decease problem, step back and let the soil heal itself. I had to step back from squash because of the squash bug. I am giving my whole garden a rest this year and growing green manure. The arugala, leeks, kale and chard have not heard that I am not growing anything this winter.. When it is hot, I start vegetables in pots in the shade.