My weekend: pi, crawfish, three-legged cats and thistles

In some places rain my not be something to get all worked up about, but here in Austin in the age of global climate change (brought to you by ExxonMobil), actual rain that causes the ground to be slightly moist for more than one day and allows the doors of our houses to close normally is kind of a big deal. This weekend, on Cinco de Mayo no less, my rain gauge read 0.6 inches. Around here, water management is 9/10 of gardening so when it rains, all a Nearly Constant Gardener has to do is sit back and enjoy how happy recently rained on plants look. And, believe me, plants are visibly happier after a rain.

My iconoclastic Pi for Cinco de Pie-O

As usual, Monday means a day of recovery from all of the non-gardening I do on the weekends so thank you, rain clouds, for making it an easy morning for me. This weekend's festivities included both a "Cinco de Pie-O" Party (beer and sangria, for those of you keeping track), where a pie was the price of entry, and a crawfish boil (beer and margaritas), where a willingness to eat what are essentially bugs (previously voiced objections not withstanding) is the price of entry.

Pretend they're tiny little lobsters

In a new feature for The Nearly Constant Gardener, today I'll show off a guest garden from all the way across town in South Austin. This efficient little raised bed was conceptualized and realized by Koley Porter, our Regional Director for New and Unusual Pest Control Research and Development (he's one of those cat people friends I've mentioned and happens to live in a neighborhood of like minded pet owners). I will grant you that cats, in and of themselves, are not new or unusual. But, as you surely remember, I've floated the idea of recruiting cats to control the hoard of insatiable squirrels plaguing my vegetable garden. Koley has set out to prove that freely roaming cats will work as good, or maybe even better, than cats tethered to tomato cages. Although, by using a three-legged cat, he's cheating a bit.

This three-legged cat doesn't want your sympathy, he knows his worth

I'll leave you today with a cautionary tale from my uncle in New Braunfels (boiler of the crawfish pictured above). If you allow a mass of thistle to become established in your yard, don't assume your fancy zero-turn radius riding lawnmower can handle them. They've evolved specifically to resist Texans on lawnmowers. In a moment of the sheer hubris resulting from the mixture of beer and gas-powered machinery, he attempted to mow these puppies down and now has to replace a belt on his mower.  

Trying to keep bugs out of my margarita as I observe my uncle's mower-proof thistle patch

Obligatory picture taken with the macro lens, a thistle