Adding to the Backyard Pepper Garden

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/640 sec, ISO80
“New Pepper Plants” Cedar Park, 2026

Three new pepper plants joined our backyard Scotch Bonnet this week. 🌶️ I’ve been getting some good advice from another Texas pepper grower, so I’m feeling pretty good about our chances for a nice harvest this year. Fingers crossed for a mild summer, but if the heat shows up like it usually does, I’ll just stay on top of the watering and fertilizing.

Sakura at Home

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/140 sec, ISO100
“Our Sakura” Cedar Park, 2026

Our sakura tree is blooming here in Texas. 🌸 It gets a little nicer every year, and I think it’s about 15 years old now. Mariko and I have this small dream of having a proper hanami under it someday. Not sure if that’ll ever actually happen, but we do enjoy looking at those pink blossoms from the window every spring.

Chop and Prop the Monstera

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/60 sec, ISO320
“Monstera” Cedar Park, 2025

Our monstera plant has gotten really leggy and started creeping into the entryway, so I decided to do a chop and prop. That means taking a cutting and propagating it. Right now I have two cuttings sitting in jars, and they are already starting to grow roots. I can’t wait to get them into proper planters!

Two New Pepper Plants

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/380 sec, ISO40
“New Pepper Plants” Cedar Park, 2025

I was at the supermarket this morning and I saw they had a big sale on their herbs and peppers. Only $1.50 USD each! I bought a Thai chile pepper plant and a Shishito pepper plant. I hope they produce many peppers!

In addition to those two, I have a Jalapeño plant, a Scotch Bonnet plant, and Ghost pepper plant. Grow, babies, grow!

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/160 sec, ISO80
“Jalapeno” Cedar Park, 2025

Lastly, I have a mystery pepper plant, which has had one pepper developing for a couple of months now.

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/200 sec, ISO40
“Mystery Pepper” Cedar Park, 2025

Pepper Harvest

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/3.2, 1/350 sec, ISO640
“Peppers” Cedar Park, 2024

This year, our pepper harvest is abundant! The early start seems to have paid off. Over the next few weeks, we’ll enjoy jalapeños, scotch bonnets, ghost peppers, Brazilian starfish peppers, and what appears to be banana peppers (although I’m not entirely certain). ️️️

This Year’s Crop

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/580 sec, ISO64
“Jalapeño Gigante” Cedar Park, 2024

The weather got warmer so I brought last year’s pepper plants outside, and also put the new peppers into pots. The new plants already have several peppers growing! I’d say another couple of weeks and we should be able to eat them. I’m not sure if the Scotch Bonnet plants from last year will bear fruit, but I couldn’t throw out perfectly healthy plants.

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/900 sec, ISO64
“Mystery Pepper” Cedar Park, 2024
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/440 sec, ISO80
“Deck Garden” Cedar Park, 2024