Olive Trees in Texas

One of the goals I have always had for this land is to grow food. So it was with interest that a year ago I read an article in the San Antonio Express News about the growing Texas Olive industry. Apparently Texas is a great place to grow olive trees, something I had never considered. The following weekend a friend and I attended Olive Ole' International Olive Festival of Texas. We had a great time learning all about rowing olives and eating great food.

A year has passed and after learning a different friend was concerned about her one year old olive trees, I visited the web site of Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard and discovered Olive Ole' was just around the corner. Friday I picked her up and off to San Antonio we went. We stayed overnight at a friend's house, which was a blessing. This year Olive Ole' was held at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. We spent Saturday tasting olives and all kinds of yummy foods. We left stuffed. We attended a lecture on growing and cultivating olive trees, presented by the founder of Sandy Oaks Olive Orchards. We later were able to talk to her personally. My friend learned what was most likely going on with her olive trees and not to worry. her trees are still alive and will make a full recovery. I learned that even where I only have four inches of soil covering sheets of rocks, I can still plant olive trees. We both were given advice on which trees to purchase for our climate and needs. We each purchased two olive trees.

The garden is coming along.