Here's my harvest from July 2. The tomatoes are really coming in well now! Those were the last two zucchini. I finally ripped all of the plants out. Most were so eaten by SVB that they just fell apart, leaving their stems in the ground, but I raked all of that up before I replanted.
Here's the harvest from July 3. All of the cucumbers are pretty much worthless now. They're all incredibly bitter. It doesn't matter how much they're watered, they're just nasty. Anyone know of a good cucumber that resists bitterness?
I had enough veggies laying around to make a tray for July 4. ;) When is there ever a lack of veggies around July 4! I love it.
This was my harvest yesterday. I'm starting to harvest the tomatoes when they show a hint of color. Every one that I've let go to maturity on the vine has somehow ran into problems, but all of the ones I've picked early are fantastic, so I'll stick to that game plan.
I replanted the squash and zucchini beds with tomatoes. I figured they're always a crowd pleaser and will have enough time to ripen before frost, or I can at least take the green ones and put them in newspaper in the basement until they ripen. For the first time and since adding the two new beds last year, I can say I have more plantable space than I need. That's a good thing to be able to say!
My first two asparagus beans are hopping right along. From this angle you can see the jumble that is the back side of that trellis. It's a mess!
On to garden dinners - see, I told you I was behind on pictures. A friend suggested we try stuffing the zucchini with onions and tomatoes and then melting cheese on it. I added salt, pepper and basil and it was wonderful!
Appetizers the other night consisted of jalapeno poppers. The boy and I had a great conversation about capsaicin that he keeps telling everyone he can about. See, gloves again. No only do I eventually learn my lesson, I learn it for more than one time. Most of the times, that is.
One good thing about the new pool is that it wears the kids slap out. I think this girl barely got her clothes on (and fancy clothes they are) before she fell out on the couch.
Still with me? I've been finding that several people have been finding my Keychains for a Cause site with searches for owl keychains. Who would have known? I have the white owl ribbon, but found this cute one on a black background to add some variety to the selection.
If you've stuck with me, you're caught up! Tonight the kids are spending the night with my sister-in-law and I'm headded to see the man's band, Velvet City Mercy play.
The morning comes early. Rock on!
So much garden goodness! And I'm laughing (and sad at the same time!!) that you are planting tomatoes and will have them before your first frost. I doubt my FIRST (only one up here!) will even ripen before OUR first frost.
ReplyDeleteI've always had Diamant be sweet. Sometimes really sweet. It is a weird variety of cucumber since it is gynoceous and parthenocarpic. So it only makes females and doesn't need pollination. Obviously it is a hybrid. The cuke is so good. Last summer when it was so hot the flesh turned amazingly sweet for a cuke and slightly yellow. Of course I don't get the type of heat you get. Even in a hot year. It is pickling cuke, but I always only plant pickling cukes even though I eat a lot of them fresh. Its flaw is that the seed is ridiculously expensive (.35 to .80 per seed). And since you can't save seed you have to buy it again every year.
ReplyDeleteBTW you should add my zucchini lasagna to your 101 recipes.
Sue, you could always move south! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'll write down those names, Daphne, thanks. Did you send me the recipe and I missed it? *embarassed*
You are getting the harvest I can only dream about this year.
ReplyDeleteI always planted Spacemaster, and Mr. G. says it is never bitter, even when really large. It's actually more of a slicer than a pickler, but the seed packet said it is good for pickles. I can't vouch for anything but bread and butter pickles and relishes from it, which were good.
The Girl is growing! Her legs are getting as long as The Dog's!
Granny, sometimes she looks so big and other times I can't believe how small she is. She does look like she's the dog on that couch!!
ReplyDeleteI know all about those rogue photos LOL, hence my "random" catch up posts :)
ReplyDeleteEverything looks good, and Sue, don't listen to her, you'll never get used to the heat and humidity down here LOL... I've been trying to since 1989 and it hasn't happened yet! Must be bred into us northerners, I'm actually jealous of those southerners that really seem to love and crave this hot humid stuff, would make my life so much easier!
Ah, Erin. Never said I liked the heat...only the growing season. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love those jalapeno poppers, they look so good. How many peppers are you getting per plant? I can't wait for mine to start producing.
ReplyDeleteKris, those jalapenos were from Mr. Mason's plants. Mine aren't doing so well this year.
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