How the Garden Grows...

We're in a lull between hay cuttings, so I thought I'd do a post on something non farm related that's growing here.  Warning...it's a little picture heavy, but I just love seeing things grow, so I won't be offended if you breeze through quickly!  :)

I seem to be having another good tomato year.  Those plants in the middle have taken off after a poor start, surviving ten days straight of rain.  There are green tomatoes galore.  The cucumbers in the foreground are doing the same!  I put them in a cage so that they can climb up instead of sprawling out, and as a result I get straight cucumbers, rather than curly ones...

Can you find the cucumber?  It's well camouflaged.  I plant Burpless #26.  The cucumbers are long, thin and straight, and have few seeds...

I haven't grown patty pan squash for a couple of years.  This plant survived the wet weather and being nibbled on by a ground hog early on...

Sweet Heat peppers are a new addition this year.  I'll use them in my salsa.  They came in a 4-pack, so if anyone local wants some, let me know!!

Sweet Baby Girl...my favorite cherry tomato ever!  It's almost as tall as my head!

 So far so good with the zucchini, too.  I know that one morning I'll go out and it will be totally wilted, but for now we're enjoying the bounty...

I had several extra railroad ties when I lined the garden a year or so ago, so I made a small area where I like to plant sunflowers.  I have a lot of volunteers in the garden, but this patch was planted from a variety pack. I'm curious to see what all colors I have?  There's a good variety of sizes...

Speaking of volunteers...a bunch of dill came up along the south edge of the garden, so I left it grow.  I had to pick some caterpillars off of it early on, and now it's enjoying life...

Last but not least, there's a row of zinnias for picking along the edge as well.  Such cheery little flowers they are!

How does your garden grow?

Garden Goodness...

August has been good to us so far...

We've been having some gorgeous weather this week.  It's been hot, yes, but the humidity has dropped below it's normally (IMO) unbearable levels, and we couldn't ask for a nicer day today!

We've been enjoying produce from our garden...not nearly at the volume of other years...but maybe that's part of why I'm enjoying it so much!

The cantelopes are ripening all of a sudden...

I picked four so far, and there are two more that will be ready in another day or so.  I plant the Athena variety.  They seem to be disease resistant, and they're nice and sweet.

My Black Cherry Tomatoes are loaded.  This is the first year I planted this kind, and they're not quite what I expected.  They're a little larger than I thought they'd be.  I've picked a few ripe ones, and the jury is still out on the taste...

I'm glad I saw this guy before I reached in...

The first batch of regular tomatoes that I planted have all died, as usual, but I found some for a dollar at a neighbor's greenhouse late in the spring, and gave them a shot.  So far they're doing well, and haven't shown any signs of blight or whatever usually ails my tomato plants!  Maybe it's because the second half of our summer has been much drier than the first half?

The red raspberries are growing in leaps and bounds.  I planted three plants behind my garden shed a few years ago, and now they've gone wild!  These particular bushes bear all summer long.  I pick a few cups a day, and freeze them until I have enough for jelly or pancake syrup...

My new chickens like to hang out by the fence beside the bushes.  They like the shade they get there, as well as the occasional berry that falls on their side of the fence.

Earlier this summer the Japanese Beetles had a feast on the leaves, but now they've moved on and the bushes have set more fruit.  Don't they look delicious?

The chickens also eat my scraps.  These young ones are still learning that garden scraps are tasty.  They've eaten a few overgrown zucchini, they love watermelon rind, and are learning how good cantelope tastes as well.  They still don't come running when they see a bucket like the old ones did, but they're learning!  They're 18 weeks old, and will soon be laying a few small pullet eggs...

Here's a sample of what I found in the garden today...

My zucchini outdid themselves this year.  I found one small one yet this morning, and it might be the last one.  We'll see.

I don't think the kids will mind!

What's Growing In Your Garden...

It's July already, and most gardens are in full swing.

Mine is tiny this year...nothing that I have to bend over for long periods of time to pick, which means no green beans and no lima beans (sob sob) this year.

I'm loving it!

I have a generous friend who has given me some of her extra Roma beans, and I'm planning to buy some limas when the time is right.  I have been able to focus on keeping my flower beds weed free (well, almost!) and keeping my smaller garden happy. (well, almost!)

Here's my harvest today...

We have zucchini coming out the wazoo.  I'm cooking for the food co-op today, and thankfully the other family loves zucchini!  I'm giving some away, and I still have some left.  And oh yes, there will be more tomorrow!

My tomatoes are dying, all except for my cherry tomatoes, as usual.  I guess I should just give up on them, but it seems like everyone else grows huge tomato plants.  Sigh.

The cucumbers look happy, as do the cantelope, and that about does it for my garden this year!

What's growing in your garden?