Monday, September 3, 2012

back in action...

It has been a while since I posted, but never fear, I have not lost my keyboard or stopped using the internet. No, I have just been busy - or lazy - depending on whom you ask. We have had a lot of nice weather and no rain, which is odd for this part of the world, so I have even had to water. Most everything in the yard is loving the nice weather (excepting those ones that I forget to water). 
The summer squash has been getting ripe faster than we have been eating it, so our neighbors and in-laws have gotten the excess. We have also grated a bunch up and frozen it so that we can make squash bread in the winter. 
Below is a picture of our first head lettuce. We have had a lot of leaf lettuce, but this is a brief sojourn into the head lettuce sector. As long as we eat it, right and good. The only problem will be if I don't get through it and it gets all slimy. That is the good part of leaf lettuce. You only pick what you want to eat. However, I digress. You know all of this better than I do. These comments can get chalked up to the ramblings of an inexperienced gardener. 
The tomatoes are doing well. The cherry tomatoes (sweet 100's and sungold) are going crazy. We are barely keeping up with them, but the neighbors are helping us with these as well. The Roma and Beefsteak are a little behind, seeming to want to make sure it's going to be perfect weather before they turn red. A few have risked it and been picked and eaten... maybe they are catching on the circle of life.
Our reblooming lilac actually decided to rebloom, so we have a small bush in the fragrance garden keeping things sweet smelling and pretty. Most of the others are just growing and getting established, but the lilac, jasmine, and honeysuckle are doing their best to give the impression it really is a fragrance garden. 
Last of all, I have been babying my pumpkin. You may or may not remember, but we are having a local pumpkin contest here. I am not any where near winning, so I am doing all I can. The lastest strategy is feeding it half and half. I have a string from the milk into the vine and hopefully it will start feeding off of the milk, growing pounds and inches a day. Otherwise I may lose again. 
I know that this doesn't sound like much, but the unmentioned things were weeding, planting new vegies for fall harvest, preparing for winter planting, and just doing nothing. It is lots of fun.




3 comments:

  1. You are the farthest from lazy of any one I've ever met. Ha ha. I just popped some zucchini bread in the oven, made with some of your squash, and of course we're eating the little tomatoes like candy! Thanks. Keep up the good gardening!

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  2. Your tomatoes look fabulous! Ours are a bit behind this year courtesy of a hair-brained grafting project I tried with them this spring. I must say, I'm intrigued to see how your pumpkin does on half and half...I wonder if its waistline will expand as much as mine does when I use it in my coffee? ;) If you're really tired of summer squash, last year I pickled some yellow squash for the first time, just refrigerator pickles, so very easy. I posted the recipe a few weeks ago if you want to take a peek. We loved that they held their texture, and were still as good in January as when we first pickled them. If you're like me you're always looking for 'other things' to do with squash!

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    1. I'm hoping the pumpkin expands like I do on 1/2 and 1/2, but not monstrous results yet. I copied your recipe down and will try it soon. Jenni @ rainy day gardener recommended a canning book and my mom recommended a pickling book, so I've been reading and deciding what to try out. This will be a first, so I'm looking forward to the folly and fun. You are right though, I am always trying to find new things to do with squash. They are good, but then keep coming, and coming, and coming... (not that I'm complaining. At least something wants to grow good!)

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