Hello and Happy Wednesday!
How is the zucchini situation at your house? Are you growing zucchinis as big as your pets? How is it that every year I always find at least one giant zucchini hiding under the leaves? I don’t get it. You would think I’d be able to spot them by now. 😉
Tomato season is officially here and it seems like everyday we are picking at least a quart or two of the little cherry tomatoes. Forget about Doritos, this time of year, tomatoes are the snack of choice.
The sunflowers are in full bloom and the chickadees couldn’t be happier. Every morning I find them on top of the sunflowers pulling out the seeds. It’s such a nice thing to wake up too.
I had hoped I’d get some 12 footers this year but so far the tallest sunflower in the garden has only been about 10 feet tall. Oh well, I’ll try again next year.
We currently have around 20 squash and pumpkins growing alongside the fence and in the back. Mostly butternuts and honeynuts, and I think I spotted a hubbard squash or two as well. The sugar pie pumpkins always seem to come on a little later in the season so I’m still hoping we get a few of those.
Here’s the latest aerial photo of our garden plot the HH took with his drone. Everything is still a nice shade of green! I planted a new row of basil and broccoli seeds so we’ll see how that goes. I don’t think I’ve ever tried direct sowing broccoli before but I believe I allowed enough time for it to go from seed to harvest before the first frost. Only time will tell.
Roasted beets will be on the menu soon.
And baby Mel is growing more and more everyday. I noticed a few more baby watermelons on the vine but I think I ought to pinch them off so Mel will get all the nutrients. What do you think? Any watermelon growers out there?
Round 3 {or is it 4?} of the green beans. The bugs seem to have found this batch. Hopefully they’ll make it.
And last but not least… Rhubarb row. It’s coming along nicely, don’t you think? It’s hard to believe all that rhubarb came from one mother plant at the beginning of the season.
How is YOUR garden doing these days? What have you been harvesting lately? Do tell.
Have a fantastic day everyone, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL.
~Mavis
Trava says
I officially pulled up my zucchini plants! The heat had taken its toll on the plants and I have put 40 loaves of Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread in my freezer. I always find that one giant zucchini I missed as well at some point in the season and I’ve been gardening my whole life! With my mom as a child and for 28 years as a farm wife!
Jeanie says
I have one zucchini plant left (it was so so hot this year) and I have three tomatoes plants still producing. I pulled one out because I could not get rid of he scale on the tomatoes and the other one because it was just so huge and it was really only producing tomatoes sporadically. I have Bush beans coming on but my big ? is my pumpkin vines. Lots of blossoms and no pumpkins. The vines are going crazy but I can’t get fruit to set.
Tracy W says
My Mom used to call those huge zucchinis zucchini bats. Back in the 70’s, she would split them in half and load those puppies up with hamburger, onions, and mushrooms, then top it with spaghetti or BBQ sauce adding cheese on top. This is what we would serve at the big backyard family get togethers. Zucchini boats way before Pinterest. My Mom…she was cool like that.
Shari Harniss says
YAY for cool moms!
Susan Backus says
I’ve been getting some great zucchini which isn’t unusual. What is, is the shape. These aren’t the same shape as I’m used to seeing. They’re very plump. Like if you made a circle with you hands. They usually weigh a little under 2 pounds although I’ve got one now just under 3. Anyone know which variety these are? I’d like to plant them again next year. These are perfect sized for zucchini boats.
Elle says
Watermelon: Reduce to 3 fruits per vine. Pull off any flowers. Terminate the vine about 1 foot beyond the last melon you’re trying to grow out.
Some critter killed 3 of my zucchini plants. I originally bought 4 and when I planted, discovered 2 per pot. So I still have 5 of 8. Supposedly hubster picked them Monday. Well this morning, I found 4 the size of my forearm (not yours 😉 I’ll dice, roast and freeze!
Did manage to get 3 cilantro plants. Hopefully they’ll come on the same time as my ‘maters. WE NEED SALSA!!!!
Renay Bennett says
My cucumbers all pooped out on me. I haven’t gotten one zuke. Several yellow squash though. Hey Mavis, does the lawn look like that without watering or do you guys water? My moms house in Texas the grass is the opposite of us, green in the summer, browner in the winter.
SuzieW says
Zucchini and cherry tomatoes is all I planted this year. Already planning for next year.
Lori says
Hey Mavis, In the past we have had on occasion found the baseball bat size zucchini, but not this year. I’ve placed my zucchini plants inside tomato cages. The leaves grow up and the zucchini is completely visible With none hiding. The air circulates better and I have had a lot more fruit this year. You should try it.
MEM says
I’m in the Greater Boston area and grow everything in very large containers like whiskey barrels – small city lot and crappy soil. This is the first year I grew zucchini from seed – lots of blossoms but only a few zucchini and they have a really hard rind on them. I won’t be growing that variety again. Cherry and grape tomatoes are doing well but the salad tomatoes and heirlooms are getting rotten spots before they ripen. My daughter and her boyfriend planted spaghetti squash and pickling cucumbers. The bees cross-pollinated some of them and the cucumber plant grew a few “squickles”. Looks like a very big, very fat yellow cucumber. They plan to make refrigerator pickles out of that big boy. My Baby Boo white pumpkins are doing well – I already picked one of them as its bigger than my hand. The spaghetti squash are doing well but some of them are orange and round like a pumpkin. My Disneyland Roses completely defoliated thanks to black spot. My not-orange daylilies are thriving. Never a dull moment in the garden.
Claire says
Hi Mavis, just wondering if you’ve ever grown fennel?
My beetroot is looking great but I see yours is sitting right up out of the ground.
Still lovely and cold here.
Claire
Australia
Kim says
My zucchini stopped producing because of the heat and we were going to pull them but never got around to it. Now they are producing again and over the weekend we found a big one, even though I check that plant every day. We also picked 94 cucumbers this year. Our cucumber plants rarely do well, but this year they went wild!