Is it really August already? How did THAT happen? Miss. Lucy Puggle Love and I were up early this morning picking berries and snapping pictures of the garden. I spotted a new bird nest just outside the kitchen window the other day, the 4th one we’ve spotted this year. It rained last night and now the birds are in the yard pulling up worms and bringing them to their babies. It’s lovely darrrling, just lovely.
In other news, the strawberry and rhubarb plants are thriving.
As are the yellow day-lilies. 😉
And the pumpkins…. oh the pumpkins!
I think we are going to have a few extra this year.
Did you plant eggplants this year? I’m still waiting for flowers on mine.
But the Sun Golds are beginning to trickle in…
And the basil is still growing like mad!
And this morning, I plucked a 3 pound 15 ounce zucchini out of the veg patch. I guess that means a chocolate zucchini cake is in my future, because zucchini bread is so last year. Or maybe, I should make a batch of zucchini relish. Decisions, decisions. {Then again, who am kidding, I’ll probably be swimming in zucchini for the next 8 weeks and be able to make single zucchini recipe I have and then some}.
All I know is this, today, its going to be a lovely day. 🙂 🙂 🙂
I can feel it.
Keep calm and garden on,
~Mavis
Peggy says
Beautiful! The eggplant I started from seed is still tiny, I think I planted it in the wrong spot or have done something wrong with them so I’ll learn over the winter what to do better next year. But…the two large plants I bought at the nursery and haven’t planted in the garden each have a fruit! I also picked a Cozelle zucchini yesterday that wasn’t quite ready two days ago but pretty huge yesterday! Have you made noodles with your bigger zucchinis? We got a spiralizer from Aldi for $10, I’m not a gadget person, but hubby’s a diabetic and has to watch carbs and it works like a charm!
Sheila says
How are your chickens doing? Does Lucy still watch over them? I haven’t seen an update on them in awhile.
Mavis Butterfield says
Chickens are good, laying like mad. I’ll try and do an update next week. Lucy LOVES them!
Jen says
Your gardens always look so beautiful! I think with a 4lb zucchini you can make ALL the recipes right now. Seems like no recipe uses quite enough zucchini to catch up to what the garden provides. Maybe a huge zucchini frittata?!
I had a very late start to my garden this year, and at a new town/climate, too. 15-20 years of gardening experience and I feel like a newbie. Still, squashes are rampant, tomatoes and peppers are trying to do their thing, and beans are trying to teach me a lesson in humility.
dj_1973 says
Your eggplant flowers are almost there – you have buds! I’m hoping mine flower. I have bad luck with eggplant, but I love them so. My sungolds in Maine are about a week behind yours – just starting to break. I love this time of year – I wish it lasted longer. Enjoy the heat and the ice cream while you can.
Sue says
Embrace the yellow daylilies.
Margo says
I have 2 eggplant plants. The small one I’d giving me some nice eggplants which will be ready soon. But then I have a huge one which is mostlyleaves and flowers and very little fruit. Go figure.
Bre says
I was reading your directions for zucchini relish and need to know if you used canning salt.
Mavis Butterfield says
I have always just used freshly ground sea salt.
Rita says
So beautiful and so green! The peaches are ripe and for sale at the farm stands already? Have you thought about planting a peach tree instead of the apples?
Jennifer says
I know you hate day lilies, but if you pick the buds before they open and sautee them in a little olive oil, add salt , butter, and garlic powder , they are absolutely fabulous!!! One of my favorite veggies, as good as asparagus!!! My husband is a chef, and has been serving them in his restaurant, mixed with sauteed green and purple beans. They cook a little faster than the beans though. Maybe if you start eating the lilies you will hate them less!! It is soooo good…I hope you try it!
Katelyn says
Hi Mavis!
What is growing in the tub outside of your adorable little shed (?) in the first picture, with Lucy?
And please share the name of the beautiful blue flowers at the end! Thanks!
Louise in Jax says
i’m not Mavis but, the blue are Hydrangea and it looks like sunflowers in the tub.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes! Thanks Louise in Jax. 🙂
Cynthia W says
Cindy from NH here. Where I grew up was fairly country, and I miss the quiet and charm of having so much nature around. I guess it was also the lack of cell phones and 99 channels, there was less competing for your attention. Anyhow, your post today brings me back to walking up River Road and exploring my grandmother’s property and just the ambiance of those days! So thank you so much Mavis. Truly a blessing. PS Though I now live on the city outskirts, I have trees, a clothesline, and a backyard, and I treasure these greatly. Love my clothesline!!
Linda T says
I made 4 loaves of zucchini bread today, because I made your zucchini cake the other day. I also made stuffed green peppers in my electric saucepan (I grew up in New England and my mother made thenm in the oven, but I like them better this way. AAAAAnd, I made zucchini parmesan, which my hubby loves. It’s an easy recipe: peel zucchini and slice into approximately 1/3″ slices. It isn’t important that they be measureable, just that it is consistent enough so they’ll all cook at the same rate. I use a pastry brush to brush mayonnaise thinly on both sides and coat the slices with Idahoan brand 3 cheese instant potato flakes. To do this in an orderly fashion, I put a heaping TBSP of mayo in one cereal bowl, and the flakes in the other and have my cookie sheet next to those, so that I can brush, coat, and place the coated slices on the cookie sheet (or other shallow pan.) When I’ve got as many as will make a meal (I fill one cookie sheet for 2-4 of us) I pop them into a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, turn the slices and do the other side for approx. 20 min. To serve, I make some angel hair pasta, and heat homemade or Prego spaghetti sauce. Sppon over the browned eggplant and the pasta. YUM!
Linda T says
That should say “spoon over” And lest you think we ate all that I made I’ve been freezing meals because my hubby is having fusion back surgery Wednesday. I’ve never tried freezing the eggplant – we did eat those.