August Days

Today I found more cukes growing, this time on the string Tony added while I was away - nice going Tony! Some orange cherries were ripe and I picked a few brandywines too. Most of the tomatoes are green right now, so I'm just waiting for the next wave of red ones to make roasted/stuffed tomatoes and cheese. The tomatoes are getting taller - but not as tall as the first year when they grew right past the stakes and taller than me. However, the sun gold cherry is a mass of vines and leaves intertwined with the surrounding plants. It may be the best growing plant I have aside from the monster cukes and hot peppers. I now have more of those than I know what to do with - a gallon bagfull is already in the freezer!

Tomatoes abound

I've got a bottomless bowl of cherrys to contend with each morning - both heirloom orange and red. The brandywines are ripening a few a day, though this year they aren't as red - they tent to have a yellowish top to them, while the bottom is an orange-red. They're ripe however and taste great.

The cukes have slowed down, all the obscene male flower fruit grew first - the smaller female flowers are fruiting now, producing more average-sized snacks.


The green salsa peppers are out of control. I picked about 20 today, froze most of them, some are in the fridge and others still are in the basket o'plenty on the table.

The basil is started to shrivel up already, they flowered while I was away and never really sprung back after pinching those off.

It's blackberry time in Lincoln/Concord, grapes are getting there but not ready yet.The farmers markets still have great lettuce, tomatoes, onions, blueberries (still), and now peaches and corn too.

Morning visit

A quick visit to the garden for a little watering and to collect some veggies after being away for a week.

What's doing well:

Tony put up some strings to help the cukes grow vertically - thanks Tony!. They're sort of taking to the idea, they tend to wrap around other cukes vines at this point, and they've strangled some cosmos to get a leg up. Lots of cuke flowers on the outside of the fence, not sure if they'll ever mature to anything worthwhile, might pinch a few back and see what happens.



All the tomatoes are a-coming and doing great. I've collected some red and orange cherries, and my first 2 brandywines. Lots of long and hot salsa peppers too.





Dill is doing great. It's not as tall in years past but I suppose it's because I sprinkled all the seed in one spot and never weeded them out. Still, it's one of my favorites in the garden to look at.



Thai basil is huge and prospering, such a pretty plant to grow. Would be a great decorative pant - I should grow it on the porch next year.


Not so well:
The Italian basil is doing ok, not as good as ones in the past however.

I have one lone cosmo flower, the batch is very short this year - though there's still some time for them to kick into gear.


The green onions from Burpee are a disappointment. The bulbs grow very large and round, while the green stalks end up stunted and thin. I had some great ones 2 years ago, different seed packet...need to find out what that was.


Collection for the day


Other notes:
Cilantro has gone to seed, last week actually. Many of the sections are brown and will fall soon. The communal raspberries are about done, not many other gardeners ate them.