Summer is IN

The squash takes over

The garden is finally happy & productive.

The tomatoes are coming along though still very green, I picked 2 cucumbers, lots of green beans, and checked in on the squash plant, which is huge. Lots of baby squash are growing, nothing quite ready for picking. I also grabbed a red onion.


Slugs persist


Baby squash

The yellow onions are getting big and are starting to crown, not sure if they're supposed to do that when ready or what. I cover them up with soil when I see that, though it may be time to pluck them out more often, it's been about 90 days now.


Tomatoes

Tomatoes

The dill seeds are starting to turn brown, though most are still green and almost 5 ft tall. The basils are doing well, should pick more of that soon. The lemongrass is much happier with the heat.

I think the aphids are finally gone, though their damage lurks. I plucked many of the effected leaves, leaving spindly Early Girl plants (though the new growth looks promising). The tomatoes will be very late this year, hopefully I'll be home to enjoy them before my Labor day vaca.


Cucumber flowers

I've been making a shrimp green bean curry to use the beans, as well as a squash casserole with garden squash, onions, garlic, beans (as well as peppers and last year's garden tomatoes which are frozen). I also made a fabulous chilled cucumber soup with dill and lemon juice.


Green romas


Green brandywines

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Cucumber Mint Soup
(adapted from Martha Stewart)
* 3 cucumbers, peeled and cut into chunks
* 1 clove garlic
* 1 cup plain yogurt
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 cup water
* 4 scallions, diced
* 1 cup fresh mint leaves
* 1/4 cup fresh dill
* Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Blend cucumber, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, and water in a blender, puree until smooth.
2. Add scallions, dill and mint leaves and puree briefly. Season with salt and pepper, and add more lemon juice if a tarter flavor is desired.
3. Chill until ready to serve (2 hours).
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Today's collection


Garden view (camera lens not wide enough)

Holy squash

Overflowing plate

I visited the garden on a lark and discovered I haven't gotten rid of the aphids, and the squash plant was planning on taking over Osgood Too. I was able to reverse the squash's evil plans, but the aphids carry on destroying the weak links of my tomato plants (the romas & cherries look like they'll hold their own).


First big garden bounty

I peeked under the squash plant during the tense negotiations and found what appeared to be a giant yellow submarine, but no, it was just an hugely-grotesque summer squash fruit. Yikes! I twisted it off the vine and picked another large squash, and left a little baby one to get a bigger & meaner. I guess I know what I'll be grilling for lunch tomorrow.


From the land of the giants...

I was happy to find lots of healthy and tasty green beans. They are hard to pick off, but worth the effort. The basil is enjoying the heat, and the cherry plant is flowering like crazy. I have one cucumber under all those vines, but I left it to get a little bit bigger. I picked a few red onions though it seemed early, but the tops were down and I didn't want them to rot. The yellow onions look like they'll be huge come harvest time. The garlic is all picked and cured. I hope to roast that along with the onions and yellow submarine. The ˘ is very tall, and just starting to form green seeds. It looks lovely as it sways in the breeze.


Serious squash slices for roasted veg casserole

Still battling Aphids, rain finally stops

Bean Fowers


Green Beans

Phew, I think it's finally summer. Yes it's July but it's felt like May or even Septemer at times. The 24 days of clouds and rain seems to be over, and the garden is slowly picking up where it left off.


Garden view

To my surprise, I have beans (and bean flowers). They're not ready to pick, but soon! The summer squash plant is getting large, and I already have a mini squash under there, with lots of others starting to grow. The dill is as tall as me, and the onions look ready to go (red), but I'm going to let them sit there longer. I pulled up all the garlic, the last head being the biggest and whitest. The basil was looking good so I pulled a bunch of leaves off for a stir fry.


Summer Squash

In the back, the cucumbers are dying for some heat, and I think the netting I put up is helpful (though my garden now has the look of an old sea shanty).The Romas & Cherry are doing well with 1-2" green ones, the early girls are looking okay (no fruit, lots of flowers), but the poor heirlooms are struggling against the aphids (though there are a few big green heirlooms growing, I wonder if I'll get much later in the season from them).


Last Garlic Head

The other neighbor's gardens are doing well, black capped raspberries are in, grapes are making some headway, and I pulled a ton of weeks this week (though I didn't have many between plants since I put down all that hay.


Aphid & damage


tomatoes


Romas


Heirlooms


Cherries


Cukes


View from tomatoes


Beans


Bean Flowers


Bean Flowers


Dill