Fertile Crescent July Edition Volume 1

7:07 PM Edit This 13 Comments »
You missed my garden, didn't you! I know you did. I did. And when I finally got home after 24 hours on the bus, I immediately went there and started weeding and perking and staking and well - loving my garden. I figured, I was already dirty and disgusting, a little more wouldn't hurt, right? Here's the big picture. Green, isn't it?
Let's start with the peas. Look at all of them!
I picked the ones that were ripe.
Shelled them.
But I didn't eat them right away. See? I'm sick with the Monkey Plague. And I KNOW they are going to taste amazing, but I can't taste a dang thing right now, so I'm saving them for when I get better. Look at how fresh they are!
The lima beans just might be making a comeback. There's new growth on there since the blight they experienced in their early days. I cut it all off, sprinkled it with poison (the only thing in my garden that I'm NOT calling organic) and let them be. We'll see if they continue.
The pepper plants still look a little peaked. I cut off some of the bottom leaves that were crinkly and brown. I figure I don't have much to lose. They'll either make it or they won't. I don't think they like all the wet we've been having.
Check out the squash! That's summer and butternut squash mixed together. The summer squash has blossoms; the butternut is just now budding. But it's huge! I figure I've trained it UP the trellis. Once it hits the top, I'll let it fall over and down again.The spaghetti squash is enjoying the naughty chair as its trellis. It's almost taken it over. Buds, but no flowers yet.
Now, The Good Cook told me the last time I posted pictures of squash blossoms, that the ones with actual squash would have a baby squash thingy on the vine. Here it is! I don't have many with the baby squash.
Maybe all the flowers are just for fun?
Cherry tomatoes. I wish I didn't have to buy four in a pack. I really only needed one. They are all doing fantastic.
Baby, baby, baby cherry tomatoes.
Bigger Lemon Boys are sprouting and growing.
What are these lovely things?
Beets, of course! I have never grown them before, so I keep kind of pulling one up now and again. They are not very big yet. They may not get very big, because I don't think I thinned them enough, but whatever. Something new. And I LOVE beets. They taste like dirt. How is that a good thing? I don't know. But they taste good. For dirt.
I haven't posted much on the parsnips. Mostly because I didn't know what they were doing. I don't have very many, but what I do have are going strong. I have no idea when to pull them? And since I have so few, I don't want to uproot something that might not be ready.
Red Cabbage. I thought I had given it to the rabbit gods, but it's making a comeback. Cowgirl said I'd "see" when it started maturing. Isn't it supposed to make a "head" of lettuce? Weird.
This seems to be the only casualty of my absence over the weekend. Gay Boyfriend said he watered the garden twice since it was 98 and sunny for three days in a row. My theory is that it got hot and shriveled up and then he watered it and it turned into muck. Since it is "cut and come again," I gave it ALL a haircut. It will either come back or it won't. I enjoyed one salad. That may be all I get out of it, but we'll see. Right? Of course, right.
And now for the green beans. Aren't they pretty, growing up their trellis? They wanted to escape over the fence, but I pulled the tendrils down and rerouted them.
Want a closer look? The blossoms are so dainty.
Check out my Minnesota Midget Melons! They may just produce! They are bred for a very short growing season - i.e. Minnesota, of which SD is very close. We'll see. I planted them late. And they appear to be shaded a bit too much by the bean teepee.
The nastursium seeds I stole from my dad finally produced a flower. Isn't it pretty?
I really thought this was a bachelor button, but it's a perennial and bachelor buttons are not perennials. Any ideas? It's doubled in size since it came back this spring.
And my other field flowers - some sort of daisy are getting ready to burst any second.
That's the July garden tour. And I'm sick. Like super, duper sick. Like, when I had strep throat in April and I laid down in bed and couldn't imagine getting back up, sick. Worn out from my trip, I'm sure. And Miss M had it when we were down there. I give her kudos for even getting out of bed and attempting to have fun. Dang. I can hardly enjoy the memories at this point.

13 comments:

Shelley said...

I'm sorry you are so sick...hope you revive soon! Your garden pictures are so pretty - I love how you find beauty in the little tendrils, flower blossoms, etc. Almost makes me want to plant something!

justme said...

have you ever eaten squash blossoms? i have heard they are amazing

Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks said...

It's amazing to think your garden started as dirt a couple months ago. Look how far it's come! Feel better, friend.

Anonymous said...

Maybe sit out in the sunshine. I think sunshine burns all the germs out.

Malaise Inc said...

My 'maters have gone hog wild. The little planter I have them in looks like a jungle. Now if they would just turn red.

The Good Cook said...

The garden looks great! If you are sick of rain, please send some our way as I fear we are heading for a drought.

The beets and parsnips you can just leave alone until late August or even early September - since they are root vegetables they will store well into the fall.

Feel better soon - perhaps a trip to the good Doctor?

Rebecca said...

My one green bean plant that is still growing doesn't look a fraction as good as anything you have growing. I'll probably have a few green beans in about a week or so.....I'm jealous

Test said...

Lovely. The dear ate my carrots so I had to pull them early. Pooh. My cukes are going gang busters and we've even had fresh broccoli. Claire loves it when I can pull cherry tomatoes and broccoli from the garden for her to eat.

FYI, the last image you have - those are black eyed susans. Not sure on the purple one...

Kim said...

I hope you feel better!

Your peas look so good. And the green beans! I am so sad. Ours are not looking good. Neither are our peppers.

You know, dirt actually has some vitamins in it, so it is okay if your beets taste a little "dirt-y".

buffalodick said...

Hope garden turns out well, as you care so much...

kelly said...

Wonderful garden update! And I hope you feel better soon.

StorytellERdoc said...

Hi Kate
I just caught up on your last few posts! Awesome pics, and "the story to tell" was incredible. Thanks for sharing. Well done.

I hope this finds you well.
Jim

Sparkling Red said...

I also love beets.

The green bean blossoms are gorgeous! I've never seen a green bean flower before. Very cool.

I hope that you feel better soon. Those peas need to be properly appreciated.