You know how gremlins* that get wet multiply? Apparently the same principle holds true for gardens.
I know. CRAZY, right? Plants like water?!?!
Side note: I once sat through an hour long scientific talk and the speaker concluded with the statement “So, in a nutshell, what I’ve told you is that plants need water to live.”
True story.
Above: On July 8th.
Below: On July 18th.
Ten days, people! TEN DAYS!!
Check out in theupper right corner – there is a rogue hubbard squash vine. That shit is BONKERS! I only have three plants, but they are taking over the garden.
If you aren’t familiar with hubbard squash, they get huge. I might have a problem on my hands in a few month. A happy problem.
They start out small though.
A few more garden highlights from yesterday’s photo session:
First zucchini baby!
First and only (blurry) tomato baby!
First okra (blurry, again. Stupid iphone) baby!
Watermelon radish that is growing out of the soil.
Root vegetable, my arse.
And lastly, PURPLE GREEN BEANS!!! (Purple beans?)
I wish these stayed purple, but they turn green when cooked. How? Magic.
The squash (all of them – winter varieties and the zucchini and yellow crooknecks and yellow pattypan and green pattypan – yeah I got a little squash happy this year) are shading out the lettuces and the radishes, but that’s okay. It’s a little too hot for those guys right now anyway.
The cucumbers (fun fact: cukes are in the same family as the squashes) aren’t doing great.
I love pickles too, so I’m heading out to do the cucumber dance right now. No videos, you’ll just have to use your imagination.
How’s your garden? Have you started eating the fruits of your labor yet?
*Yeah, I know. It’s actually the mogwai that multiply, they only turn into gremlins if they are fed after midnight. Gremiln sounds better and most people wouldn’t get the reference if I said Mogwai, though. Right?
the fact that plants need water to survive is the main reason I can’t keep anything alive
midwest summertime memories : you blink and your lawn and weeds grow 2 feet, overnight!
Your garden is a thing of beauty. Mine looks pretty sad these days ..
Although, your picture of okra makes me think that possibly one of my (four) okra plants survived! It’s a sad, complicated story, but I might have one okra plant left (unless a gopher has eaten it since yesterday .. a very real possibility).
Thank you for the tip on purple beans; I almost bought some at the farmer’s market last week, but I thought they might not stay purple (and that would be sad).
I’d have totally gotten the mogwai reference.
But to answer your question yes we are eating from the garden already
5 huge zucchini gave one away and have made muffins, bread (regular, chocolate and banana zucchini breads), brownies, a cake and currently I’m in the midst of making zucchini ice cream from the rest (three more on vines)
1 cucumber (made pickles)
A ton of grape tomatoes (eaten by me hubs and our mailman)
About 15 cups of mint (I have orange and chocolate mint – both yum in green monsters)
And too much parsley to think about (in going to make parsley pesto today)
And to think the season has just started
I posted my favorites here:
http://privatelyiamjoy.blogspot.com/2012/07/babysitting-means-zucchini-right.html?m=1
Seriously the boys inhaled everything
Today’s ice cream was this:
http://flavorofitalyblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/scoop-of-week-zucchini-ice-cream.html?m=1
Jim’s saying its amazing!!!
And I’m thinking next is this (but I havent tried it yet):
http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/173675/zucchini-lemon-sorbet
Because I can try it
Look at that garden!!!! Too bad about the cukes. Hope the dance works.
Oh and we ate going to be in WI in a month or so. I’m not sure where. I saw a national park in northern WI so I’m thinking near there and have also heard things about the “dells” although I have no idea what the dells are? Will research soon. Where are you?
Purple green beans! They look so cool. Remember HYpercolor t-shirts that changed color with the body heat? These are hypercolor green beans…
You would be proud of me I think- all of my herbs survived the move and my week of conference going in Madison. Finally- I’ve found the perfect combo of sun and shade for their survival…..:D