August 23, 2012

August Garden Update


It's that time of year - our counters are covered in baskets of tomatoes. We've been making sauce, soup, & everything else we can with the fresh tomatoes.


The tomato plants are out of control! We had such a good plan & then a few rainy days came alone & they grew like crazy. Sometimes I just have to dive in headfirst between the rows & look around for any red ones to pick.


This is the first year that we've really had success with eggplants. They're growing well & we've already picked 3.


The swiss chard is healthy & thriving, as is the kale. I pureed a bunch of each & froze it in ice cube trays to have for green smoothies in the winter.


This is a mixture of sweet potato vines & a random melon plant.


I didn't plant the random melon plant, but I'm very excited to see what this little guy is!


We have 3 brussels sprout plants. They have tiny brussels on them now. I can't wait to pick them! Also, isn't it amazing how they grow? The little heads form just at the stem/branch connection. So cool!


I planted 5 zucchini & 5 random squash seeds in this area. Two came up. I think both are zucchini, but the way that one is vining out makes me wonder...  I hope one is butternut squash!


The jalapeno pepper plants are doing well. They've slowed down in production, thankfully, because we were overwhelmed. I froze a few baggie-fuls for winter eating & we gave away plenty.


About 2 weeks ago, we harvested our potatoes. It's so fun because with each dig into the ground, you're anxiously awaiting a potato to pop up. The soil here still needs some work, as it has a lot of clay, so the potatoes didn't grow to be very large, but we still got a lot of them!

After we harvested the potatoes, I planted broccoli, beets, turnips, & carrots. They're popping up quickly!


The cucumbers that were on the tee-pees have died off. They weren't getting enough water in July when we had so little rain. The tomatoes are doing well here, though, and there are a few potato plants to harvest later, once things die back.


After the first year, we haven't planted any cherry tomatoes. They come back on their own from the seeds that dropped the year before. I'm learning to control them better, so they aren't so overwhelming! I've also been freezing these to roast for sauces in the winter.


We transplanted strawberries back here & they really took off. The bell pepper plants are growing well, although I've only picked 1 so far.


I love the purple pepers! They're still small, so I'm letting them grow for awhile.


See the baby zucchini? I hope we get tons of them! So far, I've only picked 2. People complain about zucchini, but I could eat it daily!




And finally, our kiwi archway. It's growing like crazy. We thought we might get a few kiwis this year, but it's hard to tell. There are a few baby ones on there that seem to be getting eaten by birds. One bird built its nest in there, so sometimes when we walk by it goes flying out & startles us.

I'm super excited that we're heading into fall. I'm loving the cool mornings & having our A/C off. We roasted a squash over the weekend. I can't wait for all things pumpkin!

What are you most excited about for fall?

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