More summer vegetables

In spite of the dry summer so far, the main vegetable garden looks lush and the satellite garden looks like a jungle. Yes, I do water, but I try to be judicious and soak deeply (and am thankful that the winter and spring rains have filled the lakes that provide much of our local water supply).

Compared to the crushing drought conditions of the last few years, it's basically unbelievable to have so many productive tomato, pepper, and squash plants. (The beans will recover from their slump, and I'll be planting a last round of French filet bush beans tomorrow, thanks to my friend CEN's extra seeds). Her garden was lovely, neat and tidy, when I visited it last week. I couldn't help but think about the contrast as I watered this evening!

It's a good thing that a 7 ct chest freezer is being delivered tomorrow, to go in the basement. I feel obligated to do something with all these vegetables, whether it's preserving the harvest or giving them away!

Comments

  1. Hi -

    I figured it's time I say hello! I stumbled upon your blog a few months ago and really enjoy it. I'm a novice blogger and long time gardener here in PA.

    I, too, have yet to notice the appearance of the squash borer, knowck on wood. Today I started some more zucchini seeds in preparation for their arrival though. I've also yet to see the cucumber beetle, bearing his miserable wilt.

    We're also quite dry right now, but my garden is lush and lovely.

    Happy Digging...

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  2. I love being able to freeze my summer harvests. I used to make jellies and can tomatoes-- now (if I get any with the squirrels being so bold) I like freezing. Bought the best book-- Ball's (the canning people) Canning and Freezing Guide. Got it at the hardware store!

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  3. Hi! We had rain last night~~what a wonderful gift to have rains in the summer once again! It's been a relief to only need to water the containers and a few new plants in the beds. The freezer sounds like a good investment...Wouldn't a cistern be nice, too. gail

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  4. Well, of course the only reason I have a tidy garden is that I'm trying to sell the house! That, and I do really believe that the spring rains and a little judicial use of organic fungus/mildew preventatives (namely, Serenade)kick-started everything into behaving well-- or at least, staying green instead of mottling into the yellows and browns as things are prone to do by this time in a droughty summer.

    Keep enjoying those beans! Alas, I'm going to have to put mine and most of my other vegies to bed when we move in a couple of weeks since they would no doubt get immediately untidy (not to mention thirsty) without my constant surveillance.
    But thanks again to good spring weather and an unusually early start for me, my pumpkins will be ready to make the move with us along with whatever tomatoes, peppers, etc that happen to be ready.

    Loved the little bear!

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  5. Well, there's now much more munching on the zucchini leaves (woodchucks? rabbits? deer?!!) so maybe productivity will be declining.

    But it's amazing how small spaces can produce veggies!

    Gail,
    We could really use some rain -- it's been continuously dry here for weeks, and weeks...

    CEN, well, I know you've got an incentive for keeping your garden tidy, but it was quite impressive, nevertheless. Uh, I couldn't help but think about your tomatoes carefully trained on their trellises while contemplating my sprawling tomatoes, even in their vinyl-coated cages.

    Janet, I'm so glad to have the freezer (delivered today) -- much better than canning, to be sure. And with my low-tech Ziploc vacuum device, I'm ready.

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  6. And Donna, thanks for commenting! Good luck with your zucchini.
    Lisa

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