30 June 2016

This is the Way My Garden Grows, June in the Garden

Mark is trying to convince me to move my blog to Facebook and suggested I do a garden post.  Well, its not moving to Facebook, but a garden post seems like a good idea.  It sounds like such a great idea that I think I'll try posting the end of each month during most of the year as away to keep track of garden happenings.

The garden on June 30, 2016

  The squash have been the star of the garden the past 2 weeks, producing every day.  


Cosata Romanesco Zucchini


The zucchini appears to be slowing down, but was a heirloom variety, Cosata Romanesco.  The description reads, "Italian zucchini with nutty flavor and exceptional texture.  Gray-green skin and prominent ribbing."  I may have to try to harvest some seeds so as to be sure to have it again.



Crook Neck Squash





Crookneck and Patty Pan squash are beginning to bare heavier.  They are are my favorite squash, I love to just steam the two together.  

Patty Pan Squash


Another of my favorite ways to fix the Patty Pan Squash I gleaned from my friend Candace, slice it thin, dip it in buttermilk and breadcrumbs and bake.  We've already had this twice and should have many more!

Tomatoes and Green Beans




The tomatoes are small and beginning to set.  I planted 2 Cherokee Purple, they have a wonderful flavor, but don't always bear heavily.  I also planted 2 New Girl and a Roma. At this point they all have green tomatoes of various sizes. They have loved the warmer nights we've had.  I have one cherry tomato, Chocolate Cherry, described as being delicious and multifaceted flavor, super productive, but it's slow.  Usually cherry tomatoes are here long before the others, these don't look soon to be ready.








Blue Lake Green Beans

When I took this photo this morning I noticed that I had a few beans ready to picked.  Upon a closer inspection, I found a whole handful and it looks like there will be another tomorrow.  The beans are on their way!  

Rosa Bianca Eggplant

I was surprised to see this fruit on the Rosa Bianca plant, they usually don't start to bear until later, but the news said we've had more warm days in June than normal.  


Black Beauty Eggplant




Hopefully all the blossoms on this Black Beauty Eggplant will set fruit.  This plant is also doing well because of the lack of June gloom.

Basil and Cilantro

The basil in this picture came from one pot from Trader Joe's, a better value than the pony pack from Harmony! Next to it is the volunteer cilantro that has done much better than when I planted it originally.  As some plants go to seed, there always seem to be a few more babies.  I expect that the warmer weather will stop that. Somehow I lost the other end of this bed with my peppers, 2 Pablano and 2 Padrons.  There are a few smaller sized Poblanos and Rob picked 2 Padrons, wonder if one will be hot?
 
Chives, Tarragon, Thyme and Sage
You can see the weeds trying to take over the herb garden again.  I think this soil had too many weed seeds in it from being stored in the back yard, I am continually battling the weeds.  The chives are a few years old, the thyme, tarragon and sage were all planted this year.
 
Salad Garden




In the salad garden I planted Mesclun Mix and Arugula from seed.  The Mesclun Mix in the foreground has some lettuces that are going to seed and some that are still plugging along.  Behind those are a couple of slow bolt leaf lettuces that I just planted, red leaf butter head that are slow to form heads and Arugula that doesn't act like its going to get much bigger.  At the end of the bed is a cucumber. 



Howard's Miracle Plum

  Last year this Howard's Miracle Plum Tree didn't have such a big crop, but the birds really enjoyed them.  This year I'm doing battle with the birds to get to enjoy the crop.  Last night I covered it with netting and tied sliver ribbon on it to detour the birds.  I'm praying that it works and we get to harvest this years crop.



Howard's Miracle Plum
 

Look at this beautiful succulent plum, the birds have already started to feast and they aren't even ripe!

Fig Tree

Fig Tree
I can't remember the name of this fig, but this is the second one I have planted.  Around the trunk is the extended gopher basket to assure that no gopher crawls over the side and enjoys its roots.  As my mom would have said it's loaded with figs!



As my mom would have said, "It's loaded with figs!"

Raspberries


While we were in Southern California over Father's Day, the berries suffered in the heat and hadn't had consistent water.  In spite of the hard ship I've picked 2 and a half quart size freezer bags full, plus a few here and there to throw in with a fruit salad.  


Sad Strawberries


My poor strawberry patch also suffered from lack of water this month and was full of weeds.  I found it and it now has a few strawberries and seems to be on the mend.  No Balsamic Strawberry Pepper Preserves will be coming from this patch this year.

To be continued

Besides getting this blog post together my chore for today is to plant 3 pumpkin plants, 3 butternut squash plants, 6 Italian Parsley and oodles of giant sunflowers, hopefully they'll be around next month!

That's the garden on the last day of June of 2016.

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