Monday, June 20, 2016

In The Garden, Lately

The garden, despite the two frost/freezes in early spring leaving the plants smaller than normal, is producing some mighty good vegetables. It's hard to take a picture of the whole garden, even with my smaller lens.  After shooting this picture, I shot an aerial view from from the second floor bedroom window. 


Aerial view...late June garden.

 Cabbage and beets...I've never grown beets before and I don't really know how big they should get before harvesting. I pulled back a little dirt from one of the largest ones and it's certainly not ready, yet.

 
Cucumbers...I'm getting quite a few and I'm thrilled because the cucumber is probably my favorite vegetable. 

 
Marigolds...companions for the tomatoes.

 
Okra...I've picked a few pods and added them to stewed tomatoes, that I canned last summer, and served over rice. Oh glory! They are so good!


 
Squash and Zucchini


 
 Sunflowers to pretty the garden up.

 Tomatoes....I've picked one and there are about 3 more almost ready. I love these, too! Tomato sandwiches with Dukes mayonnaise is the best!

 
Oregano....a gift from my neighbor's garden. I've been adding it to my salads. 


Hope your gardens are doing well. It's starting to get really hot here and I don't know how much longer mine will produce. Hopefully, I still have a few weeks left.

Talk soon,
Laurie


36 comments:

  1. Everything is looking wonderful! Love the shot from the upstairs window! I have a couple little green tomatoes appearing....looks promising! haha.

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    1. Thanks, Betsy! I know you can't wait to enjoy your tomatoes and I can't wait to see more pictures of your garden!

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  2. I could say I am green with envy but really i'm just so impressed with all your handwork and the bounty that its producing in your garden! Fantastic!

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  3. Everything looks fabulous. Nothing better than picking and eating from your own yard. Hot as heck here and has been dusty for days. Bleh!

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    1. Thanks, Tammy. You are so right. The vegetables actually have flavor unlike store bought ones. Well most store bought ones, anyway. It's going to be a scorcher here this week, too. Hope you find some good shade.

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  4. HI Laurie....
    You did a great job on the mulch....looks so neat and tidy!
    It is so rewarding when you get to actually eat what you grow!
    Your previous post was so funny....crazy bird!
    We are just over another heat wave...temps into the 90's...we need rain!
    Enjoy your week...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. Thanks Linda! Rewarding is an understatement. First of all, just to have fresh and organic. And then the thrill of growing them yourself! Priceless!! Hope you get rain. We will be dry all week.

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  5. We need rain also..everything looks fabulous Laurie..I love that it is gated off..reminds me of Susan Branch:)

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    1. Thanks, Monique! I love the enclosure, too. It reminds me of a cottage garden. I just need to get my potting shed, now.

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  6. So nice to see your produce! It feels it was just the other day when you were planting everything and now you can already make a full salad with stuff from your garden. Great job!

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    1. Thanks, Sara! Yes, salad veggies and steamed or sautéed squash and zucchini. Nothing better than fresh from your own garden.

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  7. We have tomatoes and a few herbs growing here. I will use the fresh basil in a caprese salad tonight.

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  8. What a lovely garden! There is nothing like home grown veggies.

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  9. Okra and tomatoes! I'll be right over! ��

    Jim Fowler, Greenville, SC

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    1. Jim, you are a true southerner! I left out the part about homemade biscuits. I might have to sautée some squash and zucchini to go with it. Hope you don't mind going meatless, though.

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  10. What a pretty garden! So much deliciousness there! xx Karen

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  11. Oh, Laurie, your garden pictures are fit for a glossy magazine spread! I'm so glad to hear you're getting lovely vegetables to eat. You should be so proud of your garden this year. What a lot of effort you've put into it, but isn't it all worth it? If you didn't get anything else out of your garden after today, I'd call it a super success!

    Oh, the beets . . . you can harvest and eat the beets right with the beet greens (the whole little plant, all together) when the beets are as small as marbles. Cook lightly, use a little butter and salt and pepper . . . delish! But for quantity, you'll probably want to let the beets get bigger . . . 2 to 3" across would be lovely.

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    1. Thank you, Judy! You are so kind! Yes, I'm like a proud mama with my garden. And yes, all that hard work is worth it. I'm starting to think about a fall garden, now.

      Oh yum! I'll try the beets this way. I'm getting kind of impatient with them anyway. Thanks for the idea!

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  12. Your garden is looking terrific, Laurie! All I have left in mine is a few pepper plants and tomatoes as far as veggies. Herbs seem to thrive on neglect so those are doing well. I might not have as good a crop of blueberries this season though.

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    1. Thank you! Did you not plant any cucumbers, Lynn?

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  13. Lovely garden, I was just thinking I should do the same thing.

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    1. Thank you, Rebecca! Good to see you here. I'll look for pictures of your garden, if you decide to go forward with it.

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  14. Your garden is beautiful and it looks like you will be able to harvest a lot of wonderful produce! Nancy

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    1. Thank you, Nancy! I picked 4 tomatoes and about 8 cucumbers today. Yum!!

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  15. Cucumbers! Do they taste good? I love the orange, large flowers. Real Summer in your garden!

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    1. Oh my, yes! Cucumbers are sooooo good! Have you never tried them? The orange flower is a Marigold and it brightens up the garden as well as helps to keep the bugs from my tomatoes. Good to see you here!

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  16. Laurie, Your garden beds are awesome !! I loved seeing them and the things you are growing. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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  17. Okay I am jealous. It has been a little too cool for mine to take off. My lettuce looks like it is happy. I did not plant tomatoes...the season is too short here.

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    1. I bet those lettuces are delicious. Too bad you can't grow tomatoes...there's nothing like a fresh home-grown tomato.

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  18. Your garden looks so pretty and organized!

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