One of the pleasurable things about early summer mornings is walking through the garden. And, in my case, taking a walk through the farm. The farm for us is the right side of our property [right side as you look at the house from the street]. It's big enough to have 7 fruit trees and still room for seasonal veggies.
I'm amazed at how fast the Chinese Red Noodle beans are growing! Seems that two pods emerge from one blossom. Can't wait to taste them.
The watermelon patch already has two fruits that are about a foot long and a bunch of other bitty ones. The pumpkin vines are blooming - I planted the type that produces squash with which you can make pies.
There is edamame [sounds cooler than 'soy beans'] and the little pods are now about 2 inches long. I planted lemon cukes...love the taste and color. I'm going to make pickles. Let's see, what else? Zucchini - gotta have that. Oh there is a row of okra, and a huge tomato [but only one fruit so far...it keeps dropping its flowers]. The dill is huge and flowering. And we planted four sweet 'tater plants for the first time. These should be good. Some strawberries; a young raspberry bush and two baby thornless blackberries. Trying honeydew melon, red bell pepper and golden beets. Whew!
Going to do some canning and freezing this year. We'll have enough peaches to go a little crazy [freezing some, making jam and making fruit leather], what with both the Redhaven and the Elberta trees fully loaded. Fortunately they don't ripen at the same time! If the okra produces enough, I'm going to pickle some of those, too. We also have some grapevines in another part of the backyard and this year I'm going to make raisins...so easy! Wash and dry ripe grapes - spread out on parchment paper on a cookie sheet - put in 200 degree oven and let them 'raisin.' Yum!
Here's some pics from my morning's walk through the farm...Happy Summer!
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