Melon!

Visited Plot #1 and harvested one pickling cucumber last night. Noticed unofficial harvesting means 2 cayenne peppers satisfied another's bite. Neighbor plot's trellis was leaning, so closer inspection revealed hidden among beautiful 5-lobed leaves are small green melons suspended in the air. Probably honeydew but will know later.

Home plot says thanks to SB for the coffee grounds. Two blaze roses are thriving post Black Kow spreading. Mint trimmed back. More tomatoes harvest bound.

Cherokee Purple Harvest

Yesterday, home, from one plant, harvested 11 tomatoes; 3 had been colonized by ants, so they were shaken off and then drowned in a bowl of water. Unofficial harvesting from Plot #1, so that's To Do on my list. Various other tomatoes harvested, along with Japanese eggplant, a cayenne pepper, and salad onions.

Today harvested one more Cherokee Purple, so that's a dozen in 2 days. The home garden plot is the recipient of 6 years of composting. Bee balm was 6 feet high. A tomato plant, staked vertically, was 6 feet tall before it toppled over from the weight of tomatoes, and is no weighing down on the former tall bee balm. If it had fallen over, it would be 7 feet tall. Two more tomato plants have joined the 6 foot club. We use the triangular, foldable green trellis available at home supply stores. Consider them a great investment. They fold up and store well; in addition, cantaloupe plants love twirling and vining around the inside of the triangular cages.

Tomatoes!

Harvested first ones today from plot #1! Thought they would never turn red. Watered because the heat of the day is wilting the plants. Need to mulch tomorrow.

Harvested First Cucumber

last Thursday, 14Jun2012. Sliced it up for a sandwich, was perfect. Saw yellow jackets buzzing around, a good pollinator. Plan to harvest first Japanese eggplant today. Plot number #1.

Afternoon Update

Beginning of trip: sunny and humid. End of trip: sun gone, cloudy, cooler, and far less humid, in two hours. Visited Plot #1 as a EOD treat, before Hurricane Beryl arrives. Tied up and suckered tomatoes. Cucumber vine has grown an inch since yesterday. Neighbor has harvested the gigantic zucchini. Plot #2 has the largest nasturtium blossom I've ever seen. Plot neighbor has a regular cuke that has doubled in length since yesterday. Great results. It had rained slightly, so no watering. Forgot to mention the wild blackberry bushes on the north side. Harvested a plump one yesterday and another one today. Tart. Birds haven't seemed to bother yet.

Memorial Day Weekend

Plot #1: neighbor plot contains a green zucchini that grew from a yellow blossom to a 12+ giant in 5 days, then filled out on the 6th day. Hurrah for raised bed gardening. May be woody texture by now.  Our Plot #1 get intermittent sunlight only but a good experiment. Home: harvested first Early Girl Saturday, delicious, then second Sunday after seeing squirrels eyeing as a rolling round plaything. Bee Balm, planted where we've dug in compost for past years, is now almost 6 feet tall. The four yellow jackets swarm; one is so fat it bends the blossoms over. They love it; everthing else pollinates. AWOL from community garden in center of town!

Trellis installed

Double-square foot garden plot #3 now complete with trellis and netting.