I'm not sure why they are setting new fruits in July, but just look at the squashes.  Middle of the picture is a North Georgia Candy Roaster, and at the top is a baby Cushaw.  These aren't the only ones.  There are about 4 or 5 more baby squashes.  

 

Whatever, I just love seeing them grow.

 

HAPPY GARDENING HERE!!!

 

Do you know what we are looking at?  (Besides bad grammar?)  

 

This is my third crop of arugula.  The first two crops I planted back to back, but when they went to seed, I left them in place to dry.  Then when I took out the stems, the seeds fell on the ground, and I sprinkled a few more from the seed pods.  Three days later we could see green coming up in the arugula bed!!!  It should be ready to start picking in a couple weeks.  

 

Can't have too much arugula.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

This is what happens to Romaine when the weather gets hot.  It bolts.  Which means that it stops growing leaves, and focuses its attention on making seeds.  

 

This is how most lettuces look when they bolt.  These are about 3 feet tall, and full of blooms.  Lettuce and dandelions are botanically related.  See the flowers?  When they open up they are all fluffy, and when they dry they are airborne, just like dandelions.

 

If we're lucky, when the seeds are ripe, it will be dry enough to harvest the seeds and save them for next spring.  But I can assure you that some seeds will plant themselves and we will have volunteer lettuce in this section of the garden.  The whole process is so exciting.

 

HAPPY  GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

Earlier I showed you a potato growing in the garden.  One of our potatoes in the basement sprouted, so I stuck it in the garden to grow.  

 

This is what I pulled out from under the dying plant.  Not the gold ones at the bottom of the picture, but the dirty ones at the top all came from that one plant.

 

The biggest one weighs 11 ounces!!  Free!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I thought you might like an update on the North Georgia Candy Roasters.  They are about 24 inches long, and starting to turn pink.  

 

What I read about them in the seed catalog is that once you've tasted these you will never eat pumpkin pie again.  Hmmmm.  

 

I am taking that to mean that they are sweet and pumpkin-like, good for roasting, and pie-making.  I hope they are good, because I planted 3 plants and have 7 squashes!!!  All this big!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Ever seen purple kale?  Me too.  I planted it this year from seeds, just to see.  Isn't it gorgeous?  The stems are purple and the leaves are too.  It tastes the same as the curly kale that I always grow, but this is just so pretty.  

 

Bonus!!!  The cabbage white butterflies haven't found it yet.  Maybe they don't recognize it as yummy kale.

 

Hey, Julie.  Wouldn't this make cool kale chips?  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I know I've shown you this before, but today is monumental.  I just went over 1000 articles!!!  A few of them repeat the subject, but no two are exactly the same.  No cutting and pasting.  Well, I have reused a couple pix, but all the articles are unique.

 

Mark made this sign for me a few years ago, and bestowed on me this Master's degree:  Master of Bloggery!  I feel like I just earned it.  

 

THANKS FOR READING!!!

 

The tomatillos are getting bigger.

 

See how they look like little lanterns?  When they start out they are empty.  Just a poof of air.  Then as the tomatillos grow, the berry fills up the husk, until the husk breaks open.  You can see that on the bottom one in the picture.  See how the husk is splitting at the bottom?  

 

These bushes are about 6 feet tall, and have a whole bunch of tomatillos set, in varying stages of doneness.  

 

You have to peel off the husk, and wash them because they are a little sticky.  But then we like to skewer a few and grill them for about 5 minutes.  They get soft and sweet.  

 

I've seen them in the produce department, and you could try a few, to be sure you like them.  But they are so easy to grow; just ask Patty.  I gave her a few seedlings a couple years ago, and she still has them coming up all over her garden.  She's the Tomatillo Queen!!!  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Look at this beautiful BLUE.  

 

This is Brassica oleracea lacinato, commonly known as Dinosaur kale.  I planted 12 seeds this spring, and 8 plants got put into the garden. They are now about 3 feet tall and beautiful.  I love the deeply savoyed leaves.  

 

We pick leaves from the bottom, and they will keep on growing until the frost gets them this fall.  Some kales overwinter, and then bloom the following spring.  I'll let you know if these do that.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

See how the Jalapeño stems start up then hang down.  That's how most of our peppers grow on the bushes.  That's why those cherry peppers sticking straight up tickled me so.  We only planted two of these.  They will give us, (not us,) they will give Jon hot peppers all the way into November.

 

We planted one cayenne plant too.  Some people like that stuff.  I just like watching them grow leaves and fruit, then turn red.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!