Uh-oh!!!  We saw the first signs of fall this week.  This little Sassafras tree is starting to show us its fall color.

 

Actually, we've seen a couple other trees hinting at the color change, but this one was so cute I had to take its picture.  

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER...STILL!!!

 

Look how lush the green beans are.  I guess we've had enough rain to keep them happy.  

 

We have lots of green growth, and we are getting beans, so we are happy too.  

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

Cherry Peppers.  Hot cherry peppers.  I don't love hot peppers, but Jon does.  

 

We got the seeds years ago from his daughter, Sheri, and we've been growing them ever since. 

 

They are so cute growing:  the peppers stick up on the plant, rather than hanging down like most other peppers.  And they are RED!!!  Red Cherry Peppers.

 

 

WE ARE HAPPY GARDENERS!!!

 

 

 

And this cucumber is NOT one that got away.  This is how they are supposed to be:  Suyo long.  This one is almost 18 inches long, and delicious all the way through.

 

By growing these vines up a trellis, they hang down and grow straight.  Well, some of them grow a little crooked, but mostly they grow straight.  We love this variety of cucumber.  They stay skinny, never get bitter, and always make us smile.

 

Isn't that why we grow a garden in the first place?

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!! 

 

If you have ever grown zucchini, you know what this is.  It's the one that got away.  We check the garden daily, and every once in a while, there is one zucchini that misses our notice.  We check one day, we miss a day, and the next time we check, there is one zucchini that is 17 inches long, just hiding under those great big leaves.

 

Well, we had one yesterday, and I gave it to my friend.  She made zucchini cakes, a lot of them, and that's what we had for happy hour.  

 

Every day is happy here on our mountain.

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

 

 

The peppers have gotten a little big too.  We put those round tomato cages around them, and tie-wrap them together, so they don't get blown over by the wind.  We use the biggest ones we have for the peppers, but you can see they are up way over the tops of the cages.  In fact, when I was walking down this row, I was eye level with the tops of the pepper plants. 

 

But they are loaded with peppers, so I'm happy with what's happening out there.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

It's true!!!  Our tomato plants are completely Out Of Control.  And, as you know, I am not so good at pruning, thinning, or generally throwing away good stuff.  But in this case, we have too much plant hogging the vital energy that we want to go to making tomatoes.  So on Saturday we cut off the tops of the tomato plants, down to the top of the 6-foot cages.  6 feet is tall enough for tomato plants, right?  

 

Hopefully, all that energy will go to making us more tomatoes.  I just hope it's not too late to do some good.  We will see...

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I just realized that I forgot to tell you about the flowers on the Jewelweed.  First of all, they are spotted, AND they are orange.  They are kinda small, about the size of a regular frito (not the scoops) but even from a short distance, you can see the trumpet-shaped orange flowers.  This is cool too:  when the seed pods are ripe, they explode when touched.  Hence the name Touch-me-nots.  

 

If you have ever grown Impatiens in your garden, you know what I mean.  They scatter their seeds by explosion upon contact.  It is a great plant to grow in a child's garden, because it is so fun when you touch them and they explode.

 

Try Impatiens in your garden;  there are some great shade-loving varieties, and touching the seed pods is fun for adults too.

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

I noticed that the Sassafrass trees in our neighborhood have set fruit.  Look!!!  Little purple berries on red stems.  Aren't they pretty?  I've written about Sassafras before, but I've only begun to notice the berries.  

 

Next time you see a sassafras tree, look more closely and maybe you'll see the berries.  

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

I know I've shown you this before, but it is such a great plant, I want to remind you of it.  It is Spotted Touch-me-not, or Jewelweed.  It is a species of Impatiens, Impatiens capensis, and it has cool medicinal value.

 

I was surprised when we saw these touch-me-nots in the park the other day.  I haven't seen any in a few years.   It often grows alongside poison ivy and nettles, and when the leaves are crushed they ooze a kind of ointment that soothes the itchiness of the poison ivy.  How convenient!!!!  But I hope you are able to recognize poison ivy and avoid it.

 

Do be on the lookout for Jewelweed, though, it's kinda weedy, but pretty.  

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!