All of which is very exciting to me. You see, I purchased all heirloom plants this year with great plans to save the seed. I am anxious to see if I will be able to figure out all the ins and outs of seed gathering and saving. The book that has become my reference on this subject is entitled "Seed Sowing and Saving" by Carole B. Turner. Thankfully, it has pictures as well as instructions!
I like thinking of the "vegetannual" example in the book "Vegetable, Animal, Miracle" by Barbara Kingslover . As the leafy vegetables die out, tender young vegetables that fruit on the vine start to come into their season. Look at our very first harvest of squash! We picked just as many two days later!
Isn't that gorgeous? Yummmmm - I look forward to using squash in a diverse number of recipes.
The tomatoes are still green. The corn is showing tassels:
And we're still fighting the deer.
They are gorgeous. I love summer squash, especially in a creamy casserole. Yum!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that while your greens have now bolted I'm just planting my seeds! I hope your adventures with seed saving goes well, it's such a gratifying experience to collect your own seed.
ReplyDeleteWow, what an impressive harvest. Your corn is forming tassels, mine is just breaking ground. :)
ReplyDeleteSame here, just planted seeds last week and I was a bit late. My lettuce has been getting eaten by the slugs. I have been on slug patrol each evening, but unless the rain stops, we are going to have slugs the size of turtles.
ReplyDeleteThe squash looks gorgeous, I love the taste of squash! You have a good harvest.
ReplyDeleteFrom the looks of that harvest you will be running out of neighbors this summer... Maybe get a dehydrator and dry/save some squash for winter?
ReplyDeleteWow, that's an impressive harvest. I am glad you have enough room for the vegetables and the roses - I don't :(. Enjoy your squash.
ReplyDeleteStoBlogger- I think creamy squash casserole is my favorite, too, although we are putting them in everything this year - I'm trying out lots of recipes as a substitute for ground meat.
ReplyDeleteMarguerite - That is interesting to see how earlier we are than you! I know years ago it was common, but if I can save seed and grow plants from them, I will have a great sense of accomplishment.
Grace - I know lots of people here where their corn formed tassels several weeks earlier than ours!
GWGT - I hope you don't run into one of those turtle-sized slugs! Yuck! I hope the rain stops so your future veggies don't ruin.
Kelli - I am learning to fix squash in a variety of ways, so we don't get tired of the taste. We like it, but we have started eating it every night!
Tufa Girl - haha So far, our neighbors are taking them with a smile. But, it's early in the season. We are hoping to can some, and freeze some. We'll see how they turn out best.
Masha - I'm glad to have the room, too. I wouldn't want to give up a rose for squash! But I'm happy to have a vegetable garden.
When I lived in Vermont, we used to joke that August (the squash didn't ripen until August there) was the only month you had to lock your car, or you'd come back from shopping to find someone had left a bag of zucchini in it... It sounds like you have much tastier ways to use your squash, though. :) My favorite is just to grate it and quick-sauté it with a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
ReplyDeletepesky deer...even my fence doesn't stop them but hoping the netting does...some things though you just can't net...
ReplyDeleteStacy - Saute'd sounds great with a little onion. Yum. Your story is cute. I couldn't imagine waiting until August for squash!
ReplyDeleteDonna - The deer are a big nuisance. I doubt we'll have any peas or beans this year, thanks to them. I'm hoping they stick with those and not start nibbling on everything else. Wishful thinking, I'm sure. Good luck with your netting.
Amazing to me that you are harvesting already. Your squash look delish. I should have radishes in a week or so and maybe another week lettuce will be ready. All depends on the sunshine, it's been raining for over a week here, wondering if we should build an ark... but sunshine and 75° in the forecast today. My plants are all shouting. "Yippee!"
ReplyDeleteCarolyn- Hope you get that promised sunshine. My plants are shouting Yippee at the 1/2" of rain we finally received last night! We plant our vegetables out early, but you have to remember that in the summer here it's so hot all production shuts down.
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