The Ascent

Full summer garden production is nearing. 2lbs of tomatos here, 3lbs of eggplant there, a few peppers, a handful of cukes and zucchini... I'm kind of sad to be going on vaca for a week of peak garden time.

Food

Let's start with Ronde de Nice zucchini that didn't come from my garden. Thanks Holly! I used the stuffed pepper recipe my family already likes. Housemates loved it. 

 Hollow out. The bottoms are already flat so you don't have to 

worry about them tipping over. Sprinkled with S & P and Olive oil. 

Stuffed with: Brown rice, mint, dill, feta, olives, sunflower seeds, garlic & onion.

On the bottom of the dish I put a little oil and some Bloody Mary mix, because it needed to be

used. Sealed with foil. Baked at 350 for about 45 min. Perfect.

The Bloody Mary mix had reduced and we just scooped a spoonful over each 

zucchini. Delish. 

Experiment updates

The pot potatoes were dying back so I took that as a sign to harvest. I know I put some pretty crappy little turds of potatoes in here, but I think I was expecting a little more than this. Oh well, it was fun to try. Probably wouldn't do it again. 

I'm certain they will still taste good anyway.

Biochar update: The pepper on the left (control) continues to do a wee better than the one on the right. 

 

Both have 1 pepper, many flowers/buds, but the pepper on the control plant is larger and the plant is taller. 

Coming Soon to a Kitchen Near Me

From the new patch:

       Hmong Red cuke                            Seminole Squash

 

 

    Unknown melon variety                       The new mixed patch: cukes, melons, squash

 Criolla de Cocina- I just love these crinkled peppers

They turn a gorgeous red when ripe.

 Jimmy Nardellos- I think. The plant is just loaded down.

Yellow Stuffing Pepper- first year trying these.

These plants are also loaded down and can't stand upright.

I can't believe how productive these are. 

Heirloom- from Baker's Creek.

Peppers in Pots:

These were overwintered in my basement and are doing awesome. I decided to do more peppers in pots. 1) because I ran out of garden space and 2) it makes them easy to take inside and overwinter at the end of the season. Aside from these two varieties I also have- Peach Habs and Shishitos.

 Lemon Drop ^

Mustard Habaneros ^

Squashes

Tennessee Sweet Potato                       Not sure, but abundant and rambling

 

The TN Sweet potato is rampant & productive. It is running over my Sweet Potatoes, which I guess they would substitute for as a similar veg anyway so I'm going to let them do as they please. 

Lots of eggplants coming in.

I've made a Thai eggplant dish and a pasta sauce w/maters

in the crock that turned out well. So far- not enough to freeze.

I have 11 plants. I'm hoping this turns out to be enough for fresh eating & freezing. 

If not, I will forgo beans next year. The beans are a wild jungle now.

In Bloom

 Beebalm being loved on by Bombus auricomus

 Garden Phlox ^

 The Prairie + Silver Spotted Skipper

Virgin's Bower

 Joe Pye and Bombus bimaculatus

 LOVE this Zinnia!

Cactus type + color

 I didn't know that the Common Mullein flowers

smelled like roses in the morning! How exciting. 

Driveway plant.

 Cottage garden corner ^

 ^Comes back each year from the root. 

 Wait. What? How did Nya get here? 

 River Oats^

Tiger lily

Weatherwise

It has been a very nice summer so far. It has been relatively cool. We haven't had the AC on yet. The house is staying in the 70s and we've had lows of upper 50's a few nights. No 100's yet, although one day with a heat index of, although we may see that again this weekend. Rain has been steady enough that I haven't watered, but one tomato plant and I did that today. Finger's crossed things stay this nice. 

Happy Gardening Folks.