July 29, 2013

The Garden at the End of July

Sweet basil and marigolds in the tomato bed.

Amish Paste tomatoes have just started to ripen. Our growing
season is long, so that I sowed the seed directly in the ground.

Growing cucumbers on trellises makes them easy to pick
The variety is Straight 8, which we've found to be so-so.

Popcorn has tasseled and is doing well.

Jerusalem artichokes have grown tall but have yet to flower
The rust colored blobs on the right are the heads of volunteer
amaranth. The purple-pink flowers top left are crepe myrtles.

Spaghetti squash. It's been a long time since I've grown these.

Sweet potato vines have been nibbled on, probably by deer.
In the bottom right corner is the largest of several volunteer kale plants. 

And how is your garden growing?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks good! I want to do Kale, but haven't found any starts or seeds locally, so will have to get an order in to someone online this week.

Ellen from Georgia said...

Your garden looks great, wish mine looked half as good as yours. The popcorn how long does it take to mature and where did you find the seeds? I would like to try some next year, hoping for less rain next year. Ellen from Georgia

Dave Gibson said...

We just cleared our land this past June. Our garden consists of one horseradish plant and rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. little rocks, big rocks, and rocks the size of a Volkswagen. If I could sell rocks, I'd be a millionaire.

Farmer Barb said...

I have not actually planted much this year. There has been an excavator in my back yard for over a month. The volunteers are: three varieties of tomato kind of paste, kind of grape, and kind of beefsteak. They grew up out of the compost. There are about 200 plants and they are all over the ground. I am also letting a last-year's chard go to seed. There was a single run-away beet that I am also letting go to seed. Chiogga. Very tasty. I have a parsley going to seed. Potatoes were planted and then weeded over. I will have to just see how that goes. I am also enjoying Goose Foot which I learned about this year.

The fruit is waiting on the next installment. The raspberries are about to start. I couldn't bear to move them now. They will be moved in dormancy --after the excavator is gone and Machu Picchu of North America is done.

daisy g said...

Ooooooh, it all looks good!
Our garden is not growing much. We are doing sweet potatoes, peanuts, pineapples, a few Roma tomatoes and some herbs.

DFW said...

Everything looks great Leigh.Is your popcorn the multiple colored variety?

Ed said...

The thought of sowing tomato seeds directly in the ground blows my mind. But then I come from a lot farther north.

Leigh said...

Stephanie, we really like the Dwarf Siberian (or is it Siberian Dwarf). Very tasty cooked or raw.

Ellen, thanks! Off the top of my head I'm thinking the popcorn takes about 100 - 105 days. This variety is Japanese Hull-less. I got the seed from Shumway, but it's a pretty common open-pollinated popcorn variety.

Pam and Dave, I felt like that when I lived in the Ozarks, LOL. We could use a few more here, for fences and such. At least you have something in your garden. That counts. :)

Barb, it was like that for us last year, because of the kitchen remodel. Gotta love those volunteers though. Sounds like you'll have plenty of tomatoes!

I planted Chioggas for the first time this year. We loved them!

Daisy, I can't grow pineapples but might could make a go with peanuts. I'd love to make our own peanut butter!

DFW, thanks! The popcorn is Japanese Hull-less. One year I tried Calico, a multi-colored variety, but it's pop rate was only about 50%. I loved the look, but would rather have it to eat. :)

Ed, it's amazing how different our gardening techniques have to be because of location, isn't it? I did buy some plants from Walmart, to have fresh salad and sandwich tomatoes. I've not perfected my indoor seed starting (as in no place to put the trays), but I don't mind waiting on making my pizza sauce.




Crustyrusty said...

I am thinking of getting a water sprayer for the garden; the rats with antlers keep eating my tomatoes. They won't touch the peppers, though, so we have a decent haul of jalapeno, serrano, cayenne, hungarian hot wax, and sweet banana. The habaneros don't want to do anything, again. They must not like our climate (KY) too well.

Katy said...

i couldn't even get the onions to grow this year. the squash stalled and we didn't get a single one. the garlic died, the peas died, everything died. It rained 35 days straight. :/

in good news - the strawberry plants seem to be thriving.

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,

Your garden beds look amazing!
I'm disappointed this year with my herbs. All the seeds were heirloom and not one came up. The only herb (if you can call it that) peppermint plants are full. I will be pulling the leaves and freezing them.
My potatoes are growing like crazy, so is the melon vines, luffa, peppers, strawberries and tomatoes.

In mid-August, I will try to plant so beans, and peas. Then prepare the beds for winter.

This springs garden beds were a bit disappointing. Mainly because we had to start late due to weather. I'm hoping next spring will be better.

Renee Nefe said...

I've concurred our blossom end rot problem and have two almost ripe roma tomatoes. YAY

My volunteer garden (the old garden) is still doing much better, but then it got a much earlier start than the rest. I need to figure out what kind of peppers I bought and figure out when they are ripe. oops

Hoping I get enough tomatoes for sauce and stewed tomatoes. But I'll take whatever I get.

Chris said...

What kind of sweet potato are you growing - red, white? We grow both but find the white flesh sweet potato is the more vigorous of the two.

Kangaroos love to eat the leafs of our sweet potatoes in winter. It's the perfect arrangement, as I can see where to pull the sweet potatoes from the ground, and the roo's get a feed.

Anonymous said...

Hi Leigh, looks beautiful! I started Amish Paste from seed (first time) and the plants were tall and leafy for ever then finally flowered and have green fruit. Have one red Reisenstraube. We had an exceptionally cool early summer and it's July with highs in the mid 70s this week and lows in the 50s/60s, crazy weather for Chicago. A green worm got a hold of the small patch of Kale, Swiss chard is lovely. Growing chamomile but have to figure out how that becomes tea!

Leigh said...

Crustyrusty, we've got those rats with antlers too! Mine seem to choose one thing each year and make that their target. Actually, my goats hated the sprinkler in the blueberry bush. Why wouldn't deer hat it in the tomatoes???

Katy, yeah, all that rain has been a real problem. Everything in my garden has suffered as well. I've never done well with onions though. Do you usually get them to grow?

Sandy, thank you! I only showed you what is doing well, LOL I've never had much luck with herbs from seeds. I may have to find an area nursery that sells them as plants. Sounds like the rest of your garden is doing well though.

Renee, hurray for ripe tomatoes! I'm with you on whatever I get. I've been interested that your old garden has done so well. Hopefully the new one will catch up. :)

Chris, they are Vardaman, an orange fleshed variety. They are very tasty and excellent keepers. Interesting about the kangaroos and also that you can leave sweet potatoes in the ground during winter!

Amanda, I tried Amish Paste for the first time last year and loved them. I'd always grown Romas prior to that, for sauce making. We're having a relatively cool summer too. I think the lack of sun has slowed flowering!