Succumb...Now that's a word you don't use every day.
I think the pattern is set for us this year. Hot and dry. Considering that, I think we've done pretty well by our Summer Garden.
I just went out and picked the last (I expect) of the Summer Yellow Squash. The SVB's have finally arrived and flat lined the zucchini. The yellows are sure to follow but all in all I'm thrilled to have had what I consider the best year ever for production. Last year, I think I maybe got a pot full before the SVB' killed them.
I also did a second Winter squash pull.
After rinsing in (very light) bleach water, I dried them and stuck them in the spare bedroom to cure.
Take this picture and triple it.
I've got Winters curing everywhere.
My green and yellow beans died a quick death along with the cucs. They just couldn't take the heat. I tried a (new to me) Asian Long Bean this year. Once they bloomed they grew at an alarming rate.
The taste is mild and I liked them best as a quick toss on the grill but I honestly couldn't get past the asphalt gray color that these pretty purple beans turned once exposed to the heat. I gave the rest to the dogs and shrugged that off as a neat experiment.
If they're available in GREEN next year, I'll try them again.
After a slight pause due to the hot and dry weather, the Zinnia's are putting out again this week after a surprise pop-up gave them a nice drenching.
All in all though I think this week will tie it all up and we'll close up shop until September. We're back in the 100's with no rain forecast.
Oh well...
For all the work you put into your garden this year, you get four gold stars for being so positive about your harvest. You did everything you could do considering the veritable solar oven your crops had to grow in. Good thing you both like squash. You do both like squash, right? Geesh, if your garden and my garden could have met in the middle temperature range somewhere, we'd have had ample harvest to start our own Farmer's Market. Or at least stuffed our pantries and freezers to bursting!
ReplyDeleteYou're still the Zinnia Queen, no matter what. :o}
Hoo Boy....Do we like squash!
ReplyDeleteI went out and decided to water the garden yesterday afternoon due to the lack of rain and or course it downpoured an hour after I finished. Your squash has done wonderful! I've gotten one zucchini and one yellow so far. Been fighting the eggs more than anything. But if you want cukes and tomatoes then we're your people. Coming out of our ears over here. Garden is a mess as we haven't had the time to really work on it but it's still producing at an alarming rate. Off to can 30 lbs of romas....... :/
ReplyDeleteMy Tomatoes suck this year. Looking around it seems to be a common problem...
DeleteBeautiful squash! My zukes are doing very well...but not one crookneck (my favorite summer squash). I've got a couple winter squash plants doing well. I'm pretty lucky...don't have to plant butternut...husband grows the stuff commercially so I have 1,000's of pounds to choose from! I love zinnias!! Mine self-seeded this year...thank goodness...with the drought I didn't plant anything "extra"...hope they come back again next year!
ReplyDeleteI tried to self seed mine but nothing came up after the colder than normal Winter. I need to try a seed save on these. Any Tips?
DeleteI'm such a lazy gardener...I do nothing special...I let the very last of the zinnias dry on the stem, then shake and spread them in the flowerbed...for whatever reason, they always come back in the spring and flower until November...one of the perks of living in California.
DeleteThe deer, bugs and weeds are about to do us in as well. It's a battle this time of year.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful butternuts. The deer ate most of ours. Oh well.
Yep...Sometimes that's all you can say. Oh Well
DeleteYou really got toasted this year. Asphalt gray beans? Hmmmm. I think I'd have a hard time getting past that, too. I hope you transition into cooler temps soon - hang in there, baby!
ReplyDelete