Robin just emailed me to see what I was doing, as I hadn't blogged for a while. The answer is nothing! My garden is at rest, although I don't know why. It certainly hasn't exerted itself this year!
I've picked a few tomatoes, plenty for eating fresh and the rest for freezing. They're being stingy, so I hope I can get enough in the freezer to at least make a few batches of pizza sauce. The Brandywines are diseased. I'll be pulling one, and hoping the other two can survive with some selective pruning. One of the three Rutgers is also a goner, and the other two not far behind. All the other plants are healthy, but not yet giving me much of a harvest.
I did get a Cherokee Purple that weighed in at 1-1/2 pounds.
Granddaughter Alicyn spent the morning with me. I took her out to the garden and let her pull a carrot, then I had her scrub it clean at the sink. Would she take a bite of it? Absolutely not! I cannot get her to eat anything from the garden, not even the sweet berries! She had just awakened from her nap, her hair normally doesn't look that bad.
I might get my first zucchini this week.
That is unusual. Usually kids will eat anything from the garden. And you beat me in the tomato department. You had a bigger one than I. So far 1 1/4 is my biggest this year. And I don't think I'll beat it with any other ones on the vine unless I've got a big one hiding somewhere.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing better than I am with zucchini! So my brandywine looks pretty much like it is dying too. I have pruned and pruned and it just keeps dying more and more! What's up with that?
ReplyDeleteOh no, sorry to read about the tomato plants had to be pulled. I have one plant, I think Rutgers that is diseased too. Bummer. But I have 74 other tomato plants to make up for it. I know. I went mater crazy this year.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear nothing is happening.Your garden looks like it is putting all its energy into making HUGE veggies!
ReplyDeleteHow do you make your pizza sauce? I may already have, inadvertently made some. I processed about 5-6 dozen Roma tomatoes last night and ended up with just 2 cups for the freezer. I've been thinking those 2 cups could end up on pizza; they're fairly thick.
ReplyDeleteDaphne, I thought for sure if she did it all herself she'd want to eat it. Nope. Toast and bacon and ice cream. Of course, she knows I'll feed her junk food, since she's only here on Friday mornings. She wouldn't even taste the fresh strawberry jam!
ReplyDeleteSome of those CPs are whoppers, but the few Brandywines I've picked have been tiny. Disappointing, as the Brandywines are my favorite.
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Shawn Anne, at least I have enough good weather ahead to get lots of summer squash ripened. The crooknecks have blossoms too, but so far just males....but there is hope!
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Meems, tomato crazy is right! I started with 24, I've pulled one and two more will be pulled this week.
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Mrs. Pickles, just wait until Harvest Monday to see my two HUGE cucumbers. They're about the size of walnuts :-(
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Dianefaith, I don't have a recipe, I just cook the sauce down until it's thick, then start adding basil, garlic and anything else I might have on hand. I might toss in finely chopped onions and/or peppers. I basically do it to taste. I'm sure your thick sauce would work great.
I think the granddaughter has the right idea----about a nap. Sounds good. I will sleep during the rest of this gardening season...zzzzzzz
ReplyDeleteWake me when its NEXT YEAR!!
Have a great weekend. And if Alicyn won't eat the carrot--I WILL!
:D
Your zucchini looks great. Ours is on it's way out. Just in time too, as I have plenty in the freezer and I think the family has had enough summer squash for now. Your granddaughter is adorable, even if she won't eat her veggies.
ReplyDeleteI love that tomato and carrots. They are some of my favorite veggies.
ReplyDeleteCassy from Guitar Made Easy
Wow not even strawberry jam. Now that is sad. At least she is adorably cute. I guess that makes up for not eating your food.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest is reluctant to eat new things from the garden, though he does enjoy the process of gardening with me. With repeated exposure, many kids will come around and try new things-I've read that it can take 20+ exposures to a food before kids *might* try it.
ReplyDeleteThat is one HUGE tomato! I'm not harvesting anything that big. ENjoy!
Nice tomato, we had a beautiful orange Kimberly ripen up along with a few others. Also, those Silvery Fir tree tomato plants that you inadvertantly talked me into growing via your blog posts from the past are packed full of tomatoes... I will definitely be growing those again next season.:)
ReplyDeleteStill going strong up here, but it's been warm and wet, perfect for the tomatoes though I think the end is in sight. I pulled the zucchini and am getting close to pulling out the crooked neck squash, the cukes, while slowing are still full of blossoms and I'm getting a couple pounds evrery few days. I have more pickles than I can eat!
ReplyDeleteIt feels really odd, but we are in mid August and only had one TINY zucchini so far this year. What is up with that? My butternuts are finally deciding to be happy plants but it is way too late. Not going to be a stellar year for me on most crops. Sounds like your garden is doing about the same. Definitely going to have to purchase tomatoes for canning again this year. I hate having to do that but honestly I think in my climate I had best resign myself to that on all but a rare year.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I am planning another trip to Spokane in late September... I am hoping we can meet up again on my way over. I will drop you an email and see if we can work something out. I promise to bring you two dozen eggs. :D
Sue, don't tempt me....I'm ready to join you and Alicyn in a loooooong nap!
ReplyDeleteThe carrot didn't go to waste. I cut it into carrot sticks for her, and Annie and Otto enjoyed then immensely! My fur kids like their veggies.
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Lorie, I'm sure I'll soon be complaining about too much zucchini, it's just that it's a month late!
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Cassy, I find tomatoes to be the most useful, but I like the carrots more.
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Daphne, she does love to *help* in the garden. Maybe someday she'll find out the veggies taste good. She's a real picky eater, with a small appetite, so we tend to feed her the foods she really likes...toast, bacon and ice cream!
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Dorothy, I've been freezing most of the tomatoes for a future sauce making day, but that is one tomato that's going on some sandwiches!
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Are the Silvery Fir Tree tomatoes really good? I've never grown them, LOL! I did grow an Angora Super Sweet, which has the silver foliage. I think some of the seeds I had that year had crossed, as my Kimberly was a small red tomato.
Your Bloody Butchers will be on the top of my list next year, for their earliness and constant production. They have pumped out little jewels all along, while all the others have lagged. Coastal Pride Orange is Mr. Granny's favorite for flavor, so that will be grown again next year.
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David, it's a god thing I don't like cucumbers, and that I made enough pickles and relish last year to last me a lifetime, because mine aren't doing much at all. No picklers yet, and only two small slicers. I'm sure Mr. granny is looking forward to his first meal of fried zucchini. Maybe tonight!
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Kitsap, I'd love to meet up again! We can cry together over our tea, and discuss what a better gardening year 2012 will be. Besides, I'm hungering for those eggs ;-)
Loch is my Alicyn... he will help plant, harvest and talk all day about everything growing, but won't EAT it LOL!
ReplyDeleteErin, and yet they somehow manage to survive! Isn't it Daphne's husband who still won't eat his vegetables? Heck, I saw a woman on TV who would eat nothing but French fries, and she actually looked quite healthy :-O
ReplyDeleteThat's one heck of a tomato you have there..Good all of them weren't that size or you'd still be working..I just finished up making the last four jars of Pear butter and four jars of tomato sauce/soup..Neighbor kept sending me some and mine were ripening on the sill...I just have a handful left...Cecil planted the last of the sweet potatoes for me this morning..seems I couldn't get around to the last 12...
ReplyDeleteAh, Ginny, I am bored, with nothing to can or preserve! I guess I'd better start saving up the strawberries, just so I can brag about making more jam.
ReplyDeleteTomato? That too a whopper? Sigh, I haven't any yet ......Zucchini, on the other hand has been good. Gotten enough to freeze, eat and bake :)
ReplyDeleteRandom, the only zucchini here so far is the one package in the freezer from the 2010 garden!
ReplyDeleteThose are good looking zucchini you have growing there. I ripped a couple of my plants out today, I have zucchini coming out of my ears, and they are starting to resemble weapons since I am not out picking them often enough. :)
ReplyDeleteFunny you can't tempt Alicyn with garden goods. Crazy kids!!
Kelly, I finally picked my first one tonight. It looks like two more are close behind. I should pick those little unpollinated ones for a salad, before they shrivel up and die.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good idea!
ReplyDeleteCongratz on the Cherokee. I'm still waiting for mine to produce its first ripened fruit. It's been ravaged by wildlife and disease this year. So I feel your pain about the diseased plants :( I'm about to bid one farewell, actually.
ReplyDeletekeep relaxing :) Gotta save up energy for the fall harvests!
Ben, I've been out trimming diseased branches off of my Rutgers. There's not going to be much left :-(
ReplyDeleteI thought for sure that I heard about the Silvery Fir Tree tomatoes from you..hmm...this is what happens when one reads to many blogs.:) None of them have ripened up yet, so I do not know how they taste.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Mr. H. I know the feeling! You'll have to pose the question in your blog to find the mystery donor.
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