Summer crops not ready to give up yet.

Hi Everyone,

Today's Harvest 85 lbs.               YTD 1291 lbs.

We are definitely on the downhill side of summer. Our gardeners--Susan, Jamie, G.A., Steve, Barbara, Mary Elizabeth, Martha and myself--had an excellent cool morning in the garden. There was an abundant harvest of tomatoes, bush beans, black beans, peppers, chard, okra, melons, butternut squash and two sweet potatoes.

Pablanos standing like little soldiers.

G.A. checked the sweet potato patch and pulled two. The verdict was "not quite ready, but we should have a nice crop soon." We have been waiting on our peppers all summer, and they have finally come through. Susan had a big bucket full and then some....bells, pablano, jalapeño, serrano, banana and shishito.

Butternut squash, Charentais cantaloupe and Minnesota Midget cantaloupe.

The cantaloup has done fairly well, but I think the Charentais melon has a better flavor than the Minnesota Midget. Suzanne told us that she tasted the most delicious melon ever and thought it was called Savor. I discovered that it is actually the hybrid of the Charentais, and I hope that we can plant this one next year. The Charentais takes a little longer to mature, but we have the time, especially for a better tasting cantaloupe. The hybrid is also supposed to resist powdery mildew and wilt, which is always a problem with melons.

Jamie and G.A. hauling the monster back to its home.

Jamie and G.A. got the monster shredder out and cranked up. Jamie shredded all those bean vines that we pulled out to add nitrogen to our compost. G.A. pulled out another row of tomatoes in anticipation of planting cool weather veggie plants Saturday. I will pick up several flats of romaine, cabbage and whatnot tomorrow or Friday. In addition, there are still some things that we want to direct seed that will take precedence.

One of two 'writing spiders' found in the garden today.

The squash bugs, cabbage worms and assassin (we think) bugs are plentiful. I will be glad when the weather cools and they die out so we don't have to spend so much time squishing and spraying. I hope that big guy in the pic above is eating some of the bad bugs.

Asparagus bed mixed with sunflowers, zinnias, cleosia and lemongrass.

Our okra plants are still only about 5 feet tall, unlike in the past towering over our heads at this time of year. They have been extremely productive, and we will definitely save some of these seeds.

Steve pulled out two rows of green bush beans that had given up, and Mary Elizabeth planted lettuce in one of the vacant rows. We chose 'Oakleaf' and 'BJ's Lettuce' which we got at the seed exchange at Lichterman this spring. It is supposed to be very cold tolerant. More lettuce will be planted Saturday, direct seeded in addition to Romaine seedlings.

Bumble bee on one of the dwarf sunflowers.

Gradually our summer garden is disappearing and cool weather crops are going in. If it doesn't rain Saturday come prepared to plant.

'Til later,
Dianne