Ahhh, the middle of summer, when the plants start to produce the vegetables that I have been caring for. Well, at least the start of producing!
The green beans are growing. We haven’t picked any yet, but I think today I might be able to grab a couple so we can all eat one – raw – straight out of the garden. The best way to eat green beans in my opinion!
I was also able to harvest the first two zucchinis! Now, this may not seem like a big deal to most of you. Zucchini is typically a prolific producer. I’m sure you have heard stories of anonymous people dropping zucchini off at your home because they don’t know what to do with them all.
This is not the case in my home. In fact, these are the first zucchinis I have grown in a few years due to the fact that I have two specific garden pests that do a number on my plants – cucumber beetles and stink bugs.
This week saw the return of the stink bug. I usually am able to just flick them into a jar of soapy water, these are not bugs that I can squish in my fingers – they are too big and too gross. And actually, when you do squish them (with your shoe or a garden tool – definitely not your fingers), they give off a foul smell that actually attracts more of them to your garden. So, into the jar of soapy water they go. Of course, with the plants being much more established, it is a lot harder to get into the stems and get the bugs. Summer and winter squash as well as cucumbers are prickly, and they do a number on my hands and arms when I try to get too far into the base of the plant, where the stink bugs like to hang out.
My hope is that I can get some neem oil spray and get rid of them once and for all. I’m not sure how realistic that is.
Everything else looks really good as well. The potatoes look good, but still need the straw put around them. The tomato plants are all flowering a lot, and there are tiny tomatoes growing. I can almost taste them!
Overall, I am really happy with the progress in the garden. My hope is that in a couple of weeks I will be bringing in handfuls of green beans, more zucchini, perhaps a couple of cucumbers and maybe the first tomatoes of the season.
What have you harvested from your garden this week? Did you pick up a new vegetable at the farmers’ market?
Codi Lynn says
July 27, 2016 at 7:20 pmWow your garden has come such a long way since I came and checked last, so rewarding and making me want to do a garden next year
Erin Shebish says
July 22, 2016 at 2:38 amYour garden looks incredible! So much greenery and life! We didn't do much with ours this year aside from herbs because we're prepping a new bed and tending to the soil to make it better but I can't wait till next year when we can grow mega zucchinis like yours!
Dawn McAlexander says
July 21, 2016 at 2:35 pmYour garden looks lovely! Yeah, the stink bugs have been horrible here for the past year. I hate those doggone things too. They are awful, but thus far have not bothered our garden.
Yvonne Sowell says
July 21, 2016 at 12:40 amThat looks so nice!I never was good at gardening. I leave all that to the husband. I'm so envious of your pretty garden!
| yvonnesowell.com |
Krystle Cook says
July 20, 2016 at 7:33 pmI love zucchini so I love to see your progress with your garden. Keep it up!
Robin Rue says
July 20, 2016 at 7:32 pmI have loved to see how are your garden has progressed. It looks great!
reesa says
July 20, 2016 at 6:12 pmI look forward to your tours every week!!! Love the zucchini flowers!
Mistle Petrey says
July 20, 2016 at 1:36 pmLooks like your garden is doing very well! My boyfriends grandmother has a garden and we love all the fresh vegetables we get from her!
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
July 20, 2016 at 1:36 pmI forget about gardens all too often living in LA. It's a sad truth. I am surrounded by BUILDINGS galore – not vegetation!
Amanda Love says
July 20, 2016 at 11:37 amBeautiful! I'm glad that everything is going great with your garden and it's evident from the pictures that you've posted today and in the past! It would be nice to have a garden full of veggies before winter!
Jessica @ Barefoot by the Sea says
July 20, 2016 at 11:36 amLooks awesome! Yay for garden fresh veggies!
jillconyers says
July 20, 2016 at 6:57 amDon't you love it when you first begin to see the veggies? It's one of my favorite things.
Acacias Dreams says
July 20, 2016 at 6:41 amYour garden is looking fabulous, I can almost taste the fresh new veggies from here! This is kicking my butt into getting my garden project started (fencing off a garden bed away from the puppies) so I can get planting in the spring (its the middle of winter in Australia). I can't wait to grow my own veggies!
Kez | acaciasdreams.com
Housewife Eclectic says
July 20, 2016 at 3:13 amYay on your first two zucchinis! They are one of my very favorite things to cook with! Hope you enjoy it!
mcurren527 says
July 20, 2016 at 2:58 amI'm harvesting green beans, and starting to get some purple hull peas. I've also got assorted greens, and some Black Cherry tomatoes starting to ripen. My garden seems slow this year.
Carolyn @ Fennell Seeds says
July 20, 2016 at 2:13 amLooks great. We have already had lots of tomatoes in our garden. They have been delicious with fresh mozzarella, basil and some basalmic. Yummy!
Cynthia says
July 20, 2016 at 1:52 amI love fresh vegetables! Your garden looks amazing and I wish I lived near you to be surprised by zucchini and maybe a tomato or two! Great job!!
blythe32 says
July 20, 2016 at 1:18 amYour garden looks amazing, so many delicious veggies. It makes me want to start my own, just hope we don't get stink bugs.
Author TP Keane says
July 20, 2016 at 12:43 amwow, you seem to be doing a great job here. What a haul. I hear ya about the stink bugs… ugh, cant squish them either.
Tough Cookie Mommy says
July 20, 2016 at 12:22 amI'm so glad your green beans are finally growing. That is definitely one of my favorite veggies and I'm sure fresh ones from the garden taste delicious.
Terri Steffes says
July 19, 2016 at 8:58 pmI love green beans and have never eaten them raw from the garden! I learned something new today!
Heather W says
July 19, 2016 at 8:18 pmOh what fun! We've just started getting some things planted ourselves (my husband grows all kinds of flowers for me, just venturing into veggies). The green beans are lookin great!
Roxanne Ferber says
July 19, 2016 at 7:46 pmI envy anyone who can grow zucchinis. I tried only once and they grew into my pumpkins. LOL It was very entertaining.
Moda Addicted says
July 19, 2016 at 6:30 pmMy mom would love this! I just sent her the link to it. She has always wanted to have her little garden in the backyard and plant her own produce. She would really like this!
Lesley Carter says
July 19, 2016 at 3:59 pmI've been thinking about starting a little garden for my daughter and I to work at. I think it will teach her early responsibility and it will be a bonding experience. You just confirmed my thoughts. I'm going to get working on it today. Yours is beautiful.