Oh Karen. That is too much of a close encounter. I like to watch the bird life in the garden but that would not be what I had in mind!

Holy Moly, Karen!!! I had visions of the movie BIRDS!!!

Home grown melons I ate at lunch.

Rita just picked my first cantaloupe grown in a planter and it is a little bigger than a softball. Gonna let it sit for a few days.Have two more on the vine (plants in the ground) that are still green but much much larger than the one I just picked.

The zucchini I planted turns out to be yellow squash. Have about 10 coming along nicely. 8 more second plantings of yellow squash in buckets just starting to flower. Picked two cucumbers and a dozen or so tomatoes. Beans yellow and purple just keep on giving. Seems everyday I'm picking a bag full. Just washed them and cut them into pieces placed in a ziplocks with a touch of sea salt, pepper and garlic. Ready for a little steaming and a nice crispy treat. My second batch of purple bush beans from this last rain already have tons of beans on them. Yesterday I dehydrated a batch of beans for winter soup. Dehydrated a couple trays of yellow pear and bloody butcher tomatoes for stir fries.

Picked the dried on the vine black beans that where ready, but still have tons more to go. Growing black beans was a total experiment this summer. I use tons of beans all winter so thought I'd give it a try. Bag of black beans from the grocery store, Planted about half the bag and viola I have my own organic black beans.

Picked Kale today and that's drying in the dehydrator for Kale chips. (tossed in a bit of olive oil and when dry a pinch of sea salt). Better than chips in my book.

Did three trays of watermelon and 2 trays of banana's in the dehydrator as well for a quick nibble everytime I pass through the kitchen.

Next is to make Pesto from the two gallon bag full of basil I picked. Gonna try freezing it.

The birds are just now starting to return to the yard after this mornings HAWK attack.

Karen, those poor birds got quite the scare and so did you. Who knows maybe you scared the hawk also!

As to the melons, I have the same observation. My Sugar Cubes grown in a pot are much smaller than the ones in ground. But there are more melons on the potted vines. They are sweet though so very tasty.

Next year I want to grow a lot of melons. Well, A lot for me anyway. I have a nice raised square bed that I have tomatoes in this year. Planning on doing melons there next year. I figured out the layout I can use and will grow them vertically and can have 8 groupings. So can do 8 different types or do more than one grouping of a type if I want.

And I have another space next to the cucumber trellis. Am moving out a small grouping of daylilies and transplanting them. Then will have two vertical trellis sections of about 4 feet long each. Going to plant melons there also. So should have lots of melons if things go well next year.

I have never done dehydrating but dehydrated beans for winter soup is an excellent idea. If you buy the dehydrated beans they are so expensive. And I love black beans but just buy them at the store dried.

I have a yellow squash that I just love called Golden Egg. But I have lots of different zucchinis. Usually like those green zucs better than the yellow.

I have some peppers I can harvest.


And a Rosa Bianca eggplant and a Purple Rain Eggplant could be picked.



I am not sure if I will try the Purple Rain again next year or not. Not very procuctive but I do really like them when I get fruits. The Rosa Bianca will not return next year. Not found of these at all.

My favorite eggplants have been the Asian Types. Fairy Tale is my favorite so far followed by Gretal. Next year will also grow Hansel. I intend to grow Ichiban again next year too.

be careful with little Mr. Zeth Karen.. don't want him to get grabbed up.. frightening for sure!!

Allison believe me Mr. Zeth is staying indoors. As today progressed, I've gotten so stiff and soar. My back is killing me, all my back muscles are locked up. My left arm is all scraped up from falling into the wire tomato cage and my wrist is messed up. Every time I ventured outside today I completely checked the tree tops before heading out. That was one scary event I never want to encounter ever again. At least I'm safe and still standing.
My new fear is letting the big dog out at night. We now have coyotes scouring the woods line at night. Was gonna start the fire pit up last night but spotted the coyote in the woods and changed my mind. Welcome to Suburbia! As if this isn't enough the neighbors called in the health department. Seems we have Norway Rats running the woods line and the neighbor found a nest under her newly constructed garage. Other neighbors two houses down are putting out tons of bread daily and a kiddy swimming pool to feed all the local animals. Even the deer and all the bunnies are eating bread. All 5 of my large snap traps are set as well as two live traps. Haven't caught any yet but you never know. The tomatoes and cucumbers are all starting to ripen so I'm guessing they will find there way in. Composting has ceased as I don't want them at my house., Today was not a good day other than I did manage to get lots of veggies preserved for winter use. Having a drink or two and calling it a day. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Yikes. As if the deer weren't bad enough now there are coyotes and rats. Not good!

no .. not good at all

Geez, you guys have attack hawks too.

So far my only yellow squash. Golden Egg.



Many different varieties of zucchini grown here this year. Started with NO ID green zucchini bought as seedlings.


Then bought seedlings of Elite. This zucchini looks just like your typical dark green store bought zucchini.


Cavilli is very light lime green, almost white.


Caserta is a recent one I am growing. Lovely looking light green with mottled darker green fruits.


And prettiest of all Green Tiger with the nice striped fruit.



I never grew zucchini before and this is my first year. This spring my only goal was to plant some seedlings and get fruit. But I have been learning as I am growing and soon realized that what I wanted was not just zucchini but pretty to look at zucchini. So that when I give zucchini to my friends and neighbors they should be impressed!

Rita the zucchini looks lovely. I lost all our zucchini plants early on due to the Ground Hogs and then the powdery mildew and squash borers flew in quick during a week of rain, Oh well at least I got two delicious ones. Now onto yellow squash.

Yep, got SVB here also. I didn't even know what SVB was until this year. What an education I got about that!

What works best for me is to keep starting replacement plants. So that I have five groupings of squash so far this season. That way when I have to pull plants (which I did) I had younger plants coming along. And when this were looking like they might be done for the latest round is ready to start to produce.

Picking again today.

Cucumbers, a tub of tomatoes and some cherry and grape type tomatoes.




Yellow and green squash and then same with an eggplant and some okra.


Purple and yellow pole beans. And peppers.


They make a pretty combo.

Ready to head out to pick veggies and the smell of Death hit me. Something died and it stinks outside big time. Can't find anything other than the stench wafting through the air. Waiting for someone to come over and help me search. Might have to bring the dog out on a leash and search. Thinking its in the woods line, Another very quiet day for animal life outside. That hawk the other day really scared everything away.,

Anyway managed a quick picking of mustard greens, green beans, a huge zucchini that I guess I missed, a yellow squash, lots of tomatoes, kale, lettuce, swiss chard and 5 cucumbers.

Karen, your really having a rough time of it out there in the garden. First the hawk and now this. At least you were able to pick a nice harvest of veggies.

Does anyone actually eat Nasturtiums? I just grow mine for the pretty flowers.

I actually didn't like them too much.. so I guess I am growing them like you are.. as flowers

I have always thought the plants and flowers are so pretty. I grow them each year. Easy to start from seed. I just stick some seeds in ground and up they come. It does take a while as they have that hard shell but still they are easy to get to grow.