Now that it is August and the height of Summer, we should all be having lots and lots of veggies to harvest. Let's continue our discussions about our Vegetable Gardens.

I picked a nice batch of veggies on Wednesday.


I have a zucchini (light green), yellow summer squash, an eggplant and Sweet Million cherry tomatoes and Juliet Grape tomatoes. Then later I also picked two nice cucumbers.



How about all these tomatoes? I picked them too.



Meantime, those cucumber seedlings I planted out a while back are doing really well.

Pulling the stumps of my bush beans today!

I got 4...4 beans total. Last evening's garden check had me ...I saw just stems and those 4 beans left on my remaining 3 plants! The critters ate the leaves and left me the beans. I'm done with those.
It's really funny too that they don't ever bother the long beans. We have way more of those than we can use fresh.

Think I'll start some greens and radishes when those bean stumps are gone. Then some more beets, maybe. Since the electric fence failed, I'd better put chicken wire around the fall peas too...I really didn't want to have to mess with that this year!

Oh Chelle, no beans! You really need to do something about that rabbit problem. They have been having a feast at your expense for too long!

Since it was leaves this time I'm betting on groundhogs ...rabbits usually like only the most tender parts. If I absolutely had to get beans I'd leave the turkeys out 24/7 to keep the 'hogs away , but I can pick up beans at an organic farm down the road with far less hassle. Turkeys will wander (noisily!) all over our metal roofs if left to their own devices. We're part of their flock, you see.

Yuck! Groundhogs. Worse than rabbits! You need a guard Goose, will stay off the roof.

Wanted to get some this year, but missed the sale. Maybe next year...

I think my Blue Hubbard vine has succumbed to something, but the melons and pumpkins in the hugelkulture bed are setting and filling up fruit.

Slick Pik is still producing like crazy, and a few spaghetti squash are almost ready. Rita, did you find yours to be tasty?

I think you need those guard gooses!

I don't know about the spaghetti squash. I haven't picked it as yet. And the vine has another nice sized one set and comming along.

I am however, picking lots and lots of zucchini and yellow summer squash. I know most people don't plant them in pots but I am really liking the potted squash method of growing. Especially with the battles with SVB.

And as much as I love the squash my favorite new to me growing it veggies are the eggplants. Have 10 plants and am definitely planting many more than than next year. I am in love with the smaller fruited Asian varieties. I have Gretal (white) and want to grow not only Gretal next year but her counterpart the purple Hansel. And lots more Fairy Tale. I have one plant of Fairy Tale and next year will have more. It is my favorite so far.

So here are some pictures of the up in the backyard convert the iris bed into veggie bed project.

Here is the space after I dug out and moved the iris.



I mulched with straw. Then I measured and placed the bamboo stakes at the sides to show where intend to plant peppers. Those two green fence post stakes will be two more cucumber trellis areas.



The stakes are really for me to see how I will lay out the area next spring. For now I have my Rutabaga and Kohlrabi growing there. And my turnip seeds planted. Oh wait, I never did plant those turnip seeds!

Looks great, and a pretty echinacea too!

The stupid bean beetles have just decimated my beans, AGAIN!!! Good thing I put row cover on the new plants. But I have barely gotten any beans from the second bunch and I'm so disgusted I may just pull them out tomorrow.

I tried to finish weeding/mulching the strawberries today but it was so hot and humid and wet! We got another 4" last night. So I quit and played with my granddaughter instead! Tomorrow's another day.

Because we're not going to market this week my zinnias are just gorgeous! They must know they're not getting cut down. Maybe I'll mark a few for saving seeds later and deadhead the rest after they're past their peak.

abhege said:
The stupid bean beetles have just decimated my beans, AGAIN!!! Good thing I put row cover on the new plants. But I have barely gotten any beans from the second bunch and I'm so disgusted I may just pull them out tomorrow.

Because we're not going to market this week my zinnias are just gorgeous! They must know they're not getting cut down. Maybe I'll mark a few for saving seeds later and deadhead the rest after they're past their peak.

Oh no, sorry about your bad luck growing beans.

I just love zinnias and grow them most years. Not this year. For some reason I just didn't get to planting any or starting seed. Your zinnias are probably celebrating their good cut in not becoming cut flowers.

A tub full of tomatoes.


I just love the way the veggies are all colorful when I put them together after harvesting.
Squash and lots of tomatoes!


Two green zucchini and a yellow summer squash.


Camilla Cucumbers. My Parthenocarpic variety. No pollination required.

There are many advantages for me for growing my heat loving veggies in pots on the driveway. Mainly they get the sun and heat they need to thrive. But there are disadvantages. For instance it rained all day yesterday. Started with light drizzel for the morning but continued till evening with a nice steady soaking rain. I am sure the garden and the daylilies loved it. But I just came in from watering all my pots. They don't get much water from any rains and they have to be watered every day. Fortunately they are really near the outside hose connection.

How are those Camilla cucumbers, Rita? They look good -nice and straight.


Tried a new tomato for the first time today and wasn't all that impressed by it. Overall, it was dry and chewy, with tougher skin. The plant does make a ton of fruit, but it's also the least blight resistant of the varieties I have planted this year.

I think I'll just run these through the juicer.

Lemon Boy.




[Edited to add the name of the plant]

Celle, you have to trellis those Camillas or all sorts of squiggly fruits. But seriously, I love them. Very productive. tastes wonderful even when much larger than the ones I showed. And they can get big but this is the size I like to pick them at.

Yumm, yellow tomatoes. I don't have any of those except Sungold.

My favorite yellow is Pineapple tomato. They should be turning color pretty soon...can't wait!

The one volunteer I let stay turned out to be Tigerella. They ought to be coloring up soon as well.

We had a bunch of rain today too, so I went out and pulled anything showing color. Came in with a bunch of Lemon Boy, the first of the Brandywine and a good handful of whatever the cherry tomato is that I have out there.


Thanks for the info about Camilla. You know what? I didn't even put that together myself...my long cucumbers are growing straight now too since they've starting hanging from the fence. Good to know! They're not as fun that way (can't hang them from my shoulder as I pick them ), but easier to handle in the kitchen.

So far I have trellised all my cucumbers.

So I am burned out! I finally got the rest of the strawberries weeded but I only started the mulching. It's so HOT and HUMID I can't stand being in the garden!

Talked to my son today and he wants me to cut back on the garden next year. Can't keep up. BUT, I didn't get babysitting relief like I usually do and didn't get things mulched like I should have. Where it is mulched is clean. I am willing to cut the flowers down by half (but I'll do some new beds to put the extras in ).

It's just a very disheartening year. So much rain. So many pests. So much grass. Tomatoes are DONE. Gonna pull them ALL out tomorrow. Melons are rotting on the vines, splitting and turning to mush inside. Beans have bean beetles. Corn has earworms (I didn't get around to doing the mineral oil. we can cut off but they are gross). Rabbits eating my beets. And on and on. So, I think I'm going to take a break from market and take my time cleaning up and planting some fall things but mulching and covering right away. AND, I haven't touched any beds at my house so I should try and do one weeding before winter.

But both greenhouses need cleaning out and prepared for winter. They are a disgrace!!! Actually, I have three greenhouses but one is used as a storage shed, it's just a small, cheap thing but it keeps things dry. I did work on the pot ghetto today. Several things died so I just dumped all in a pile to go in the compost.

So, one day at a time. I know I'll get back into it, but right now I'm so not!

Oh Arlene. I feel really bad that you have had such a lousy year on the veggie gardening.

Yes, I think it makes a major different to put out plants and mulch right away. One never seems to get back to it and the weeds take over. Mulch right away and it stays clean. And the excessive rain you have had your way. I saw a report on the news that the farmers your way have the watermelons just rotting out in the fields. All this from the rain.

Years of drought and then this year excessive rain. One can't win!

Take a break, get organized and things will look much better.

Thanks, Rita. That's what I'm hoping!

And yep, feast or famine with the rain it seems. I picked a canteloupe today and it was tasteless from all the rain. So I think I may just pull all of them too!

Well, we can grow okra! We don't eat it, but we can grow it!

Look at all the beautiful things you grew with that Herculean effort!

And all the people you made happy with fresh food and flowers! That's a big victory and benevolent accomplishment.

Whatever pagan goddess invented the cornucopia / horn of plenty MUST have been a gardener!