I think you are just burned out from overwork. I don't know how you have been keeping up with your schedule. And then the bad harvests and weeds just the thing to push one over the edge.

I can always count on Rick to bring a grin to my face! Thanks, Rick!!!

Rita, I think you're right. But it will get better. I'll step back and take a break and see how long it takes for me to be chomping at the bit to get back to it all!

Arlene, you and I planted our tomato plants about the same time. Was late for you and very early for me, But I can't imagine having to pull them now, just when they are producing like crazy.

Yep, we did. Mine are completely done, not a single green tomato to be had. If I wouldn't have had to throw out so many we would have had a huge harvest. Again, the pests (guineas, rabbits) and rain did them in.

I just started getting a decent amount of peppers and I know I usually have tomatoes still when the peppers come in but not this year. I am going to make stuffed peppers on Tuesday.

Stuffed peppers sound really good. I had planted a nice green bell pepper that would be for stuffing (Lady Belle) but my peppers this year are only somewhat better than your lack of tomatoes. Still better than last year when the slugs got them all. But those Lady Bells are done for, no peppers. Pests got them. Same with the Cubanelles pretty much. Only the Italian Fryers did well.

This is why I made that garden space for next year, I want a good place to plant them (instead of stuck here and there) and I want a good pepper harvest for a change!

I am still having troubles trying to imagine your total lack of tomatoes. Bummer!

Oh no. So sorry. Besides loving to eat them I really like the looks of pepper plants, especially when they are loaded with peppers!

Well, the rain caused them to die from the bottom up and they had not set fruit on the upper part. I know, I was shocked today when I didn't even see any green tomatoes.

It has been years since I have seen pepper plants loaded with peppers. But I am determined. Next year they will be fabulous.

Slugs got the ones I had stuck out front, the ones planted along the fenceline struggle and I don't know why. I plant my grape and cherry tomatoes there and they do really well. Only the Italian fryers, planted in the square tomato bed (along side tomatoes) did well.

Before I changed it over to a flower bed, I used to grow my peppers up there pretty much were they will be now. They did fine up there.

Yes, maybe with your new bed for the peppers they will thrive there. I've has some slug issues but surprisingly not too bad with all the rain. But I noticed a lot of peppers rotted because the water pooled up on the tops around the stems and just sat there. At least I think that's what started it. I had to go around and empty the saucers, such as it was.

At least you are getting peppers. Not like the tomatoes.

Todays veggie harvest looks so pretty. What can I make out of this? (Tomatoes, yellow squash and eggplant).

This morning I see my fall planted peas are up and I have baby beans formed on my bean towers. I tasted a few even though they are small and so good. They taste like string beans full of flavor. But tender and sweet. These are going to be really good. Thing is if I pulled a common String bean this young, it really wouldn't have much flavor. These French Fillet Beans are going to be a big success with me, I think.

Raining slightly this morning but I pulled up three of my squash. Two Buckingham yellow zucchini plants which just don't look thrifty at this point. Not my favorites anyway, might not be returned next year. And one of the Golden Egg yellow squash. I had not intended to pull that Golden Egg but had no choice. The stem completely broke and you could see why what with the SVB eaten center stem.

I do have some yellow squash seedlings of one called Safron. So I will plant those out in the pots and reuse them. Those were the two types of yellow squash seeds I bought this spring from Burpee, Safron and Golden Egg. I just love the Golden Egg so want to try out the Safron also.

Veggie dish done. Rita's version of ratatouille. Done in the oven instead of stove top. First picture, veggies cut and sprinkled with olive oil and Italian seasoning. Ready to go in oven. Second picture done. I tasted it and it is very good.




It is just tomatoes, summer squash and eggplant. But made a tasty combo.

Looks very yummy and healthy! I am going to try your sliced, grilled eggplant with tomato and maybe a bit of parmesan cheese for dinner tonight. Also I found some tiny green tomatoes on the late tomatoes and I am going to make fried green tomatoes.

I got the strawberries finished finally! And ex ran the springtooth plow through where the potatoes and lettuce were so it's ready to till and rake. I think I am going to use the lettuce row for root veggies. New strawberries will go where the potatoes were. Then I will plant the lettuce where the garlic was. My son has a rotation schedule and I drive him nuts because I can't follow it. He didn't allow for spring and fall garden and he always forgets something like this year he forgot peas.

I ordered seeds from Johnny's. needed parsnips but I got a lot more. One thing I got is Oregon Giant snow pea. I didn't have very good germination this spring but what did had wonderful peas! Got an email that seeds have already shipped.

Here's a few photos of my peppers

Gypsy


Giant Marconi


Okra


Melons - pretty much a bust. Probably end up composting them all



And fall raspberries, Heritage, starting to ripen. YUMMY!

Arlene, I really enjoyed the grilled eggplant topped with grilled tomato slices. And very easy to do.

Your raspberries look great. I tried raspberries but I thought all that pruning was too much work so ended up pulling them after trying for a few years. But fresh raspberries are very tasty.

A real shame about the melons. But that okra looks great! Mine is not making any pods. But then I only have three okra plants. And I really should do fall root veggies, I have the seed and the room but lack the motivation.

Like your peppers, they put mine to shame! Here is one of my slug eatten ones. yuck!


Have you ever grown a pepper called shishito? It is one of those Japanese ones. I would love to try it next year.

That pepper doesn't look that bad. But you said no peppers on it?

I have not tried a Shishito pepper. I'll have to look that one up.

The pepper plants did get some small peppers on them. Gosh that plant looks horrible to me!

Mmmm, eating my eggplant right now! So yummy! And Silver Queen corn and grilled peppers!

Yumm, yumm!

Baby peas sprouts are looking good. They should start growing really quickly now.

And my Crimson clover seeds that I only planted a few days ago are up. That was really quick. The Hairy Vetch planted at the same time is not up yet. I seem to remember it was the same way on the spring planted Vetch and Crimson clover. The clover popped up really fast.

I planted four Safron yellow summer squash seedlings in pots along the Driveway Farm. I had four seedlings come up so I planted four seedlings. Meantime I had put 4 Cavilli zucchini seeds to sprout about three days ago, today three are up. Sometimes they don't all come up but three plants would be good. I just keep on growing those replacement zucchini and squash.

I'm hoping to get my fall garden seeds planted this week! In the four days I have by not going to market...

Arlene, that sounds like a good plan to me. I still haven't planted anything else up there in that newly made veggie space. I have the seeds. And I should put in some bush beans besides the turnips.