What did you do in the garden today?

[res]

Wow! Nice haul! You must not have squash bugs where you live. I can't get any squash because of them. They even eat my melons.

I'm harvesting tomatoes and collard greens. I felt around for potatoes today and picked off yellowed leaves on the tomato plants. Then we went and picked sand plums in the rain.

That's what is weird this year... we have NO bugs - worms - critters on the harvest.

The only thing we did different this year was we *tried* to plant peas. They never survived past about 2" tall. We had anticipated having a boatload of vines, though, so we ran cattle panels attached to T-posts down the center of the garden for the peas to vine on. Well, now the house sparrows sit on the cattle panels. ALL. DAY. LONG. Probably 20 of them - they are perched just inches above the squash, cucumber, and broccoli plants. The only thing I can figure is that we have given the sparrow a perfect perch to rain death down on any beetle or bug that might land on the plants.

 

[lazy gardener]

I've heard that cucumber beetles are repelled by rubber. Am anxious to test out that theory next spring, and also find out if squash bugs are as well. Have some old tires to put to good use. I'll have a red neck garden yet!!

 

[Stuffedcritter]

love the produce wagon-) picked some greens, pulled some weeds, watered been in the 80's things growing. Chickens had blast scratching for worms even took a dust bath they like to roll in potting soil and rabbit poo.

 

[misbhaven]

I found a big red tomato today not a patio tomato either I think a Mr stripey almost softball sized I only have 2 plants that will have any early !! then i realized it had a tomato bug hole in it ripped it in half and gave it to my chickens

BUT still it is only June and I am in northern IL

 

[lularat]

Picked my first tomatoes Fri. and we had BLT's. Soooo good. My bushes are loaded and will no doubt have plenty for family and friends. Also been getting squash and cucumbers. Sweet potato plants are running everywhere.

 

[Denwendairy]

So jealous of all of you harvesting tomatoes already! We live in Northern Alberta, Canada and our season is pretty short up here! Even with my tomatoes in the greenhouse, they're still small and very, very green! So far we've managed to eat lettuce and peas from in the greenhouse. Hoping for carrots and potatoes in the next couple of weeks. Squash and cucumbers will be a while yet!

 

[Stuffedcritter]

what a tease! We've all been dreaming about first fresh tasty tomato since January, then find a worm.!
It's humid and gross here consider climbing in the chest freezer to sleep tonight.

 

[chickadoodles]

I picked my first tomato yesterday. I have gotten a couple squash and a few cucumbers so far.

 

[Lacroix]

I transplanted a lavender plant out of the pumpkin patch. I planted Mexican heather and put up a bee hotel.

 

[hosspak]

From the kitchens at the Crazy H-Bar Ranch; Since the peaches were trying to jump off the tree, we decided we had better can them before they go to waste... or the birds find a way to devour them. Last year, the birds got all but a few but this year we netted the tree....So we have lots!



For the second batch, we added a bag of rassberries... call us wacky, weird, and/or crazy but we threw in a few habaneros and came up with peach/rassberry pepper jelly. Tammy says it's hot and tasty...

4 cups of peeled and pitted peaches (about 8 med sized) use 3 slightly unripened and puree these. The others use a masher. Pour that into a pot with, 2 tbs of vanilla extract, 1 tbs, ground gloves, 2 tbs fruit saver. juice of 1 lemon. Add in 7 1/2 cups of sugar. Heat to a rolling boil and add both pouches, bring back to a boil for 1 min, then can. We used the Ball recipe for this, it calls for 2 3oz pouches of Ball liq pectin. After cooling overnight, the set is perfect. Very pleased with the outcome. Pass the toast!