Sunday, September 6, 2020

MORE Garden Pictures? Yep.

These pictures were taken exactly a week ago, but I've not gotten them into a post until now.  I'd be interested in knowing how they compare to your garden.


My lone cherry tomato plant that isn't a cherry tomato plant is proving itself worth the garden space because we've had three very nice, ripe tomatoes from it so far.  More to come if the weather cooperates.


These couple of Swiss chard plants obviously liked the fertilizer in their raised bed.  They are a good three feet tall.  I've also got plants in another bed that look much the same.  I planted too much Swiss chard.


The morning glory plants around this tepee trellis could hardly be more lush.  Has it produced many morning glory flowers?  Not one.  (Mangels for the poultry are planted on the left, beets on the right.)


The two standard sized little tomato plants I "inherited" have grown.  And are producing great big tomatoes.  In the week's time since this photo, that one on the right has gained a lot of color.


This is our largest jack-o'-lantern pumpkin.  It's about as big as a beach ball.


And here are some of the pie pumpkins.  I should have enough for making puree plus fall decorations for the window boxes.


With the luck of a bit more warm weather, we should harvest enough Red Kuri winter squash for ourselves and some to give away.  They're well on their way to turning almost red which will signal that they're mature.

Our weather has definitely transitioned from summer to early fall.  This next week's weather forecast is calling for highs in the 50s, maybe low 60s, but in the low 40s (eeep!) at night which will not help the last of the garden mature.  You never know this time of year though.  Mother Nature may be kind to us up here in the northwoods. 

19 comments:

www.self-sufficientsam.blogspot.com said...

YOu have a prize-winning garden. My little container gardening the deer have chewed on....beans tomatoes....they don't care. How do you keep the critters out of your garden? If I am here next year I guess I'll get an electric fence.

Mama Pea said...

Sam - We have 7' high deer fencing around the perimeter of the whole area where we grow our vegetables, berries and fruit trees. Otherwise, it would be futile as we have lots and lots of deer in the area.

Phoebes World said...

Well... I havent got a garden... yet! And I miss having one. So Im incredibly jealous and very impressed by yours. Beautiful!
Phoebe x

Mama Pea said...

Phoebe - Thank you! If it works out for you, get a garden plot going even if it's just a small one to start with. These days any food we can raise for ourselves is a big plus. And you gain such benefits from it. Being out in the fresh air, stretching those muscles that may not otherwise be used, the satisfaction of seeing what your effort can produce. There have been studies that indicate that our bodies assimilate and use the nutrients from food grown in our own locale more than that which might be trucked in from hundreds of miles away. Isn't that amazing?

Michelle said...

Oh, Red Kuri get intensely colored! How big are yours? Mine are actually more grapefruit-sized and I found a third one on an arm snaking across my strawberry patch.

Mama Pea said...

Michelle - The Red Kuri can vary in size. I think the seed catalog's description says the average weight is between three and five pounds. What size can I compare the way ours are now . . . I guess they're about 6 to 8" across . . . like a good sized cantaloupe, maybe a little bigger? They start out like small yellow/green lemons and keep growing and changing color until they're mature. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for yours!

Leigh said...

Everything in your garden looks really good, Mama Pea. Looks like you haven't had a lot of problems with disease and insects. My garden update post will be up tomorrow.

Vera said...

The morning glory we planted last year on the farm did not do anything except out on lots of growth, then suddenly when the temperatures started falling it burst into the most lovely swathes of beautiful violet blue flowers, which lasted a long time! Here in Shropshire, England, I have not seen the same coloured flower, but the hedgerows which line the lanes are full of the white coloured variety......

Cockeyed Jo said...

Yours is gorgeous compared to my weedy growing patch.

Rosalea said...

Gorgeous stuff, Mama Pea! Folks around here are saying the same about Morning Glories. I don't have any this year, but the gardening Guru I listen to weekly on the radio says that MGs like poor soil, and if they have nutritious soil, they just make leaves and no blooms. Just picked 11 of my pie pumpkins, very orange and the stems were hard. Tomatoes are winding down, except for the cherries. Chard and kale are burgeoning, liking this cooler weather. Its wet and yucky today, so making crab-apple jelly.

JustGail said...

Your garden is lovely! Weed free, healthy plants, mulched... I'm just taking a lunch break from weeding mine, and It. Is. Pathetic. Downright Woeful. Weeds took over in the 4 weeks I've been focusing on derecho tree cleanup, the storm flattened most of the garden, and we haven't had any rain to speak of since that blew through. All combined to make the year's garden pathetic. I think by end of the day all that will be left is what remains of tomatoes, peppers and okra. Beans and potatoes didn't do much this year and were pulled already. I guess the good is that I don't have to worry much about finding non-existent canning jar lids :-)

Does Red Kuri taste more like butternut or acorn squash? Acorn is OK, but I love butternut.

Goatldi said...

Good afternoon to you Mama Pea. Love the photos of all your goodies. I did some reading up on mangels and found that in years past they were used to make beer. Know anything about that? If I get my larger Spring garden going as I hope perhaps I will plant a few or more for the goaties.

Your tomatoes look lovely and so do the rest of your offerings. I am holding my breath for your Red Kuri as I want success for you and seeds for me. Selfish I know ;-)

I rejoice with you in your lower temperatures. After today we should be edging downwards. We didn't get the really high 100's as we were projected to get but it was 103 on Saturday and 100 yesterday. With a new to us fire brewing in Fresno county about an hour from me the air quality has plummeted. This morning this fire was 73,300 acres this afternoon it is a hair under 79,000 acres. This is just crazy as it is only two days into it.

Will be nice for you to get some much desired time in the quilt room as the cooler weather sets in the garden comes to a close.

Mama Pea said...

Leigh - Yes, we've had a relatively insect-free season. Well, except for my early salad greens such as mizuna mustard, frisee, arugula, etc. Each year some dratted hungry bug (I think it's what they call a flea beetle) chews a gazillion tiny round holes in those leaves. :o( Round about mid-summer I was seeing lots of smallish grasshoppers and was afraid they might be invading and going to chew things up, but then they disappeared. Phew!

Vera - I know in some areas Morning Glories are considered an invasive species. But around here, if we want to see them we have to plant them! This is the first time in many, many years that mine have not blossomed. I'm stumped at that.

Cockeyed Jo - As long as it's a GROWING weedy patch, you're doin' okay! ;o)

Rosalea - Mmmmm, crab apple jelly! So Morning Glories like a poorer soil, eh? Same with nasturtiums. Well, we have lots of gravel in our soil naturally around here so maybe next year I'll find some poor, gritty, gravely, neglected soil to plant the Morning Glories in!!

JustGail - Well, darn. We can't fight it when the weather does bad things to whatever efforts we put into our gardens. Sorry yours wasn't as good as you'd hoped this year. I guess I'd compare the taste of Red Kuri squash more to that of butternut rather than acorn. Although I sure do remember acorn squash as being much, much more flavorful when I was growing up. Methinks somebody has messed with those seeds! When a Red Kuri squash is fully ripe it's flavor is full, rich and buttery. Can't be beat in my opinion. 'Course, the challenge is getting them fully ripe up here! :o/

Goatldi - You can make BEER from mangels, eh? Well, how 'bout that. Heck with feeding them to the poultry! Hubby and I would quickly melt into puddles living in your temps. I suppose you get used to it but our string of days (too, too long!) in the 80s with high humidity 'bout did us in this summer. Living day to day with the threat of terrible fires not so far from you has got to be upsetting. Hoping they get this newest one under control as soon as possible. Stay safe, please.

Susan said...

My garden only vaguely resembles yours. I am getting ripe tomatoes (finally) and ONE pepper is ripening. My red kuri squash died, leaving tiny, wilted offspring in it's wake. My chard looks dwarfed next to yours. Sigh. I guess I will just enjoy your garden, virtually. Our temps are cooling off, too - mid 40s during the nights and 70s during the day.

Mama Pea said...

Whaaat? What happened to your garden? I've had ripe peppers for a month now (don't mean to brag) but our temps usually are cooler than yours. I kinda wish my chard hadn't gotten so big, but had remained more "normal" sized so was easier to harvest and use. (Geesh, are we gardeners EVER satisfied?) We had a low overnight last night of 35° which is getting too darn close to a frost. Is this going to be an early winter coming down upon us??

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Wow, your garden is doing great. My "big boy" type tomatoes are small, as well as my paste tomatoes. The weather here has just been a huge hassle, but I did post what I got from the garden recently. The garden itself is a weed fest.

Mama Pea said...

Kristina - I was impressed with the pictures of what you've recently harvested. I know it wasn't what you had hoped to get, but the weather really was against you this year.

Nancy In Boise said...

Looks great! Our red cherry tomatoes fizzled out too, don't think I'll bother next year. Oddly the yellow ones do great!

Dmarie said...

enviable chard! we bought some organic fertilizer but I completely forget about it. thanks for sharing your life!!