Purple carrot and our first zucchinis.
I couldn't resist pulling one of the carrots yesterday just to see how big the root was. The top measured a full 20" tall . . . but the carrot was still on the puny side. Although the above doesn't give a good picture of the coloration of the carrot, looks to me as though the purple color starts at the top and works it's way down.
In slicing up the wee carrot to add to our cottage cheese salad last night, I found it curious that the center of the carrot was not yet purple either. When mature, this variety is totally a dark purple, top to tip and all the way through.
My little pumpkin patch of full-size, jack o' lantern-type pumpkins is finally taking off. Still no blossoms though.
Don't tell my husband, but I've got four eggplants tucked in in unobtrusive spots in the garden. (He's not a fan.) I started these from seeds and am hoping I get at least a few fruits for my own pleasurable consumption. (They don't usually do well for me, and I'm beginning to wonder if Papa Pea puts a hex on them. Just sayin'.)
Onions are easy for me to grow. This is one bed. I have one and a half beds of yellow onions and one and a half of reds.
Look, look, my pie pumpkins are starting to climb the arbor trellis! Okay, they've had help from me (we all need a little help now and then) by tying up their tendrils for encouragement.
I think the new leaves of growth our little apricot tree is putting forth are quite lovely. When they first appeared as little nubs, I thought they were going to be blossoms (and was practically beside myself with joy), but it was just new growth. The tree was planted just last year so I was probably over-enthusiastic dreaming about succulent apricots so soon.
The shell pea vines are loaded with pods that haven't started to plump up yet. To show how slow our season is this year, last year on yesterday's date, July 24th, I pulled the pea vines as the crop was all in and the vines had dried up. Gulp. Makes me wonder how our "later" maturing veggies will do this year. Will they have time to do their thing before a killing frost? Fingers crossed!
29 comments:
Your gardening looks lovely, as opposed to this South Florida farmer's weed patch! My REAL gardening doesn't start again until mid-October. The only things I have growing in this heat is okra, sweet potatoes, and jalapeño peppers.....
Interesting to compare our gardens! I've already harvested three Japanese eggplant and half a dozen zucchini, but my onions and carrots are puny and my pea pod vines just have blossoms.
Your garden looks divine!
I did not plant carrots this year but leeks instead. So far so good (but still holding my breath until harvest). I never have luck with onions (only chives!). I cannot wait to see the eggplants - providing no hex has been placed :)
My pumpkins have exploded and I can see on some tendrils tiny little ones growing, but on others some are rotting. We had thunderstorms overnight and early morning and this usually gives them a boost. I shall see once home from work how they enjoyed it. My peas and beans are done!
I cannot wait to see more photos!
Wow! That is really a change from last year! I am so envious of your carrots - I could almost taste that little beauty. Your garden sure looks wonderful. Let's hope the season lasts longer than usual so everything has a chance to catch up. I'm with you - I love eggplants. My plants look better than in previous years, but I am still holding my breath until I actually have them in my hot little hands.
Mama Pea,
Are those Cosmic Purple carrots? I love them with the slightly spicy root taste.
Good plan Mama Pea hiding your eggplant. Most men don't seem to like them, they don't know what they're missing. Eggplant is a great vegetable.
I pray the weather holds up for all the gardeners, and doesn't fail us!!!
Hugs,
Sandy
My peas are all drying on the vine. It does seem your season is late this year. It all looks great though. I plan on planting an apricot tree next year.
Tired Hobby Farmer - Another example of how different our growing conditions can be! Sure wish I could grow sweet potatoes - love 'em. Thanks for commenting!
Michelle - How weird is that that your eggplant are producing way before your pea pods! Mine are usually ready long before my shell peas but not this year. How can we plan on anything? :o]
MrsDM - Your peas and beans are done?! So different our climates, eh? We now need rain after having so much earlier in the season. You wouldn't think it would, but the soil out there is like cement!
Susan - A big change from last year. My sweet pea flowers have yet to bloom and are only about 24" high. The carrot was very sweet I was glad to find. I'm thinking I should plant a couple of bush eggplants in that they're smaller and might have more of a chance to mature?
Sandy - The purple carrots are Deep Purple F1. I don't usually plant hybrids but so far this is the only one I can find that is purple through and through . . . not just on the outer skin.
Kristina - Yep, my peas should be the same as yours. But aren't! I think if we can get the rain forecast this weekend, mine will finally fill out.
Having an apricot tree that actually bore fruit would be wonderful, wouldn't it? :o}
Well, I did plant starts for the eggplants, and the Japanese variety produces faster and more for me. ;-)
Michelle - My eggplants were set out as starts that I did but probably not as big as yours. And I think I should try a Japanese variety next season. I'd really like to get my fill of eggplant for once!
Hi Mama Pea :)) Oh the purple carrots! They look pretty when they're raw :) And wow, your pumpkin patch looks nice and healthy! I have orange flowers now, but just from the ones I started indoors in April. I wonder when they'll start to become pumpkins! Do you think your pie pumpkins will climb the whole trellis? I've seen photos on Pinterest of that and it looks amazing, I always wonder how they stay on the vine! Ha, you have a secret eggplant garden lol, that's cute. Your onions look great too! Well, let's just hope that summer lasts until November this year!
Yep, pulled all my peas up! On m second bed of carrots and courgettes and french beans all month. It's been a good year in the UK for growing although a little dry. I must say your onions look far better than mine though!
You have an apricot tree! How nice! Apricots are so expensive in the store and several of my recipes call for them. We planted 2 hardy (to zone 4) peach trees 3 years ago and it looks like we will have a nice crop this year, enough to eat and to can. Barring bird and animals getting to them first.
Yes, we like the Japanese ones also. We use them in Thai curry recipes and they are good for adding to skewers of grilled vegetables. They don't have quite as spongy a texture as the regular eggplants. What is the reason for your husband's dislike of eggplant?
We never plant our beans until the peas are pulled as we use the same plot. Plus then I don't have overlapping crops to deal with.
We have never grown the purple etc vegetables as I heard once you cook them the color disappears. We do use a lot of raw vegetables but we also use them for cooked/canning. That is interesting that the color seems to develop as they grow bigger.
Athanasia - He claims they have no flavor and a funny texture. He does concede the casserole I make with them covered with cheese and seasonings is "edible" though. ;o)
Athanasia - Hmmmm, wonder if that would work for me? 'Cause the peas and beans do overlap for me.
Rain - I'm hoping the pie pumpkins will go up over the top of the trellis. We'll see! I might have to support the pumpkins with netting or some such. I saw my first blossom on my pumpkin vines today. Yay!
Kev - So glad to hear you're having a good gardening season. Don't you usually get too much rain rather than not enough?
Athanasia - Oh, jealous of your bearing peach trees! We planted two last year but one didn't make it over the winter. They need two to cross pollinate so we need to replace the one we lost.
Athanasia - At maturity, this particular variety of purple carrots don't lose their color when cooked. I had a huge fiasco last season when I put them in chicken soup. The carrot slices stayed purple but the chicken broth turned a purple/gray. Not the least bit appetizing!
Yes, it is kind of like tofu in that way.
Yes, you need two. They are on the south side of our yard/house so pretty much protected from the wind, get lots of sun. Snow cover is always good so insulated well in winter and we have not had any extra cold winters, just normal.
I checked the nursery for apricot trees and they recommend Goldcot self pollinating but it says takes up to 5 years to bear.
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