The Sun Is Out and So Am I

The weather is beautiful here today... Sunny and currently 46 and almost noon. After the last few days of rain and yuck, I couldn't wait to walk in my garden!!

And this is what I found...

Broccoli

Spinach

and Buttercrunch Lettuce.

Blessings,

Debbie

Harvest Monday 10-31-2011

It has been way too many months since I have participated in Harvest Monday - a place to share with others what is happening in our own little corner of the garden world. Go to Daphne's Dandelions to read what some of my garden friends are sharing.

Yes, I have been MIA from my garden blog (read post here) and I have missed reading all my favorite garden blogs. Slowly I am trying to read a few here and there.

I did not do a very good job this year of keeping track of my harvest. I was so disappointed by the damage that the extreme heat and drought were taking on my garden. I just couldn't keep up with the watering. BUT thanks to cooler temps, the garden is showing signs of life again. Although small, I am thankful for the harvest especially when I read that so many already have snow on the ground!

Harvest this week:

• Bell Peppers 4.9 oz
• Green Beans 9.0 oz
• Okra 3.4 oz
• Tomatoes 3.4 oz

I experimented with the green beans and sauteed them with butter, garlic, and almonds. Larry and I both enjoyed them and I know I will cook them this way again. What is your favorite way to cook fresh green beans?

Blessings,

Debbie

Yes, I have been MIA from my Garden Blog

It's hard to believe but it has been over 4 MONTHS since I last posted to my garden blog...

The harsh summer temperatures and the lack of rain was hard on my garden. I couldn't keep up the watering needs of the garden so kinda gave up. The weather was too hot very early in the season for most of my tomato plants to set fruit. Even the okra suffered from the summer heat.

But about a month ago a wonderful thing happened, the temperatures started to drop and my garden started to revive... I have tomato plants that have started to set fruit (even the ones that NEVER set fruit in the spring/summer), my bell pepper plants are loaded with peppers, the green beans are growing, and the whole garden seems to have new life!!! It sure does my heart good.

Yesterday I gathered the harvest below 

...green beans, tomatoes, okra, and

bell peppers (harvested because the branch holding them broke)

As some of you may remember, 

I planted Christmas Beans in the spring. 

I was rather disappointed in the small amount of beans

 that they produced. 

Here are the plants in May... Kinda pitiful...

Here is a side view 

and if you look in the front of the bed, 

you can see the Spanish peanuts that I planted 

in front of the Christmas Beans.

Well, the Christmas Beans survived the heat 

and here is what they looked like on Sept. 24th 

after the temps started to cool to highs in the 80s... 

FULL OF BLOOMS!

And I took this picture earlier this week on Oct 24th... 

It is amazing to see the difference that one month has made!!!

I have hundreds of wonderful pods... 

I can only imagine what is on the other side of the fence 

in the neighbors yard!! 

I hope they don't mind.

Do you think that the peanuts planted in the same bed 

could have contributed to the great growth of these beans?

I am hoping to harvest lots of the Christmas Beans.

It seems my garden seems to do better in the fall. 

Last year, I was harvesting cherry tomatoes on Thanksgiving Day!

Blessings,

Debbie

we have... R A I N ! ! ! ! ! !

Yes!!! We have rain!!! The birds are playing in the rain and the plants in my garden are DANCING!!!

It has been so hot here and we haven't had rain in a long time!! It is 3:15pm and the temp is only 74 degrees!!! YES!!!

Debbie

Harvest Monday 06-13-11

It's MONDAY and that means another time to celebrate what is happening in our gardens with HARVEST MONDAY on Daphne's Dandelions.

This week I enjoyed my first ever harvest of soybeans. They quickly became EDAMAME!!!

I also had my first harvest ever of Cherokee Trail of Tears beans. Now... all the beans I planted were black but ... as you can see... some of the beans harvested were white. I knew something was wrong when one plant had white flowers but all the others had beautiful lavender flowers. I bought these seeds from a company online. Annie's Granny sent some to me that I will plant later this summer for a fall harvest. Although this was a small harvest, the amount will be add a nice touch to our supper tonight of MEXICAN PILE-ON.

I also harvested my first tomato of the year. My okra continues to produce. The okra loves the hot, dry weather!!

HARVEST TOTALS

Week ending 06-11-11
Okra	8.30	oz.
Tomatoes	0.30	oz.
Beans	20.00	oz.
TOTAL	28.60	oz.	1.79	lbs

2011 Year to Date
Okra	15.40	oz.	0.96	lbs
Tomatoes	0.30	oz.	0.02	lbs
Strawberries	4.80	oz.	0.30	lbs
Mustard Greens	26.00	oz.	1.63	lbs
Beans	20.20	oz.	1.26	lbs
TOTAL	66.70	oz.	4.17	lbs

Debbie

First Tomato of the Year...

and Caleb gave it an A+!!

I barely snapped the picture before he devoured it!

Debbie

Soybeans = Edamame ! ! !

This morning I harvested 1.25 pounds of soybeans from my garden...

Tonight we had Edamame for supper!! YUM!!!

This was my first adventure with growing soybeans and I will definitely grow them again... probably another crop this fall.

Blessings,

Debbie