Harvest Monday 08/16/10

With school starting for us next Monday, I realize that I still have many summer projects that need my attention. This week we painted our schoolroom. All the kids helped and we felt good about our job. Now we are busy organizing for the new year. As soon as we are done, I will post a picture but here are a few pictures of the work-in-progress.

Here are a few harvest pictures from the week.

My totals for the week: (in oz)
Okra            62 oz
Tomatoes    30.25 oz
Bell Peppers 1.75 oz
Cantaloupe   67.25 oz
Weekly Total 161.25 oz = 10.08 lbs

YTD Totals: (in lbs)
Okra 8.5 lbs
Tomatoes 8.7 lbs
Bell Peppers 2.8 lbs
Cantaloupes 8.2 lbs
Garlic 2.1 lbs
Onions 0.25 lbs
Squash 0.19 lbs
Total  30.74 lbs

As of today I have harvested 200 pods of okra this year and 328 cherry tomatoes. I am totally WOWed by this number. I am so glad I decided to keep an account of my harvest this year. It has been fun to watch the numbers grow.

Now if you want to see an amazing harvest of tomatoes. Check out Daphne's kitchen counter at her HARVEST MONDAY blog. While you're there, check out all the amazing harvests across the country.

Blessings,

Debbie

Harvest Monday 08-09-10 Okra and Tomatoes = GUMBO!

For a girl raised in Cajun country, okra and tomatoes in the garden means one thing . . . G U M B O !!!!! My kids have watched me save the okra harvested this year in anticipation of the BIG announcement - enough okra for gumbo!! You must realize we are a big family (7 kids) and even the adult children want to have gumbo made with mom's okra and tomatoes from the garden. (Don't worry Rachel I will send you some!) So as the okra trickles in at first, all the okra is cut and saved in the freezer. BUT today.... I cut 17 pods of okra!! We now have ENOUGH for a big pot of gumbo!

I don't have many pictures this week from my harvest. I have been busy completing this project. A friend asked me to make a t-shirt memory quilt as a graduation gift. The picture on Lauren's face makes my heart happy!

My harvest totals this week:

Okra 33.0 oz

Tomatoes 21.75 oz

Bell Peppers 9.25 oz

Squash 3.0 oz

WEEKLY TOTAL 67.00 oz

YEAR TO DATE:

Okra 74.5 oz

Tomatoes 108.5 oz

Bell Pepper 43.5 oz

Garlic 34.25 oz

Onions 4.0 oz

Cantaloupe 32 oz

Squash 3 oz

TOTAL YTD 299.75 oz (18.73 lbs)

Check out Daphne's blog to see what's happening around the world on HARVEST MONDAY!

Blessings,

Debbie

I HAVE GRANDBABIES.... of the Garden Kind!

Well.... what do you call the fruit from the suckers rooted from your tomato plants?

The cherry tomato plant of unknown variety that I have dubbed "the Energizer Bunny" continues to produce. I have now harvested 201 tomatoes from this plant and it continues to go strong. I have had to be creative in staking it since it was NEVER supposed to get this big. I think it likes being planted next to my okra.

And now the suckers that I rooted earlier in the season have fruit and the first one is starting to ripen. YEAH!

I actually have 2 suckers that have fruit. In the picture below, the suckers are in the front and the original plant is in the back.

I hope the sucker plants produce like the original plant. AND... I hope that if I save seeds I will get more of this plant next year.

Enjoy more gardens at the Tuesday Garden Party and Oh, How My Garden Grows.

Blessings,

Debbie

 

Harvest Monday 8/2/2010 My First Cantaloupe

I missed Harvest Monday last week because we were out of town for our annual Vacation/Family Reunion. A week of celebrating family with lots of delicious food and laughter mixed with joy of life moving at a slower pace. This was our 24th year to spend time at Clarkco State Park in Quitman, MS. The Beckman family filled 6 of the cabins at this park.

The excitement for me this week was the harvest of my first cantaloupe ever! And it was grown on a trellis!!

You can see the cantaloupe growing in the top right corner of the picture below.

I also weighed my garlic and potato onions this week since they are dry.

My harvest total this week

Okra 7.5 oz
Tomatoes 11.5 oz
Bell Peppers 14 oz
Cantaloupe 36 oz
Garlic 34.25 oz
Onions 4 oz
Total this week 108.25 oz

While I was gone, my daughter ASHLEY was happy to pick these from my garden.

Make sure you head over to Daphne's to enjoy other Harvest Monday posts.

Blessings,


Debbie


P.S. Thanks, Erin, thanks for following my blog.

Criminal Investigation

While enjoying a stroll through my garden, I stopped in my tracks when I saw...

THE EVIDENCE

(that a crime had been committed)

I franticly started searching for....

THE VICTIM

(beautiful tomato leaves cut short in the prime of their life)

So the hunt began. I knew the dark pellets that looked like tiny grenades were left behind by none other than "The Evil Tomato Hookworm." I searched and searched and stopped only to capture....

A CRIMINAL ON THE MOST WANTED LIST

(THE ARMYWORM)

Back to the hunt. Finally...

CAUGHT IN THE ACT

(Tomato Hookworm aka Hornworm)

The criminal was quickly apprehended, found guilty, and sentenced to...

DEATH BY TENNIS SHOE

(aka "The Victory Dance")

Hope this wasn't too boring. I hate most worms in my garden. Join other gardeners at the TUESDAY GARDEN PARTY and  OH, HOW MY GARDEN GROWS!

Blessings,

Debbie

Harvest Monday 07/19/10 Ups and Downs

Each week I enjoy checking out the Monday Harvest on Daphne's blog. So hop on over and check out what others are harvesting in their garden.

This past week I drove many miles making two round trips to Nashville and one to Mobile. This week I hope to spend very little time in the car.

My harvest totals this week was 38 oz.

Okra                  7.5  oz        Count 11                    

Tomatoes       19.75 oz       Count 32 Cherry, 3 Early Girl, 5 Roma

Bell Peppers   10.75 oz       Count 3 Big Bertha, 1 Red

Blog will be short today. I need to take my new laptop to see the Geek Squad. Problems with blue screen of death and the video adapter. (sigh)

My UP... I have been watching this red pepper anticipating picking my first ever RED bell pepper.

My DOWN... when I picked it and turned it around to inspect it, I found this unpleasant surprise...

Such sadness... but I have others that are starting to turn red and, hopefully, they will be without blemish.

Blessings,

Debbie

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas... well... sort of...


Look my green peppers are starting to turn red! Yippee!!

Busy day but wanted to share my excitement!!


Blessings,


Debbie