Garden Update for July 21st

July 21st- Garden Overview

July 21st- Cucumbers

The cukes have been a little sparse so far. I think I'll make a small jar of refrigerator pickles this week.  Hopefully I'll get more later to make larger batches of pickles to can.

July 21st- Strawberry Spinach

I hadn't heard of this type of spinach until I was seed shopping early this year.  I haven't tried any of the leaves yet, but I did sample a berry yesterday.  It was slightly sweet with a "berry" flavor as well as a "leafy" flavor.  Make sense?  :-)

July 21st- Strawberry Spinach

I'll be harvesting this spinach this week and will try the leaves & berries in a salad.  

For info, click {here}.

July 21st- Green Beans ~ They are beginning to fill out and will be picked soon.

July 21st- More beans

July 21st- The bean tendrils are climbing higher every day.

July 21st- Tomatoes...Finally staked the tomato plants yesterday

July 21st- German Green tomato {info}

July 21st- Yellow Pear tomato {info}

July 21st- Pepper Blossom

July 21st- California Wonder Sweet Pepper {info}

July 21st- Paprika Pepper

July 21st- Pepper (will edit with details)

July 21st- German Chamomile

~Harvests since last week's update~

July 15th- Lettuce & Zucchini harvest 

July 17th- Lettuce, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, & Cucumber harvest

July 21st- Zucchini harvest

This is what happens when you get busy, it rains a little and you don't check the garden for a few days.  You get a zucchini about a foot long!  I already had zucchini in the refrigerator, had cooked some last week, had baked zucchini chocolate chip cookies, baked zucchini muffins, had given some away and then found these.  I cut two to add to our spaghetti sauce, cut several small ones into "sticks" to bread & bake, chopped up 8- 2 cup bags to freeze for adding to spaghetti sauce and sliced 5- 3 cup bags for layering into lasagna.  Yay!  No more zucchini in the fridge....until I cut more from the garden...today...or tomorrow.  I'm planning to grate some & freeze it to use later in meat loaf and baking cookies, muffins, etc.

I still need to update on the flower bed makeovers from early last week and the new additions to the family and some vintage finds as well. I'll try to have a post about one of those up tomorrow.  

Until then...Happy Gardening!