October 26, 2017

Well, Tom "blew out" the sprinklers.  The bumper crop year is over. Found out Alex and Ellen LOVE the refrigerator dill pickles.

Talked to Leigh Bogar today and she told me she has all the canning stuff I'd need and she cans peaches every year.  so I might start getting into canning in 2018.....

It's cold now and I am sitting by the fire in the fireplace

August 23, 2017 What I have done with the harvest and trying to trap the rabbit

As of today, this is the count, more or less,
July
 19 Zucchini
30 cucumbers
6 summer squash
0 spaghetti squash
4 green peppers or jalapeno not sure which is which
8 cherry tomatoes

August
33 Zucchini
44 cucumbers
15 summer squash
3 spaghetti squash
5 green peppers or jalapenos
16 tomatoes

beans about 18
beets about 8

What  I've made
In July
zucchini lasagna
zucchini summer squash feta salad
many times made dill cucumber salad
2 jars of stevia bread and butter pickles
2 jars of refrigerator dill pickles
Blueberry zucchini bread
yogurt zucchini bread
the works zucchini bread

I think I made a total of 18 loaves this year

In August
sausage stuff zucchini
more of the refrigerator pickles 2 jars
More of the bread and butter pickles 2 jars
4 jars of sweet zucchini relish
coconut milk paleo zucchini soup (freezer)
carrot ginger lemon soup (freezer)
maple sesame walnut zucchini bread (freezer and gave to Paula)
roasted tomatoes from my pots and Paula's to make a marinara
5 bags of pesto from Paula's basil and mine
grilled zucchini and froze to hopefully make the tomato orzo zucchini soup sometime
two kinds of zucchini balls: one has peanut butter chocolate chips, zucchini, honey and the other has oats in a powder, cocoa, coconut oil, maple syrup and raisins. (both in the freezer)

We have a cage from Carolyn Gleason to catch the rabbit but I think the rabbit will forego the cage with the carrot and just go for the carrot leaves.

Had a genetic mutation:

One of the zucchini bees got into the spaghetti squash patch

Trip to Botanic Gardens with Alma and keep for idea for next year with green and white plant

Post my Philippines trip August 15, 2017

This is what Tom had in the refrigerator when I got back Aug 10th.

That afternoon I made these things:

Italian sausage stuffed zucchini- first meal back from my trip

I have also made in the past days: bread and butter stevia pickles, sweet zucchini relish, lots of balsamic cucumbers and tomatoes.

Still to make zucchini cocoa vegan balls, zucchini bread without walnuts for Alden and Zucchini orzo soup that I hope to freeze. I might also make carrot soup. Need to also roast beets.  and I must pick my spaghetti squash. the one I got!  The funniest thing is how a zucchini will "get away" and get so big.

Here are pictures from all over the gardens.  The rabbit baby stupid pest continues to torment us. He has eaten some of the green on the carrots. I plan to get those out before we leave for India

July 26, 2017 Harvest report

I have been keeping a log on my calendar since July 10th.  I have also made so much zucchini bread: cocoa (turned out a bit dry), yogurt, blueberry even with Almond flour (since I did not have oatmeal flour) and then the standard (the works, as I call it).

I made refrigerator dill pickles that I will let sit until I return from The Philippines although I feel like I should make more of those.  I also made Stevia Bread and Butter pickles.

I froze green beans, roasted beets.

Here is the count:
4 peppers
still getting lettuce until I pulled it all our on July 23 (still have some in the refrigerator, not washed so hopefully will keep)
Green beans, not many, sadly. They got overrun by the summer squash and cucumbers and whoever smashed the garden on July 15. Weird.
15 zucchini, a couple big ones that got by me but the rest or more normal size
5 summer squash
Tomatoes are ripening. I took those with blossom end rot and put them in a bag with a banana and hope I can salvage some of them.
7 beets- all roasted and frozen. I want to make this feta/beet salad sometime
20 cucumbers

 My Monday picture on Instagram

 Monday night (24th)- tired but decided to make caponeta and pickles

 Could not find "pickling spice" so took this picture in King Soopers and I had all the spices so sort of made my own.  The jury is still "out" on the pickles. I have to wait until Aug 10th

Tuesday I chased 3 rabbits through the yard. One tiny one seems to live near the garden. Has not done damage that I know of yet.

July 24, 2017

I bought some fish emulsion as Laura suggested that after it seems some children got into the garden looking for a ball and smashed the yellow squash.  They have bounced back a bit.

The beans were also smashed and I've had a pretty weak harvest in those.

I have sprayed the Neem Oil on the Zucchini leaves so no mold this year.

Been a bit discouraged about the tomatoes.  Why did I get blossom end rot yet again?  I gave the spray; I gave the plants "milk" as well as the tums treatment (watered down milk and smashed 2 tums in a gallon of water).  I picked the green ones that look like they may be developing the rot and put them all in a bag with a banana.

All in all, happy with the 12 zucchini, 13 cucumbers, 2 yellow squash, 3 beets and green beans so far.

A tiny rabbit has been in the garden but I've not noticed a lot of damage at this point.

The flowers are doing pretty well. The wildflowers near the AC have been pretty. The geraniums in the pots are just not thriving and I think it is because I don't put new good soil in there and there is also some styrofoam. Not doing that next year.

 The grass has some weird grass growing near the Baileys but it looks good from this vantage point. The cucumbers have killed some grass and I think the bunnies in the front have peed on the grass and done damage. Tom put fertilizer on it on July 12 and by July 21, the grass had grown so much that I asked Roger Madsen to mow it for me. He was shocked the lawnmower started as it is old. He works on lawnmowers. Tom does not want to get a new one as he keeps preparing for a move. Nothing imminent (for the last 10 years.)