The Summer Garden
The colors of summer sunshine!
The gardens at the 2nd Street Chicken Ranch are in full bloom and happily abuzz. The perennial garden is blazing with the fiery golds, purples and whites of the echinacea, rudbeckia, yarrow, and gooseneck loosestrife.
Gooseneck Loosestrife looks like a flock of white geese in the garden.
It’s been three years since I first planted the “invasive” gooseneck loosestrife, and no surprise, the “flock” is growing bigger and stronger each year. If (or when) they start to take over the garden, I’ll just dig out a few clumps and replant them somewhere else. They are beautiful as cut flowers and they make me smile each time I see the “goose necks” gently bobbing and swaying in the summer breeze.
Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Tomatoes!
“Red” Sun Gold Cherry tomatoes. It’s true, seeds saved from hybrids won’t grow the same plant!
The veggie garden, specifically the tomatoes, are also bursting out of the raised beds. I’m almost ashamed to say that I have broken my own record for the number of tomato plants in the ground… 49 (okay, six are in pots)!
Green striped Roman’s. These will turn red with green stripes when ripe…the vine is loaded with these elongated gems!
I grow at least one tomato plant of every variety that I sell (that’s 25), and of course I plant two or three “extras” of my favorites (the remaining 24). All the plants are heavy with green tomatoes — large and small. I’ve already had the pleasure of picking a couple of cherry tomatoes; a few Black Cherry and a couple Sun Golds (red Sun Golds… from my “experiment” of saving hybrid seeds). The prolific Principe Borghese (an Italian heirloom used for sun-dried tomatoes), is also starting to ripen. These are just a prelude of what’s to come.
The “big-gun” heirlooms, the Striped Barred Boar, Pruden’s Purple, Coeur di Bue, and Cherokee Purple, are loaded with large green toms. July’s extended heatwave of 90+ degree days have been a boon to these jumbo-tomato producing plants. I’m delighted to see so many large heirlooms this year. With August’s hot weather continuing, full-on ripening should occur within the next two weeks. Bring it on!
Here are a few other goodies growing in the garden…
Loads of fat Romas are on the vine…we’re going to have lots to freeze this year!
A plump Ronde de Nice squash ready to pick. This is also known as a “round zucchini,” and according to another seed catalog, a green pumpkin! If you’re growing these, pick them when they are baseball sized.
The beans were outstanding this year. Here are Roma II, in mid-July. These beans are flat, 5 to 6 inches long, and delicious!
How’s your garden growing? Let me know in the comments below!
Every year I vow NOT to plant too many tomato plants ………but when it comes time to plant them outside, they are soooo small and there looks like there is plenty of space……hmmmm!
I had several five foot plants, heaving with cherry tomatoes, try to commit suicide by hurtling themselves down horizontally, after the rain last week…….husband was drafted in to bring aid and comfort to (me first) then the bruised but not broken plants. (I do so love my “farm hand”)
My spaghetti squash is going a bit nuts too – anyone got a large freezer then want to donate (so you can say you do support local growers) LOL
I hear you Clair — we’re going to have to back off on the number of plants next year! It’s an urban farmer’s conundrum…too many wonderful varieties and too little space! Glad to learn that your “farm hand” saved the day on your cherry toms and they were just a little bruised, but not broken! Cheers to canning and freezing season!