Oh The Perks Of Digging In The Dirt

Just so y'all know, I am addicted to these salads!

I've been making these salads every couple three days or so, they're SO delicious!

Although, I pulled and composted by cucumber plants several weeks ago, I still have about a dozen cucs in the fridge!  Home grown cucs, with my fresh homegrown tomatoes too, red onion, black olives, feta cheese, oil and vinegar, all makes this dish that much more scrumptious!

Of course I share the cucs with Trixie and she gives it two paws up!

#Blessed

2025 Veggie Season Has Officially Begun!

And we're off!

I spent the morning and early afternoon visiting my farmer friend Tim down in Marshfield; a LONG overdue visit.

Per usual I never leave his place empty handed, rather always with plants and work to do once I get back home and today was no exception.

He sent me home with oodles of plants, veggies and flowers!

Once home, I planted (8) California Sweet Bell Peppers and (12) Cucumber, see above.  The cucs were too small to try and separate, so I simply planted them in the groups they were in.  I will cull them back once I see which ones look the best after getting settled.

More planting work to come and more pics and postings too...

 

Insect Fornication

Here are a couple cucumber beetles getting acquainted in a cucumber flower.

They're nasty little pests for sure, somewhat deceiving for how small they are!  They attack cucumber plants, squash plants, pumpkin and melon plants too.  Their larva feed on the roots of the plants, while the adults feed on the leaves, vines and fruit.  They hold another threat too - they carry and spread a disease called bacterial wilt, where infected plants begin to wilt and die.

Some folks spray their plants to help control these pests but since I only have handful of plants I hand pick them.  Although, this is challenging too.  I've found that their initial defense is to simply fall, so if you can get your hand underneath their location before they notice, they'll fall right into your hand.  At that point a quick squeeze between two fingers and done!

The joys of gardening!

Uno, Dos, Tres

Sadly, here are our cucumber spoils so far this season.

It's difficult to tell in the picture but these are only about 3" long.

It's been SO dry here in the Northeast that all plants are hurting.

Hoping for a couple more but from the looks of the plants I'm afraid I have a better chance of hearing a turtle fart...

A Mess of Cucumbers!

Oh baby baby!!

With many many more on the way.

Delicious!

2015 Cucumbers Have Arrived!

Oh boy, our cucumbers are ready for picking!

We've picked six so far with many, many more just around the corner.

They're delicious too!

Reaping What We Sow'd, Literally!

We have squash; Zucchini and Summer, as well as Cucumbers coming out of our ears!  They're all doing terrific this season and taste scrumptious! Friends and neighbors are enjoying the bounty too - a tradition I learned from my dad and one I now truly understand and appreciate.

As always, if you're in the area stop in!

Cuc's Are Coming In!

First two cucumbers of the season, yummy!

Looks like we're going to be having cuc's coming out of our ears soon!

Stop on by if you're in the area!

Garden Vegetable Green!

 

It hasn't been the best year for cucumbers, but the broccoli and peppers are doing GREAT!

 

This summer JoAnne has been cooking my mothers recipe of hamburger and rice stuffing which she then stuffs into peppers and tomatoes!  Oh my God, they are out of these world!

 

Not only are they delicious but it reminds me so much of my mom, even down to using the same pan to bake them in that my mother used to use.

 

Both :-)  and :-( at the same time.

Tha's The Good Stuff...

 

 

Our bounty continues, yummie!

 

Here are a couple pics of our recent "picks" - BIG beautiful softball sized Bell Peppers and some delicious cucumbers!  If you're in the area stop in for a sampling...

First Cucumber of 2012

These are the first two cucs of the summer and boy were they tasty!

Sadly, our cucumber plants are not doing nearly as well as they did last year, not even close.  Although, planted in the same location, this years plants pale in comparison - they're much smaller and have yet to really get climbing up the trellis.  I need to look back to see what I planted last season versus this.  I'm sure the super hot, humid weather isn't helping too much, even though we've been hand watering almost every night.

In any event we'll take what we can get and enjoy each and every bite!

2011 Cucumbers Have Begun...

What a season for cucumbers! We've got them coming out of our ears over here and they're delicious. Stop in and we'll be happy to give you one to try.

1st Cucumber of the Season!

Here is our first cucumber of the season, yum yum!

We have three plants and they're all doing fantastic. Oodles of flowers and climbing the trellis like crazy.

Like most veggies cucumbers have their pests - cucumber beetle. We have the striped ones, which like to hide in the flowers. Of course being insects they're not too smart. In an effort to get away they like to roll off the plant and try to fall to the ground. Cupping one hand under the critter and shooing it with the other and plop right into your hand and with a simply pinch off with it's head!