My wife’s favorite way to eat cucumbers is to marinate them in oil, vinegar and salt water with just a bare touch of sugar. Leave them in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Overnight is better. I would add a few basil leaves. Michael Swol likes to add a jalapeño pepper. It is fantastic any way you do it.
We picked over 5 ½ pounds of produce yesterday (Sunday). Most of it was squash and cucumbers, but we did pick some mustard greens and salad stuff. I also replanted the patty-pan squash. I found a package of seeds at the Myers Park Garden center. They were “Renee’s” and they had 3 different varieties. The variance seemed to be mostly by color. They were planted in a 3’ wide bed, so they will probably run everywhere. There was a good thunderstorm yesterday that should get them off to a good start.
The thunder storm knocked down about 1/3 of the sunflowers. They were planted a little too close anyway. Today I will pull all of the downed ones and side dress the rest. They are just starting to make flowers.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Big Zucchini
The speed at which a zucchini grows is always amazing. There was a little zucchini on the vine Wednesday. It was no larger than my little finger. Last night the rain came pouring down so hard that I could not go to the garden. This morning that little zucchini was 15” long and huge. The pale zucchini on the bush that was supposed to be patty-pan squash grows much slower.
The same package of seeds that sprouted the spaghetti squash, is sprouting different types of squash. Of the three largest, one is the color of a melon and the others are pale green. The watermelon already has bunches of little melons on the vine. This year we want to do a better job of picking them at the right time (whenever that is). Last year they were good, but had too many seeds.
There is a tomato as big as my fist on the tomato vines. We are getting lots of cucumbers and the mesclun is still producing. Help me pray for that complete salad from the garden.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The same package of seeds that sprouted the spaghetti squash, is sprouting different types of squash. Of the three largest, one is the color of a melon and the others are pale green. The watermelon already has bunches of little melons on the vine. This year we want to do a better job of picking them at the right time (whenever that is). Last year they were good, but had too many seeds.
There is a tomato as big as my fist on the tomato vines. We are getting lots of cucumbers and the mesclun is still producing. Help me pray for that complete salad from the garden.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Summer Bounty
Finally cucumbers have joined the garden salad. Tomatoes will be awhile. The squash plants are overflowing their beds. The greens are getting brown and lacy. It is time to get them out of the way so the squash will have more room. The sugar peas are still producing as is the broccoli, but they are starting to look kind of ratty.
I was a little disappointed because I thought that the zucchini I planted was a different variety. It turned out to be tasty, so I was fine. Now I am really disappointed, because what I thought was patty pan is a pale colored zucchini. I hope it is not too late to replant patty-pan. The real problem is that I don’t have any space yet. The broccoli is planted beside okra and cucumber. The sugar peas are in a 3’ wide bed. It is too early to pull the potatoes.
A year without patty-pan squash could be really sad. Maybe I can plant some in the front yard. I had better buy the seeds someplace else. I am sure if I go back to Renfrow’s they will be from the same batch.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
I was a little disappointed because I thought that the zucchini I planted was a different variety. It turned out to be tasty, so I was fine. Now I am really disappointed, because what I thought was patty pan is a pale colored zucchini. I hope it is not too late to replant patty-pan. The real problem is that I don’t have any space yet. The broccoli is planted beside okra and cucumber. The sugar peas are in a 3’ wide bed. It is too early to pull the potatoes.
A year without patty-pan squash could be really sad. Maybe I can plant some in the front yard. I had better buy the seeds someplace else. I am sure if I go back to Renfrow’s they will be from the same batch.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Here Come the Squash
Friday night there were enough squash to make a big mess of squash & onions. We used green onions from the garden too. Sunday there were over2 pounds of squash. We had squash casserole. Mick McNeely taught me a new trick. Pick a handful of Sage leaves. Get some olive oil hot in a pan. Drop the sage leaves in and crisp them and pull them right back out. It takes 5 seconds or less. Be careful not to overdo it. After the squash dish is cooked garnish it with the sage leaves. They provide a wonderful surprise when bitten into.
Zucchini is coming in now as well. The variety is not exactly what I thought was planted, but they are tasty. That is what counts. The patty-pans are covered with blooms. They all seem to be males. No squash there. There are three little spaghetti squash and several “pregnant” blooms. I am having to spray with BT every couple of days because we are getting so much rain. The fence and the human hair seem to be working fairly well for the deer, so I haven’t bothered with pepper spray. I see small rabbits in the garden every morning; but the garden is well advanced enough that they don’t eat much.
The corn is tasseled and has little ears. The height of the cornstalks is all different because of it being smashed down several times. Who knows if there will be any kernels on the corn?
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Zucchini is coming in now as well. The variety is not exactly what I thought was planted, but they are tasty. That is what counts. The patty-pans are covered with blooms. They all seem to be males. No squash there. There are three little spaghetti squash and several “pregnant” blooms. I am having to spray with BT every couple of days because we are getting so much rain. The fence and the human hair seem to be working fairly well for the deer, so I haven’t bothered with pepper spray. I see small rabbits in the garden every morning; but the garden is well advanced enough that they don’t eat much.
The corn is tasseled and has little ears. The height of the cornstalks is all different because of it being smashed down several times. Who knows if there will be any kernels on the corn?
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, June 3, 2010
First Across the Finish Line
Michael Swol sent an email this morning with a picture of a red tomato. I know it is true, because I saw the tomato in his garden when it was green. I am still green myself, with jealousy. I assume he took the picture yesterday, June 2. I don’t know of anyone who has picked a real tomato (not a cherry or grape tomato) yet, so I am assuming that this is the first in our circle of friends.
The rain gauge showed 1.4” of rain in the garden overnight. The corn was no worse off than before. No better either. The largest tomato is about the size of a ping pong ball now. The yellow squash picked yesterday was the largest yet; but still pretty small. The sugar peas and broccoli are still producing; but they look like they may be finishing their short but productive lives.
The little tomatoes that got started in the greenhouse Friday are poking their heads up. The basil has not. These will be for the upside down pots that can be brought into the greenhouse at the end of the season. Earthworm castings were harvested this weekend to make potting soil for them.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
(Sun)Flower Power
The sunflowers are 8’ tall and they still do not have flowers yet. Only a few have fallen over so far. The variety is “Mammoth Russian”. We have planted them before, but not since moving into the city. When fully mature the flowers should be at least 12” across. When dried they will be stacked in a plastic bag with the top open. They can be given to the birds one flower at a time. The birds and squirrels go crazy. The seeds are, of course, great roasted; but we are too lazy to shell them.
The corn is about 6’ tall; but laying down it is only about 1’ tall. The rain finally got the corn that was in the three sister’s bed as well. The rain helped everything else so much it doesn’t really matter. The corn is tassleing already, will this affect the pollination?
The squash is blooming and making yellow squash. The zucchini is coming slowly and the patty-pan has flowers, but no fruit. There are a couple of spaghetti squash on the vine, but no butternut squash yet. Tomatoes and cucumbers are growing slowly and the mesclun is holding out. We may get a complete salad yet.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The corn is about 6’ tall; but laying down it is only about 1’ tall. The rain finally got the corn that was in the three sister’s bed as well. The rain helped everything else so much it doesn’t really matter. The corn is tassleing already, will this affect the pollination?
The squash is blooming and making yellow squash. The zucchini is coming slowly and the patty-pan has flowers, but no fruit. There are a couple of spaghetti squash on the vine, but no butternut squash yet. Tomatoes and cucumbers are growing slowly and the mesclun is holding out. We may get a complete salad yet.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
A Corny Story
…And the rains came. And the corn fell down again. Part of it did anyway. The corn that was planted by itself in the ground fell down. The corn that was planted in raised beds with pole beans and squash did not. It seems that the vines from the squash and beans held the corn up.
Finally there are some little tomatoes. Saturday there were three, about the size of a sugar pea. Today (Monday) there are many and the first ones are about the size of a garbanzo bean. There are cucumbers about the size of my thumb and most amazing of all. There is a spaghetti squash about the size of a small egg.
The grape vines are very young, so not a lot of grapes are expected. Last year there were a few and the birds ate them before they even got ripe. This year there are at least 5 bunches. We have been saving the net bags that citrus comes in and I made little bags to guard the grapes. The little bags are red/orange. I hope they don’t attract the birds even more than the grapes do.
My neighbor finally put his leaves on the street yesterday. I beat the garbage man to enough of them to finish mulching the garden. The bed where the potatoes were planted and only 7 came up have been filling with grass. They got filled to the rim with leaves this morning. The potatoes are still there. They had already been mounded with leaves and dirt. They are piled a little higher now. By the time the potatoes come off in July, there will be enough reserve compost to fill at least one of the beds with compost.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Finally there are some little tomatoes. Saturday there were three, about the size of a sugar pea. Today (Monday) there are many and the first ones are about the size of a garbanzo bean. There are cucumbers about the size of my thumb and most amazing of all. There is a spaghetti squash about the size of a small egg.
The grape vines are very young, so not a lot of grapes are expected. Last year there were a few and the birds ate them before they even got ripe. This year there are at least 5 bunches. We have been saving the net bags that citrus comes in and I made little bags to guard the grapes. The little bags are red/orange. I hope they don’t attract the birds even more than the grapes do.
My neighbor finally put his leaves on the street yesterday. I beat the garbage man to enough of them to finish mulching the garden. The bed where the potatoes were planted and only 7 came up have been filling with grass. They got filled to the rim with leaves this morning. The potatoes are still there. They had already been mounded with leaves and dirt. They are piled a little higher now. By the time the potatoes come off in July, there will be enough reserve compost to fill at least one of the beds with compost.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
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