Ahhh, the bounty of summer

[razz]

This is a wonderful time of year.

I have enjoyed U-pik strawberries, sweet cherries, blueberries, my own snow peas, herbs and garlic plus roadside supplies of fresh corn, kale, cabbage, yellow/green zucchini, pattypans, tomatoes, cukes, celery, romaine, peppers, sugar baby watermelons, cantaloupe with apricots, peaches and plums brought from Niagara area.

I have been looking for small pickling cakes to use with my heads of dill without success as yet as the current limited ones are ridiculously priced.

Tried some day-neutral strawberries for the first time and they are wonderful in flavour and appearance.
FYI - Dayneutral strawberries are uniquely different from Junebearing types and older everbearers. Dayneutrals have the capacity to flower and fruit continuously which is attributed to their insensitivity to daylength which normally controls flower initiation. They form flower buds under any daylength and continue to grow as long as temperatures are suitable. Dayneutrals produce a fall crop the year of planting; in subsequent years, the production cycle peaks every 6 weeks from June onwards. After the first year, the spring crop starts about 4 to 7 days before the early season Junebearers (e.g., 'Veestar').

What are you enjoying this year ? Any new items you tried?

[Tybee]

I seem to have grown a whole lot of lettuce this year for some reason.
We have green beans in now.
If you get a chance, can you post your pickle recipe--I have dill coming in,and a good source for cucumbers, as mine as not in yet.

[CathyA]

Let me see.........I'm enjoying green beans, a few small tomatoes, peppers and the cucumbers are coming in now. My lettuce is over and I'll plant more a little later.
I did just plant more bush beans too.
Razz......that's interesting about those Dayneutral strawberries. Are those genetically modified to do that? Seems sort of unnatural.

[razz]

Let me see.........
Razz......that's interesting about those Dayneutral strawberries. Are those genetically modified to do that? Seems sort of unnatural.

Cathy, this is the website that local growers re these berries would get their info from: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/...cts/89-099.htm Lots of stuff to read. It was considered quite exciting when they were first made available a few years ago for the public to buy. A friend told me that she had tried them last week for the first time with real enjoyment. They were so fresh and beautiful, I couldn't resist.

[pinkytoe]

We have been looking forward to harvest season since moving to Colorado. Known for their peaches, corn and cantaloupes...so we've been pigeon out on those. Bad me - peaches on ice cream every afternoon for the past few days.

[Float On]

I only grew lettuce/spinach/kale and tomatoes (I had 5 BLT sandwiches over the weekend...even for breakfast once). I picked blueberries at a farm and blackberries from my own. My grapes I think I'll actually get some edible ones from this year. I don't know anything about growing grapes but usually they come on beautiful then immediately dry up. Son#2 and I were eating a few off the vine yesterday so we need to check it daily. Our community garden at church has given me fresh herbs, garlic, and squash. Friends have given me cucumbers and little pan squash. I really haven't tried anything new. I will say my friends english cucumbers are much better than the english cucumber I get at the grocery store.

[Yppej]

My garden is largely a bust this year. I planted broccoli and cauliflower for the first time in years and am getting what amounts to crumbs, only have had a few cherry tomatoes and no regular ones, one yellow bean, no green beans, no eggplant, basil all died, parsley is meh, and even the zucchini is scraggly.

[Rogar]

I went big on leeks and peppers this year. Peppers are still a ways off, but I've been enjoying leeks for a couple of weeks. I started harvesting tomatoes last week, but the much anticipated brandywine are still a couple of weeks away. Peaches, melons, and apples are just starting to roll into the local farm markets. There's a lot to enjoy!

[mschrisgo2]

I tried to grow food this year... tomatoes, red, green, yellow peppers, strawberries, blueberries, lettuce, cucumbers, zuchinni... all pretty much a bust. Lettuce came up and died, peppers died, strawberries died, blueberry plants limping, tomato plants finally have a couple of blossoms, straggly cuke vine, even more straggly zuchinni vine... it was too wet too late, then immediately into the 100+ degree days, baked off everything. I'm going to put in a raised bed this fall, and try again next year.

[KayLR]

My garden is doing fairly well this year, but is about 2-3 weeks behind last year's schedule, probably due to our really cold and wet spring, even though we have raised beds.

I grew shelling peas for the first time and we've really enjoyed having them. We mostly ate them as we picked them, but I managed to freeze a few packages.

Tomatoes are coming on now. My peppers were disappointing. Forgot: we have 2 plum trees ripening now--one Italian, the other mystery--and they are in their moderate year. Every other year they're loaded.