It’s right about the time when tomato plants look like they’re doing something, and we start to see fruit on squash and cucumber plants. Exciting times, gardenerds. All that work is about to pay off. Let’s take a moment to enjoy the progress in our gardens, and savor the late spring garden excitement.
Baby Butternut squash is starting to set fruit. We’re hoping for a bumper crop this year, like last year. Moon and Stars watermelons are showing their colors. Those are not signs of disease on the leaves, they’re “stars”. Pomegranates are starting to set fruit and darken. Something to look forward to. Saucy Mary tomato is performing well. We’re trying it for the first time. So far so good!Mittens hangs out on the table outside waiting for us to notice that she’s hungry (she’s not hungry).We discovered this Fuller’s Teasel plant while walking along the beach in Cambria, CA. A quick trip out of town restores the soul. We bagged some of the apples on our Fuji apple tree. Not for apple maggots, as the barrier is intended, but to help ward off rats. It worked last year. Yellow crookneck squash is starting to set fruit. We’re checking daily for readiness. Anaheim peppers are ready to pick already. We throw them in the freezer whole for later use.
Homegrown beets from the community garden are prepped for slow roasting in the oven. Trim the ends, place each one on a square of foil, drizzle with salt and olive oil, wrap them up and roast them at 350 degrees F for 2 hours. Don’t like beets? Try these True Red Velvet Brownies – it hides the taste but showcases the color.
Late spring is filled with hope for summer, and the bountiful harvests from the garden. Enjoy this time, protect (and feed) your plants, and wait. Soon we’ll be eating those tomatoes, peppers, and more!
