Coming home to the garden after a few days away is such a joy in July. The vegetable gardens, which we quintupled this year, are thriving. Unlike most of New England, we have had just enough rain to keep everything green and happy, with the need for only occasional waterings since the plants became established. Chalk that up to the northern weather patterns.
The most exciting growth for me is in our Inaugural Three Sisters Garden. The squash is trailing out and starting to bloom, and the dwarf sweet corn is putting up its brushes. The rattlesnake beans are not as tall as I would like, and not getting enough sun between the squash leaves, but they will keep climbing the corn and thrive, in time.
The pickling cucumbers are blooming like crazy, and covered in tiny cukes, the perfect miniatures of themselves.
The Amish paste tomatoes are going crazy, tucked in the back of the garden. Some of the stems are five feet tall, and the plants are covered in green tomatoes and many, many more flowers. The basil is pretty shaded now, and I will not surround them with paste tomatoes next year! Perhaps I will try to transplant the basil into a section of the garden that's ready for a new succession planting.
For the first time ever, we have eggplant in the home garden! It's cold up here, and we haven't had much luck in past years, but we have two Asian eggplant already and the beautiful blooms keep coming.
Last, but certainly not least, the raspberries are ripening. Some little creature is stealing the berries in the night, but there have always been enough to share.
Now, to consider what to plant tomorrow for the fall garden already...more callaloo certainly, arugula and mustard mix for sure, bush beans...more cabbage...?
These Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato flowers are stunning!
Asian eggplant flower in the evening -- looks like a kite or a dress to dance in!
