Some Garden Comments

Well, this was going to be a review, but I am so tired tonight that I've already fallen asleep once, and am gong to just make a few comments. 

These are Gypsy tomatoes, from Baker Creek Seeds. 

They are a nice tomato, sweet... but very small.  They are about twice to three times as large as a cherry tomato.  What I am trying to say here, is that they are not a slicer. 

They were very prolific, but also, the four vines were hit with wilt and went down quickly.  I have about this many to pick tomorrow. 

I pulled two of the vines out, cage and all, and dragged them into the henspa yard.  The hens in there are desperate for any greens... I try to give them some daily.  It must be torture for them to see the green grass all around them, but they can't get it.  Lily would kill each and every one if I were to let them out. 

I do rake grass for them when I cut. 

The sad state of the tomatoes today.  The bare plants you see on this end are being pulled tomorrow, after I pick the last few tomatoes off them. 

The pillar of green is the one pepper plant I planted.  (green).  We don't use peppers very often, and I got LOTS off this plant. 

Those are the two muskmelons growing just to the left.  

Yes, folks, we ARE going to have some muskmelons! 

And some watermelon... there are about five growing on this plant in one of the whiskey barrels. 

Whew, don't look at the pumpkins that are sucking up a HUGE amount of duck pond water daily on the left.  They have yet to blossom, though I can SEE the blossoms.  I am counting down days to Halloween now, in hopes that we actually have pumpkins.  I did cut grass yesterday and today, but that's not why I am showing you this picture. 

It's the epic, epic fail of "On Deck" hybrid corn from Burpee.  It germinated both here and where I planted it in the stock tank by the old henhouse.  It was described in the catalog as the first "container" corn.  The stalks did not grow... as you can see, only one is higher than the others... and those that formed ears never formed kernels, or formed deformed kernals.  I won't waste time with this again, and saved these stalks only to use them for fall decorating. 

Those are more Gypsy tomatoes behind them. 

The tomatoes on the end on the left above have literally almost fallen over today, after the wind on Sunday and their own weight.  It was tomato "Super Sauce".  They are coming on VERY strong here at the end of the summer... after not producing much for the past 2 months.  

I picked a bunch today and am going to make a last batch of Italian base tomorrow. 

The "Abu Rawan" tomatoes from Baker Creek did not get much bigger than the Gypsies, and that was very disappointing to me.  They cracked more than the others, but did have a very sweet and good taste. They cracked so much that most spoiled on the vines.   However, there is just so much I can do with two small-type tomatoes.  

Probably cross all of these off my list next year, and go back to a slicer and a good cherry tomato. 

I pulled all the green beans and yellow beans out yesterday, but wanted to take this picture to show you the bristly greenbrier growing up through this bed, even though I have dug and dug at it.  I almost tore my hand again.  Once I have every last bean gone, I'm going to take the supports down and start digging.
I.WILL.GET.IT. OUT.

Can't weed eat in between these beds, we'll tear the melons up. 

Some of the older hens couldn't have cared less! 

They let the younger ones eat the tomatoes on the plants, and eat all the leaves off the green bean plants I threw in to them. 

And now, even the zinnias are giving out.  It's like we hit September 1, and everyone said 

"That's IT" for the summer. 

You can't see it in this picture, but one of the huge sunflowers came down in the wind on Sunday, and neither Keith nor I could pull it out. 

I am going to hack at it with a saw tomorrow and get it out of there somehow.  

Summer seems to have gone in a flash, hasn't it? 

And today... September 3rd, is the birthday of this wonderful woman: 

My beloved Mother, Mary Trehey Peterson. 

Wasn't she gorgeous? 

She would be 99 years old today, had she lived.  We lost her at 94, almost six years ago now. 

How I miss her. 

Both Mother and Kathleen gone, it just doesn't seem possible to me. 

My dad died when I was 19, so has been gone many, many years.  I was privileged to have Mom for so long. 

Happy Birthday, Mom!