Garden Friday

 It's Garden Friday here in the Piedmont!

Here's what we have growing.

The orange sweet potatoes are starting to climb the arches.

With today's expected rain,

they may be able to get some size to 'em. 

The white sweet potatoes are outgrowing their raised bed

and are loaded with blooms.

I still haven't figured out why these are doing so much better

than their cousins.

 The arches are starting to fill in

with melons and beans.

I love the shade it creates and the dramatic effect

serves as a great focal point.

We have a few melons getting bigger every day.

I found one that had fallen off the wire trellis,

so I'll have to fashion some slings so that we don't lose any more.

No support needed for the loofahs.

They gladly dangle from the vines,

even though they are gigantic.

 This one turned out to be an unusual shape,

 I think it got tangled up in some of the vines.

 The first loofah we discovered on the trellis was picked

when it began turning yellow.

We're gonna let it dry out

and then peel the skin off.

This crop has been a blast to grow.

We're getting a steady stream of okra now,

with some planted in our raised rows

and a couple nesting in the straw bales.

This year I've been roasting it along with my other veg,

but I'm going to try to save some for pickling

so that I can enjoy it the rest of the year.

okra blossom

The first butternut squash was picked

and it is curing for a week or so.

I found out that one of the ways to determine if they are ready to harvest

is that the stem begins to turn brown.

Most of these are ripening at the same time,

so they will have to be harvested and stored

or given away to friends and neighbors.

 The first eggplant of the season was picked yesterday...

 and I can't wait to roast it along with some other goodies.

I'm not too sure about growing pumpkin.

It's not apparent what it needs,

but I suspect it's not getting enough water.

I'll keep at it, and hope for the best.

 I must be more diligent about getting rid of these eggs,

which make themselves at home on the squash leaves.

They are definitely not helping my production.

C found this curious critter on the front window yesterday

and it stayed there almost all day long.

Looks like a leaf, doesn't it?

Mother Nature has some fabulous disguises!

We're hoping we get a deluge today,

so that hand watering will not be necessary.

It's a small price to pay though,

for the bounty the garden gifts us with.

What are you harvesting this summer?