July 26 More to Harvest in the Back 40

Another back 40 harvest ...... Cocozelle zucchini, Adam gherkins and more tomatoes ....Russian Mini Yellow, KARMA Miracle, Apero and the large grapes are Brad's Atomic Grape - most amazing colours!!  Also a few Masai green bush beans on bottom .....

July 24 Time to Harden Off Fall Veggies

 Time to get these outside to harden off - well protected from the blazing sun - 

July 24 Beds 10/11 and 64

 The sweetpeas in Bed 64 are just amazing, so many bouquets this year

and in the same bed Fred's Tie Dye tomato has good fruit set

overview Beds 10/11

July 23 "R" Garden

Finding it hard to keep up with the watering at my community garden ....... but the dahlias continue to put on a show

succulents don't mind the heat

Swiss Chard showing some nice colour

Canada Red Rhubarb still not liking this heat

July 22 Back Yard Bounty

Chandler Blueberry loaded with large berries ...... just starting to turn

sneak peek at tomatoes to come, lots of them hiding in the foliage

this one is fascinating - F1 from NCTomatoman .... a cross of Dwarf Mr. Snow and Dwarf Mocha's Plum - jewel-like, but not sure how big or the colour they will be - the anthocyanin is strong in this one

more sweet peas and Masai green beans

gherkins, snow peas, tomatoes and strawberries

So much happening out in the back 40 .........

 

July 21 Fall Veggie Starts and Tomato Taste Test

My Fall Veggie Starts .... Sorrento Broccoli, Batavia Broccoli, Atlantis Brokali, Santee Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Breen lettuce, Dwarf Curled and Dutch Darkibor Kale and Di Lusia Radicchio along with varied basils that are in need of plant out

first tomato taste test of the summer - red Apero F1, Russian Mini Yellow and KARMA Miracle

for first tomatoes these were all tasty - the yellow was sweeter but on the mushy side, with KARMA having an acid kick, nice depth and slightly tough skins, Apero crunchy and midway between the sweet and tart

A bit of everything

 

July 19 More to Harvest

Adam gherkin (not sure how gherkins and cucumbers differ?) keeps pumping them out with a lovely delicate flavour - no bitterness, although I tend to remove half the skin ...... and a few of the first ripe tomatoes - the yellow is Russian Mini Yellow - very sweet, a bit flat and on the mushy side, but likely overripe .....  Apero F1 is crunchy like most grape tomatoes with a nice sweet/tart flavour although they could use a few more days to ripen

July 19 "R" Garden

 More dahlia blossoms ....... and a tired looking rhubarb

July 18 Cosmos

Another interesting planting discovered during a neighbourhood walk ...... I generally don't care for rocks in landscaping, but I love the way the Cosmos have been scattered ..... with have to check this out in the fall if I can remember where it was spotted!!

 

July 17 Return to the Back 40

With this non-stop sunshine of late the garden is providing a varied harvest .........

and the dahlias are just amazing - these two are Dazzling Sun and Papageno .....

Adam F1 gherkin, Oregon Giant snow peas, Masai green beans, Donkey Ears sweet pepper, KARMA Miracle tomato (not quite ripe) and even a few strawberries

this is BER (Blossom End Rot) on my Tasmanian Chocolate - makes for early ripening - with all this heat it has been a challenge to keep my containers evenly watered - plants generally will outgrow this problem

 

July 16 Beds 10/11 and 64

Another visit to the Gas Station Garden ...

here is Lillian's Yellow Heirloom x Dwarf Speckled Heart in Bed 10 - making a comeback -  

Bed 11 Kits Find tomato looking good - love the way the lettuce is standing guard!!

Russian Black Pear is a very pretty tomato to date, no blemishes, cat facing, etc. and very productive, now just for some colour

and the continuing saga of the Citizen Seed Trial Beets - nothing much happening - not sure how much longer I'll let them grow; but the Red Swan bush beans are looking fabulous and loving this weather

overview of Beds 10 and 11 - thinking about fall/winter plantings to fill in the spaces; I have started  a few plants of broccoli, sprouting broccoli, broccoli raab, Brussels sprouts and a few more Breen lettuce - now just to find room for them!!  Check out West Coast Seeds fall/winter gardening guide

getting a nice handful of Masai bush beans every few days, but no sign of zucchini ....

perhaps time to think about replacing the deer tongue lettuce with more edibles .... sweetpeas in the back are amazing - keep picking, they keep blooming - even with this hot weather

July 15 Back Container Garden

Lots happening in the back forty .....

decided to harvest my garlic - 6 elephant garlic and only 2 Georgian Fire!!  thought I had planted four of each!!  could probably have waited a few more days ........ good news is no garlic rust - it is rampant in many gardens in the City

decided to have a closer look at my peppers and give them a feed with Gaia Green 4-4-4 ...

Sweet Pickle

Odessa Market

Donkey Ears ..... these have the most delicious aroma!!

overview of the tomatoes and peppers after feeding ......

my cucumber (on the left) and zucchini (on the right) providing a nice harvest

 

July 13 Beds 10/11 and 64

 Bed 10 - thought I might try some Tah Tsai Mustard under my tomato ......

these Breen lettuce are coming from the base of a harvested head in Bed 11

hopefully these lettuce will blossom soon .... taking up a lot of space - but they do help support my Kits Find tomato!!

Russian Black Pear - this plant has a lot of tomatoes of good size, happy dance as this was the last of my seed - now for some colour

Deer Tongue lettuce reaching for the sky and starting to get bitter - not sure if I will save seed ..... as I have plenty .... but they are a lovely lettuce

July 12 Hollyhocks

magical - Hollyhocks are so amazing ........ not my garden, but my neighbourhood

 

July 11 "R" Garden

 Dahlias make lovely cut flowers

"R" Garden overview

dahlia buds

swiss chard and green beans ...... the chard was from saved seed from a yellow variety - interesting to see the colour segregations ....

Dwarf Mr. Snow x Dwarf Mocha's Plum (maybe) the more sun the darker the anthocyanin becomes ..