I picked 27 squash today!!! I am so excited to actually be able to pick something! I am going to shred most of it for squash fritters and put them in the freezer.
Finally! Something to show (and eat) from the garden!
X2 - I've even made 'chili' from winter squash. My son, who is the pickiest eater on the planet says "Mom, I know this isn't real chili but it's dang good!" That right there is all the confirmation one needs to keep cookin' it, lol!
Well, I have picked over 200 yellow squash! We took squash and eggs to town several times and sold it. We gave squash to the neighbors. I gave squash to the chickens. I gave squash to the sheep. We ate squash. We ate squash bread and squash fritters. The freezer has LOTS of squash. I have been squashed.
I picked one, count it, one zucchini. One. I picked 2 yellow patty pan squash. I might get more of both. On that same day, I picked a handful of butterbeans and a decent bundle of purple hull peas, neither of which were enough for a meal. I got a few of the long green beans that I love to grow and my DH loves to eat. I made soup! with lots of yellow squash LOL I got 9 pints that will be delicious this winter.
I planted Painted Mountain corn for cornmeal and it was picked at 72 days. The corn worms got in it, rabbits attacked and horses reached over the fence snatching every stalk they could get. The soil is poor and will take a LOT more work. I did get a few really nice ears, 7" long and full of beautiful kernels. But most were stubby, wizened, worm damaged, pitiful little things. But at least I got enough for seed AND to make some cornmeal!!
The green beans and butterbeans are just coming on. They will produce like crazy until a hard killing frost. I planted purple hull peas, most didn't come up, but the few that did are making peas now. I am getting seed first, then I'll try to put some in the freezer. I planted calico peas, they are spreading out like they want to take over the world and are covered in blooms. Looks like I will get a good harvest from them.
Tomatoes! I have lots of tomatoes! I have dehydrated two batches and have more to go in the dehydrator tomorrow. I have more to pick tomorrow and will can all I get. I am so excited to actually be picking veggies in the garden. Last year was a big zero and even though there are utter failures out there, the successes are fantastic.
I got some free seed potatoes at the feed store because it was so late for planting, so I planted them, half expecting nothing. To my immense pleasure, I got a small harvest (more than is in this picture) and we are enjoying the potatoes.
I planted Crenshaw melons. They came up and that was about all. Then for some reason known only to the plants, they started to grow. They are spreading out and blooming. If I get even one melon, I'll be over the moon!
I called the local electric company and got on a list for the ground up bits of branches they cut off the power lines. They contract it out. In the last two weeks, we have gotten THREE loads of mulch with lots of lovely wood chips. We hope for more, but think that the contractors are out of our area now. My husband tipped the two men $10 each and I gave them bottles of cold water.
Maybe ya'll will get some of this rain we were supposed to get this morning? DH got it driving into Houston to work - but south of Houston we seem to have been spared anything severe - just got a little damp when I was outside feeding this morning.
The garden area looks good! You were smart to wait - we got that frost a few days ago and I lost some tomatoes... grrrrr.
I have that website saved. Arkansas Black is on my list. The other two on the list are Honeycrisp and Pink Lady, both of which do well in our climate.
Sumi, I have a LOT of seeds! I'm going to plant until I run out of room.
@frustratedearthmother We only moved 160 miles north from where we used to live, but it does make a difference. We got a half inch of rain, I'll saddle up the tractor and go play in the dirt in a few days. I'll probably start planting in mid April.