This garden experiment continues to surprise me.
As a green (read: inexperienced) gardener, I missed the second watering a few days in a row. Yikes!
Though my efforts have not been perfect, our garden continues to forgive my mistakes and produce well.
The results by the end of July looked like this:
Strawberries
We picked 20.5 strawberries from our 4 plants. Yeah, they exploded this month. The half was due to a bug or bird getting the other half, but it still counts. 🙂
Tomatoes
The cherry tomatoes took off resulting in 47 red ones and 1 green one that fell off while harvesting the ripe ones – oops! (I really am green. ;-))
Cucumbers
Our two plants produced 5 more cucumbers. I’m amazed at how fast they grow. I will check one evening and discover a little bulb. Then the next morning, the little bulb expanded into a 4-to-6-inch cucumber. Incredible to see.
Lettuce
Both types of lettuce began flowering. Honestly, I’m not sure what that means, but I chopped down the buttercrunch bibb because we don’t eat it – too tart even with salad dressing. The romaine wilted somewhat, so I pruned it back as well. Now we wait to see what the plants will do.
Peppers
Are you ready for this update? We have two green bell peppers growing. Finally! The yellow pepper plant is on its own time table. Just watering and waiting some more.
Onions
Alive and well, our onions have sprouted green shoots again. I will check on their growth in August and report back.
Herbs
Cut, rinsed, and dried parsley, basil, and oregano. These are the herbs I use in making Italian dishes like lasagna, spaghetti, manicotti, and chicken parmesan. Yum! Though not baking much this summer, I will have the herbs ready to make our favorite fall dishes in the coming months.
Our garden has its ups and downs, but I haven’t killed any of the plants yet. In using time wisely, I am learning a new skill, preparing for the fall, and enjoying the process. If you are trying out gardening or are a seasoned expert, then please share your gardening adventures. I welcome your suggestions. Happy tending and harvesting!
Question: What are your favorite herbs for Italian dishes?