What have you done today in the Garden?

That's exactly what I did when I first moved from New Jersey to Fl. I would run outside, take a cushion to sit on because the interior upholstery was so hot it was like sitting on hot coals, start the car, turn AC on, lock the car, then run back inside until the car was cool enough inside to drive.

For me, I'm used to the heat but it's the walking all over with the weedeater. The arthritis in my left hip gets worse the more I walk so it will eventually be wide flower beds with flowering shrubs and perennials for me, leaving just enough width between the beds to fit the rider. Brick mowing strips to keep weedeating to the absolute minimum as well. I might be 80 before I get it all done, though !!

 

I finally got to finish mowing the back half of my yard yesterday before more storms moved in. We had a lot of heavy rain earlier today, so I never got near my mowing. I did take a nap this afternoon. That felt really good. I need to mow the front half of my yard as soon as the weather permits. I also got some of my trimming done before those storms arrived.

I planted the volunteer tomatoes yesterday, but now they are shocked. I did give them plant food and water, and they got rained on too. I just put them in wherever I had a few spots.

Some of my pumpkin/squash vines have white flowers. Others have the usual yellowish flowers. The fruits do not look like pumpkins, possibly some are butternut squashes?

I hope to get some of my potatoes harvested this week.

 

@AAnightowl Butternut squash has yellow flowers. Maybe you have a hybrid there of some sort ???

 

@Anniekay I know what you mean, it seems that every season has it's own individual temptations don't they. There's no peace for a dedicated gardener.....but on the plus side it's so lovely being out there.

 

Oh my gosh @Pacnorwest ....you have volcanoes to contend with too!!!

 

We had two cherry tomatoes so far. Lots of tomato blossoms. I air fried the last batch of snow peas. Yesterday's harvest was nice too.

I like the yellow summer squash better than the green zukes. Both are good and we eat some every day.

Those are alpine strawberries. They are still blooming, so have been pretty rewarding.

 

Those look great Daniel. I'm a fan of the yellow squash raw with puréed cottage cheese dip. My go-to in the summer. Mine have yet to flower, but I think this week.

The Alpine Strawberries look fabulous. I've been curious about those since you mentioned them. I can't remember if you had starts or began them from seed. Are they in pots? ( I'm plotting...plots. and pots. )

 

Mel, that pureed cottage cheese dip sounds good! And healthy.

Currently I air fry mine in a veggie mix. Basically an air fry stir fry with some garlic powder, red pepper flakes, pepper, and seasoned salt.

The Alpine strawberries are very tasty. I was hoping for a candy-like blast of flavor, based on what I read. Not that powerful, but still nice. Size compares to a raspberry. I grew them from seeds I bought last year, here's the packet image. Tiny seeds, but surprisingly not difficult to grow. Second year definitely more productive than the first. Most of mine are in containers, some in raised bed.

 

There is a strawberry farm next door. Pick all you can eat. I like to put them in the blender and make sorbet. No additives / sugar. And yummm. Sweet and yummy..

 

We blend berries with greek yogurt. Any kind of berry.

 

I scrubbed my bird baths and refilled them. Then I picked Aubergines, cut back my beans a bit and composted them. After that I had a boat load of malabar spinach to pick.

The malabar spinach grows like a weed, has no bug enemies and you can't tell it from normal spinach. I steamed that and got 5 large servings out of it. When I eat spinach I can't stop. I eat two or three helpings at a time, then I'm too full to eat anything else !!

 

Now I have to try malabar spinach!

 

Today I cleaned up the Chinese chive plants in a raised bed and large containers. They are basically dormant. I filled in soil where it was cracked and settling, watered, gave some nitrogen fertilizer, mulched with arborist chips, and watered that in too. I'd like to see if they make a late summer or fall crop for Chinese dumplings.

More puttering with squash vines, pollinating and tying vines to trellises.

I also weeded the tomatoes, watered by hand, gave some fertilizer. They are not looking good right now.

 

I looked out of a back bedroom window around 8.00pm last night and saw a fox on the grass in next door's garden. It was having a "roll" for several minutes. It then got up and casually walked towards the house. I then went into a front bedroom and looked out that window, I saw the fox stroll out of next door's drive and then casually trot off down the street.

It's not unusual in the summer to occasionally see a fox in the street, as ours is a very quiet road.

 

Lots and lots of cleaning in the flower garden.