Eggplant Blossom

The first, and hopefully not last, eggplant flower!

Eggplant flower

I hope it becomes an actual eggplant. May even do a little hand fertilizing when it's bigger to increase the chances. I'm seeing new growth coming in, too, and hope that more flowers are on their way. I'm wondering if it has just been too hot for the plant.

Recent Sowing

This past Saturday, I sowed seeds for beets, parsnips, and scallions in some vacant areas of the garden. I was very surprised, and happy, to see lots of little red beet sprouts sticking up when I did my evening soaking today since it's only been 4 days. The soil and my watering must be perfect for germination right now. I hope the scallion and parsnip seeds are as happy.

I still have tomatoes trying to grow on some the 5 older/bigger plants but they're not doing all that well and one has not given me one damn tomato! (Shakes fist at Berkeley Tie Dye plant.) The three newer tomato plants look healthier and are flowering so I hope they produce. Perhaps the still warm yet not 100 degree weather will agree with them. There are also two kinds of melons that seem to be doing ok. One of them has a promising blossom that I hope becomes a melon as it will be the first out of the plants in front or back. There is also finally a flower on the eggplant which I really hope gets germinated and becomes an actual eggplant. There are quite a few young brussel sprouts plants that got badly attacked by cabbage worms but I think I eradicated them as I haven't seen any more, but will continue to check to make sure.

Large Barred Boar & Cherokee Purple

Well, the other day I harvest two small heirlooms, a Large Barred Boar (that wasn't very large at all) and a Cherokee Purple. I've been watching them and hoping they'd get bigger but they seemed to grow to a small size, pause, and then, finally ripen.

I also harvested the Juliets and one lone Sun Gold that were ready and placed them all together for size comparison of the "big" tomatoes.

4 varieties of tomatoes

Close up of the Large Barred Boar & Cherokee Purple

Tonight I sliced them both so we could try them. The Boar was a little tangy and the Cherokee had a nice deep tomato flavor. I hope the plants produce more; there are no signs of any more growing on either bush. Hopefully we're out of the 100 degree heat and they'll start producing again.

Sliced and ready to eat

Some of What's Growing

Took some pictures of various things growing in the back garden and out in the front yard.

Herbs

Yummy basil

Sage

Tomatoes

Juliet 

Cherokee Purple

Large Barred Boar

Melons

Charentais in the garden

Charentais out front

Galia, seeds from a delicious store bought melon

 Pumpkins

Jack o Lantern

Sugar Pie

 Okra

Red Okra

Juliet Tomatoes

Pulled this handful of Juliet tomatoes today. Accidentally knocked off a green one in the process. Hoping it will ripen on the counter.

Juliet tomatoes

These and the Sun Golds are the only tomatoes I've been able to eat so far. The Sun Golds rarely even make it in the house due to being so damn tasty. 

I think I posted about the Cherokee Purple and Large Barred Boar having fruit that "stalled" during the growing process. Well, they finally started to ripen after I started using MiracleGro, but they still didn't look right so I pulled them so the plant would stop expending energy into them. There are two new Boars and one Cherokee growing so hopefully all will be well with those. Still waiting on the first fruit to form on the Berkeley Tie Dye.

Not much happening

Haven't been posting much since there is not much to report. Mostly waiting on stuff to grow. I picked up 3 more tomato varieties on the 4th and got them in the ground along with a couple of eggplants and a couple habanero plants. I also picked up a basil plant. Third time's the charm, right? I kept this one out of the garden in a pot and it's looking good so far.

I've been able to harvest a few Sun Gold & Juliet tomatoes a couple times but nothing from the bigger varieties. The sun golds are so sweet I wish I had planted two of them. Next year. I picked the ones below this past Sunday.

Sun Gold & Juliet

The other tomato plants that had started growing fruit, the Large Barred Boar and Cherokee Purple, seemed to have stagnated. The 4 fruit just did not get any bigger or ripen. This, and seeing a friend's big bushy plants, made me decide to start using MiracleGro. I have to say, the plants look a bit fuller and there is more fruit coming in so I'm glad I did it. Now, hopefully they will mature and ripen like they are supposed to. Still waiting for the first fruit to appear on the Berkeley Tie Dye but at least it has started flowering so that's promising.

The royal purple bush beans are growing nicely and I had a nice germination rate so I have high hopes for a nice yield.

I have sowed corn twice in two different spots and just did not get good results. I'm probably going to end up turning in both areas as I need them as there just aren't enough plants for the amount of space they're in. I know corn needs other plants to germinate and the area just isn't promising.

I pulled up the last of the small onions and have been using them for various things. I will definitely be better about thinning next time I do onions.

I plan on getting some brussel sprout plants in the ground this month. Yum.

My housemate dug up a big ugly bush in the front yard and has sowed melon, okra, and 2 kinds of pumpkins in a nice space by the driveway. She also added a few basil plants, a couple of tomatoes, and a serano pepper plant. The more food growing, the better!

Non-Green Tomatoes

Some of the smaller tomatoes are starting to ripen. Can't wait to start munching on them.

Juliet cluster

Sun Gold cluster