Sunflowers are such a Happy Flower

The plants I have started from seeds are coming up. Guess which ones were the first ones that sprouted? You got it...my cucumbers. Not really a curprise. I have started two varieties. One is a pickling cucumber, therefor supposed to be smaller and the other is a big eating cucumber. I am hoping to be pickling a lot this year or at least live off of my cucumers.

My peppers, herbs, and beans are coming up. I haven't planted corn, carrots or sunflowers yet. I did put some sunflowers in a pot that will sit on my front porch and they have started to come up. I used the shorter variety, they only grow to 4-5 feet.

Sunflowers are such a happy flower. I would love to plant more sunflowers than what I already do, I just haven't located the right spot yet. A few seeds were added to my front garden with the cosmos and zinnias. This is my "tall" flower garden.

Orange Cucumber

Yesterday, after work, I took a peek at my garden to see how the vegetables were faring. And behold, I had tomatoes that were finally ripening up and cucumbers hanging on the vine and what looked like squash! Wait...I didn't plant any squash, so what was it doing there? I reached down and plucked from the vine an...ORANGE CUCUMBER! The color closely resembles goldenrod from the Crayola crayons box.

What could this be? Did I have a different variety of cucumber that I had forgotten about? Nope, looks like the bees cross-pollinated my cucumbers with my tomatoes. :) I had heard that I I would need to keep a 100 yards between cucumbers and watermelon, but I didn't think that I might have needed to use this guideline for my tomatoes. For now I will happily pluck goldenrod cucumbers off the vine.

I also retrieved one ear of corn that was ready and that the raccoon hadn't already enjoyed. He does tell me that the corn is sweet and delicious, just how I like it. It is nice to have a taste tester to make sure the food is ready.

I was trying to get fancy in my vegetable display. With this bounty I felt like a real farmer, too bad I didn't have any wheat to stick chew on and my overalls were in the laundry. But I was barefoot, I have the mosquito bites on my feet to prove it.

The 2nd Harvest

I had my second harvest! I got four more cucumbers, two handfuls of green beans and some lettuce out of my garden yesterday. Tonight I am going to feast well!

Does anyone know of some good cumber recipes? It looks like I am going to have an abundance of cucumbers from the looks of all the flowers I have on my cucumber plant.

Happy 4th and my First Harvest

Happy Fourth of July!

I am headed to a friend's house in the country for a barbecue and fireworks. Her husband is a fireman and does a wonderful job each each year with their fireworks display. Wouldn't it be interesting and a little terrifying if neighbors had fireworks display competitions like they have Christmas light competitions? Probably it is a good thing the big stuff are banned in the city.


I quickly watered my garden this morning before I left the house and guess what I found? My first cucumber!! Actually my first six! My first harvest! I was so excited that I was practically floating. Since it is the Fourth and I am headed to a BBQ I thought I would share my bountiful harvest. So half of the cucumbers got sliced up and are floating in an apple cider vingear and sugar mixture. Just enough tang to make them enjoyable.


I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Fourth of July!



Thank you to all of the past, present and future service men and women!