Emma loved the picture of a purple eggplant in the seed catalogue. So we planted some seeds for her garden. Three germinated and all three went into the garden even though they were just tiny things barely with their second set of leaves. Still they thrived up until I accidentally weeded the smallest out. Big oops! I quickly stuffed it back in the earth and pleaded with it to forgive me and keep growing for her! lol. And look - two eggplants! Anybody know how she can tell when they are ready to harvest?
Emma's petunias and RED tomatoes! Took their sweet time they did.
This is about two thirds of what was on the bushes. Beth woke before I got the rest. And now there are tons more! Beth loves to eat them (and smush them on the floor - they are such a lovely purple mess :o) and I will definately be growing them next year. I had thought they might sell well at the farmers market. Nobody else sells any kind of huckleberry and they come to harvest after the other berries are done leaving the market for fresh, in-season berries wide open. Emma could be in charge of watering and picking and earn some money for her skateboard that way. I mean - if I can grow them from seed surely Em will do just fine! And they produce so much!
My favorite picture! A huckleberry branch broke off and I just laid it across the peppers in case the berries continued to ripen. They did and I found this ladybug sitting on one making a very striking picture.
Interesting thing about these ladybugs. They are everywere in my garden! And I never artificially introduced them - they just thought it would make a lovely home I guess! And subsequently there is not an aphid to be seen! I'm loving it! I hope they come back next year!
Daniel's pansies are looking gorgeous!
Yes! I got some sunflower blooms before winter! And they are so beautiful!
Are the pepper pictures boring? Because I just can't get over how many peppers are growing in my garden! That I can eat! I think I may actually save some money by gardening this year - there should be plenty to freeze! Woot!
Only yellow blooms so far. I don't think they appreciate that I often forget to water them. :o(
4 comments:
I miss gardening. We did quite a bit up in OH, but haven't here in FL. We are playing with the idea of growing a lychee tree, though. And we have an "uncursed" fig tree in the backyard...but I don't know what to do with fresh figs...?
Eggplants, like cucumbers, you want to pick them when they have grown but are still unripe; they are bitter when they get too far along. They do not change color when they are ready - they start to get dull-ish, not quite shiny anymore, on the end when they begin to get over-ripe; you can pick them any time before they get to that point (and even when they do get there, just so long as it hasn't gotten too far). Sometimes they will be fairly small still, but it is better to pick and eat a tasty small eggplant than to let it get ripe and bitter.
@Jill - Dry the figs if you don't know what else to do with them and have them for snacks. However, they are very tasty baked with sugar and lemon juice and served over ice cream.
Thanks so much Jen!
p.s, should I know you? lol
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