This Week in the Garden

This week I harvested my first tomatoes.  As usual, some of my plants appear to be diseased and are dying, but I hope I have planted enough (about 50 plants) for some to survive to harvest so I will have enough to can.  My cucumbers are growing and producing well, and although I have lost some squash plants to squash vine borers, I have planted more and they are slowly bearing. 

I have managed to harvest some corn ahead of the raccoons, and picking off Japanese beetles keeps me busy.  I noticed a writing spider with a Japanese beetle in her web; I hope she has an appetite for more beetles. 

I am getting plenty of green beans.  I planted several varieties but I think I like the golden yellow wax bean the best.  It is the most tender.  My lima beans are growing steadily, although the plants will not bear for awhile.  The edamame is almost ready to harvest; we’ll steam it and eat it like boiled peanuts.  I began digging potatoes from the vines that have died back.

At this time of year, the work seems to never end, and these hot temperatures make the work more difficult.  Even on very hot days, though, I value my time in the garden and am thankful for the time I spend in it.