this and that from the garden

where to start? it has been a busy couple of weeks in the garden. fortunately we have 400 feet of hose and could water during the hot dry spell. zucchini and cucumbers have been abundant. i have made 2 batches of open crock dills, bread and butter pickles and 2 batches of sweet relish. in the last batch, i added fresh dill weed just to try something new. the recipes are in my blog (july 2010)


sweet pickle relish and bread and butter



cleome

i first saw this flower at the philadelphia flower show at least 25 years ago. they did not have them at the nursery's that i  visited so i ordered some seeds and planted them in my perennial bed. in the fall, some of their seeds blew into the stones around the pool fence and i have had volunteers in the stones ever since. i never fertilize or water and here is what i have now...after all that dry weather. they will grow in any sunny location!


growing in the stones

tomatoes and zucchini planted the first week of june and photographed the last week of june

6 WEEKS LATER...

my happy gardener and a very happy heirloom black cherry tomato

i started these plants very late and they went in the ground the first week of june. i always wait until the soil gets a little warmer. tomatoes do not like cold feet! i think that newt will need a ladder and some taller stakes in order to continue tying this plant


i think that this is a black krim but it could be a cherokee...gotta look at the tag

 late start and not very many tomatoes. the purchased plum plants are starting to produce ripe fruit as are my heirloom glaciers.


i love phlox. my neighbor betsy gave me the white ones and they are magnificent this year.

this is what is waiting on my kitchen counter as i am writing this. i will slice and salt and ice them tonight and make my last batch of bread and butter pickles



whole wheat banana-blueberry bread with honey

this was an experiment. it is very healthy and a little heavy but i will share the recipe anyway...

ingredients
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries

mix first 4 ingredients, sift in next 4 ingredients and stir . fold in blueberries very gently. place in a greased bread pan and
bake at 350 for 1 hour

ENJOY!!!