summer bounty

As the sun comes to its height here in San Diego, we are starting to get over run with squash!  We may not have done very well with some of the other experiments for crops, but by the time October is here, I'm beginning to wonder if there will be a yard left.  We may very well be picking zucchini and pumpkin, along with melons and a few varieties of winter squash, from the patio!

5 types of melon on the left, pumpkin and zucchino rampicante on the right

Squash blossoms

Pumpkins

Zucchino Rampicante, in its natural habitat

The first little watermelon!

For melons, we have 2 types of watermelon growing, one variety called Moon and Stars, and another called Orangelo.  We then have 3 types of smaller melon:  Chanterlais, Tigger and Boule D'or, all of which are more or less like canteloupe or honeydew.  All of them either putting out either lots of vines and blooms or new shoots in the case of the Chanterlais and Boule D'or.

New melons pushing up vines

Corn is also doing great.  We have two varieties here as well, Silver Queen and Golden Bantam.

Tomatoes and our decorative carnations are all doing well too.  Some of the tomotoes even needed a haircut before they take over the blackberries, if you can imagine.

Fall and winter squash are now beginning to make a showing as well.  On this side of the garden, where things have been slow growing, but sure and steady, we have 6 varieties:  Piñata, Sweet Dumpling, Honey Bear, Sucrine du Berry, Table Queen and Acorn.  For the heck of it, since the Zucchini have pretty much swallowed up our Summer Crooknecks, I planted another mound this morning.

Piñata winter squash

Honey Bear winter squash

Finally, the Buddha Hand Citron have put out 3 fruit so far, and still a lot of blossoms.  We have put up netting to discourage theft this year (this tree is on our street front in our back yard) in hope that we will have some this year to use ourselves.  We should see these ripe by sometime around November with any luck.  For onions back by the shed, our three varieties are doing really well, which is amazing considering how small the seeds were and what we have now to show for it.  Onions might be my favorite thing we have so far.  Our varieties are Jaunde Paille D'or, Florence Red and Bianca di Maggio.

That's what's growing today!  And now, time to get to the kitchen.  Besides how wonderful it feels to give away veggies that we have grown to our neighbors, one of the most pleasing things about having a garden is being able to trade with other growers.  Last week, we got avocado and a whole basket full of chiles, along with bags full of cherry tomatoes which have made a great snack since our tomatoes are all still so late.  Tonight, making up a huge batch of roasted chiles for salsa and chile relleno.  Yummo!