Summer, Recovery, Garden

Hiiiiii!

I am sick. Like USA flu sick. I am currently huddling under a blanket FREEZING. It's probably 77 degrees around me. We have had a lovely cool night after the scorching 110 degree days we've been having.

There were two inches of rain at the beginning of the week. So you'd think it's almost winter! No. Seasons are just screwed up. I'm feeling guilty for being sick and not exercising. I really miss it!!

I am sure y'all want an update on my garden I posted about ever so long ago?! Well I have jalepenos cranking, probably get two a week. My Thai chilies have just started producing. My tomatoes have SO many green tomatoes... But they sort of got zapped by the heat and the plants dying. I took maybe 20 green tomatoes and made a ton of yummy chutney. If the plant doesn't make a recovery, I'm going to make even more chutney!! I feel very country when making chutney :) and the strawberries are dead. Really dead.

I have my little herb garden as well. The basil, thyme, and rosemary are going really well! My mint died. I don't know why :( maybe it just got sick of being made into mojitos.

Spaghetti squash! Drumroll please........ I have one fruit! Yay!!!!! However, after the rain it got cracked through the rind. I am really hoping it will recover. There are more flowers, but they all look like male flowers so won't produce :( I am no expert, but that's what I am thinking.

I do have one zuchinni, which they apparently turn into a little factory! Our spinach is still going crazy. I need to blanch and freeze it for winter. I have been throwing spinach in everything. Eggs, meatloaf, pasta sauce, hamburger patties, casseroles, soups... You name it!

I am still loving the summer. I really don't want it to end. I really hope Texas has an abnormally summery February! Because I don't want to miss a minute of sunshine... It's Texas so anything is possible!

Stay tuned. I'm going to write about my 17 day diet, and losing 5 pounds in one day. Ridiculous.

Love y'all!!

Tori

Overcoming a Black Thumb

I'm not a gardener. I have never claimed to be one. I actually gave up on my gardening ambitions after killing one too many plants during my childhood.

Until one day I decided I was going to make over our backyard at the farm. I have a before picture, but I am saving it until the after is perfect! So far it is looking really good, and nothing has died.

As Jono was helping me plant stuff, I commented he knew a lot about gardening. He looked at me a little dumbstruck, "you do realize I garden for a living." Oh yeah... Farmer... Oops.

Anyhow, most things I planted were under his tutelage. I went a bit rogue because I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted some spaghetti squash. I got online and ordered the seeds, you can't just buy spaghetti squash here. I would say a majority of people have never heard of it.

So we do have an actually vegetable garden that is not part of the backyard. However, it is still covered with winter veggies, mostly spinach and leeks. So I couldn't plant my spaghetti squash seeds there.

I knew if I asked Jonathon to water my seeds while I was in the city they could be overlooked. Solution: buy seedlings. So I bought tomatoes, jalepenos, strawberries, zucchinis, and chilies! I planted them secretly in the cover of darkness. Not really. But still I was covert, and then right by the jalepenos I planted my spaghetti squash seeds. See how I did that? I knew they'd get water!!

He did say it didn't make sense to have these veggies in our backyard, but agreed to water them. (This is becoming a really long post about something relatively pointless... Sorry!) So after a few weeks my little baby spaghetti squash plants have become to come up! My jalepenos ACTUALLY have lil baby peppers on them! (Sidenote- the jalepenos are turning black, like they have a sunburn, can I still eat them?) I have a strawberry! One that is actually red, the rest are ripening. The zucchini looks like it might be shooting, and finally the tomatoes are blossoming!

I never knew I could be so excited about growing my own fruit. Now just cross all of your fingers and toes that my spaghetti squash produces!

Love y'all!

Tori

PS Gardening tips are appreciated!