The Promise of Future Harvests

As we slowly approach the end of July, the kitchen garden is bursting with growth and the promise of future harvests.

I think this is one of my favorite times of the growing season. The plants are getting really large, but they are still growing and there is a lot of the season left ahead. As you can see the three varieties of Winter Squash have now grown together, but there is still room to walk between they and the onions. I know that in a few more weeks it will be nearly impossible to make that same walk. 

Here is an immature female "Queensland Blue" squash. I hand pollinated the bloom yesterday, so I am hopeful that this squash will soon begin to swell and then fully develop.

An even more immature "Butternut" squash. This bloom is still a week or more away from opening. I am excited though because this is the first female bloom that I have found on my two plants. The "Butternut" squash are the farthest behind of all of the Winter Squash that I am growing this year.

Leading the pack is my "Delicata" plant. I think it has already set 5 squash and has many, many more with blooms yet to open. It's looking to be a very good "Delicata" year.

Once again my peppers seem to be struggling. This "Creme Brulee" plant has only set one pepper so far and it is a little damaged. 

At least this "Lunchbox Yellow" sweet pepper seems to be doing a bit better. It has four small peppers set and has many flowers yet to open.

The "Frontier" onion bulbs are sizing up nicely. I have been working hard to keep them well watered during all of this hot, dry weather.

The "Camelot" shallots are ready to start pulling and eating.

The "Red Russian" Kale continues to grow well despite the heat of the last month. I am still smitten with its grey-green leaves and pink veining. 

It appears that my rookie year of growing watermelon is also going well. I have five marble sized watermelon on my  four "Early Moonbeam" plants. It looks like my hand pollination has worked and that all of the melon have taken. They even have pretty green stripes at this baby stage.

All five tomato plants have now begun to set fruit. Here is a nice tress on the "Black Plum" plant.

 The "Bumblebee" cherry tomatoes are already showing signs of "bumblebee stripes" even at this early, green stage.

A truss of "Indigo" Amethyst Jewel Cherry tomatoes.

So far the "Bloody Butcher" tomato is the only plant to have ripen any fruit. It isn't producing a ton, but it certainly is early. And pictured below, three green "Moonglow" tomatoes. I think that they are going to be the biggest tomatoes that I harvest this year.