Cucumber plants and watermelon growing strong!

The cucumber plants I started from seed the first week of July 2012, which I then transplanted into pots for my container garden are doing great! Below I have pics from the day I transplanted and today the last day of July. They even have some flowers on them!

As for the watermelons that surprised me last week they are still growing strong! Except they're two different colors which is interesting!

Another large harvest 7/31/12!

As the hot month of July ends on a cloudy cool note my garden is starting to offer up treats on a daily basis!! I'm so glad all my hard work has worked out! Today's harvest:

1 four an a half inch pickle cucumber
1 big boy tomato (partially ripen)
4 Juliet tomatoes (partially ripen)
3 cherry tomatoes (partially ripen)

I would also like to mention that I've been using a lot of my herbs as well especially my basil plant and rosemary plant.

Harvest getting Larger! 7/30/12

July 30th was one of the first larger harvests of the season so far! Mostly because the tomatoes are finally starting to ripen and my pepper plants, which I thought were cayenne, but are some other kind of hot pepper are turning a beautiful orange! So I harvested:
1 three inch pickle cucumber
3 cherry tomatoes (partially ripen)
1 big boy tomato (partially ripen)
1 Juliet tomato (partially ripen)
7 hot peppers (3) fully ripe (orange color) and (4) partially ripe (almost orange)

Another watermelon! 7/27/12

I just went outside to move around some of the container plants in case of bad weather this afternoon and came across another watermelon growing! It's not that big yet. I didn't have high hopes for growing watermelon but now I'm excited cant wait till they're ready to eat!!

Tomato Harvest!! 7/28/12

This morning I picked a number of tomatoes and a cucumber! The largest tomato in my garden has finally ripened! It's an heirloom tomato so I can save some if the seeds for next season! I also picked 4 more cherry tomatoes, a 2.5 inch picklebush cucumber and my first Juliet tomato (which are small like cherry tomatoes but are more oval shape).

A Wonderful Surprise!! 7/27/12

For the first time ever I'm growing watermelon, sugar baby watermelon to be exact! I'm growing them in a container on my deck and started them from seed. I've diligently watered the plants everyday when needed and was super happy to see blossoms on the plant a few weeks ago. As the vines began to elongate across the wood deck, I began questioning if I would get any watermelons...

Then today as I was walking on the deck I noticed something under one of the vines, the vine had moved during storms the night before. To my surprise there was a grapefruit size watermelon!! It made my day! I hadn't even seen this one growing and I've even been looking for it!

Small Harvest and Garden Update 7/24/12

Today's harvest was small just a cherry tomato and a Big Boy Tomato. Since I didn't get a big harvest I thought I would take some pictures of the garden. I took a picture of the garden, of the Japanese eggplant growing, my watermelon plant and the cucumber plants I started in pots in early July!

I also threw in a picture of a side dish I made using basil and cherry tomatoes from my yard! I added some mozzarella with a little oil for a great taste!

Harvest before the rain! 7/23/12

I woke up to thunder rumbling in the distance, with the impending thunderstorms I went to the garden to see if anything was ready to pick. I ended up picking a cherry tomato, a small (and odd shape) pickle bush cucumber, and a Marion tomato. The Marion tomato is the first large tomato of the year!!!

More Zucchini! 7/21/12

I harvested a large zucchini this morning off my plant that was damaged by the storm last week. It's good to know that the fruit is still growing on it! I also noticed that some of the larger tomatoes are starting to change color!

A few more Cherry Tomatoes! 7/21/12

After a good soaking yesterday I got a chance to look at my garden. The damaged zucchini plant seems to be still alive some how and has a large zucchini on it. Since my family is having a picnic I decided to keep it on to show everyone. I picked a few cherry tomatoes, some completely ripe and some not all the way there but I'll keep them in the windowsill. It's better to ripen inside then get eaten on the vine!

Finally a rainy day! 7/20/12

Finally got a day long rain event! It's been lightly raining most of the day which is great for soaking the ground and the garden!!! My family is having a picnic tomorrow and we needed some celery for potato salad. My mom asked if she could use my celery plant growing in a pot in the backyard. I said sure and cut her a bunch! This is from a celery plant we originally bought at the store that re rooted and grew! Talk about recycling!!

Storms killed my Zucchini Plant!

On May 18th many areas of the northeast from Boston to D.C. saw strong to severe thunderstorms with high winds, heavy downpours, hail and even some funnel clouds! Knowing these storms were on their way I moved my container garden around for protection. This included moving my large zucchini plant that I'm growing in a pot. I moved this one purposely because I read that squash plants are susceptible to wind damage. After moving all of my pots into safer and covered positions I awaited the storms! Yet as they looked like they were about to unleash they're fury on my town they fell apart giving us just some light rain. As the afternoon progressed into night it looked as of we would only get some rain and no more storms. So I decided to move the zucchini plant back out into the open to get some water. Well the next morning, the 19th, I woke up to a brief but torrential downpour and when I went out to my garden I noticed the zucchini plant was completely bent over, snapped at the stem! I was extremely disappointed and have yet to do anything with it. It still has a zucchini on it and the leaves have yet to die. I'm going to wait and see whether the zucchini continues to grow before trying to salvage the plant.

My Sugar Baby watermelon!

My sugar baby watermelon plant is taking off! It has plenty of flowers on it but so far most of the female ones (the ones that will produce the melon) have dried up. Although there is a new female flower and it looks like the melon part is a little bigger! It's cool it looks like a mini watermelon

Cucumber salad!

It's always nice to be able to combine the fruits of your labor into an actual meal or side dish. Last week I had steamed zucchini and this week I made cucumber salad! I have never really made this before so I completely improvised. I used two of my pickle bush cucumbers, my handful of of cherry tomatoes, a handful of basil, a handful of orange mint and finally some store bought Italian dressing. I mixed it all together for a delicious side dish! I have to say the best part of the dish was the cherry tomatoes! So much better then store bought ones!

Finally Planted the Rosemary!!!

Back before July 4th I bought basil, well along with it I got a small rosemary plant. Since technically rosemary can be a perennial and i live on the borderline zone where it could survive all winter, I decided to plant it in a pot. Hoping that by planting it in a pot and putting it in the garage, along with my blueberry bushes, it might survive till next year! Till then I hope to enjoy fresh rosemary with chicken and potatoes! I may also try drying some rosemary for winter use!

Rosemary is the third herb I planted this year in my garden, well actually the third herb I've ever planted! Now I have mint, basil and rosemary growing in my yard!

Photos of my Vegetable Garden! 7/16/12

Just some photos I took with my iPhone today of my garden. From the tomato plants, zucchini plants, cucumber plants, eggplant, to the pumpkin plant creeping along the wire fence!

July 16, 2012 Harvest

We finally got some rain last night and a cool lightning show last night! The rain gave a good soaking to my garden. This morning I picked two small cucumbers because they were close to being ready but covered in dirt splashed up by rain. I figure it would be better to pick them and clean them now instead of leaving them coveted in dirt. One of my yellow peppers also fell off the plant and had some holes in it so I placed that in the compost bin. Good news though eggplants are growing! I have a female bud on my pumpkin vine! The bean plants are starting to grow! And more zucchini on the way!

Cucumber harvest July 14, 2012

Got the second cucumber of the season today and more are on their way!! I also noticed the bean plants are getting bigger. I restaked many of my tomato plants with 3 foot bamboo stakes, I have a ton of green tomatoes but waiting for some red ones!