It is now July 27th…two months since we planted our jungle.
Methinks we have created a monster.
See those “towers” in the front? Um…yeah…that’s our lettuce. *laughing hysterically* We’ve now learned that in the heat of the summer, instead of growing into a tight head, lettuce can “bolt” (meaning it will send up a flower stalk and go to seed, resulting in leaves that are very bitter.) Not only does this condition affect lettuce plants, it can also occur in plants of the cabbage family: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi and the common cabbage. By planting your seedlings after cold weather has passed in an area with some shady daytime hours will help prevent the bolting.
What did we do about it? We ate as much as we could from the “good” leaves (the shinier ones; not the matte finished ones), cut down the stalks and composted them for next year. Chalking that one up to amateur gardening.
As for the peppers…they are doing wonderful! We have gathered about eight or nine large green peppers, a whole slew of jalapenos and more hot banana peppers than we can eat. They just keep producing! I bought some supplies to make a bunch of stuffed green peppers in which I plan on freezing for a time when I need a “quick dinner.”
And what do you think about this? In my opinion, it appears to be a cross between a tomato and a pumpkin. It’s called a German Queen tomato plant. Have you ever grown or heard of them? According to the tag, they grow bigger than baseballs (as you can plainly see.) We can’t wait to slice into one of these; we are so curious!
As for the other tomatoes, most of them are looking good. Already picking a few Early Girls, Better Boys and yellow pears. We did notice that some of our plants have formed a “bacterial speck.” After some discussion with Twitter, it appears that it’s all over Indiana, especially in the south. Rather upsetting but we just keep removing the “bad” stuff and are hoping for the best!
And for the yard flowers?
The Hibiscus…
The Hydrangea…
And the Rose of Sharon…
…are all doing just fine.
We are definitely enjoying our own little “Midwestern Eden” this year.
How does your garden grow? Let us know!
More gardening inspiration from the Tuesday Garden Party
Your hibiscus are stunning–thank you for all of the lovely photos of your garden!
Wow, that is a beautiful and tasty looking “jungle”! Lovely flowers too.
Love your garden~ Here in the Mid-West it’s been a great year, with all of the rain and heat! Love all of your pics!
Welcome to the Garden Party! I’m late getting around to everyone this week, but I’m so glad you linked up your beautiful garden. And we all have to learn that about lettuce.
There are varieties that do better in warm weather (like crispheads) that you can try for next year. Thanks for sharing!
Hi! I found your site via twitter! I am your newest follower because I am a single mom and have recently decided to coupon to help with my finances and also I am determined to have a garden next summer and I love your garden pics!