I Can See Russians From My House

Now I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. This is not a parody of Sarah Palin. Heaven knows she does an excellent self-parody without any help from me. And Vladimir Putin has not declared war on this household. Although he might if he found out we served rainbow swirl ice cream the other day. This is a blog that is first and foremost about gardening. So rest assured that there is nothing here except commentary about this season's crop of Russian Persimmon Tomatoes. They're an heirloom variety that make you think more of that popular fruit of Chinese origin than a direct descendent of the prime ingredient in ketchup.

I like to use them in a simple, homemade freezer jelly recipe. The golden color of the final product makes everyone wonder what the jelly is made from. And when they find out they're really knocked back on their heels. When I'm using it on my breakfast toast in the dead of winter, it reminds me of the warm glow of the summer sun in the growing season just past and the season yet to come. It's really a wonderful, sweet way to beat back the  harshness of winter.

Mother Nature Would Like To Remind You...

Don't blend in, blend out! Don't be yourself. Be your best self. The most amazing magic is always in the mix.

Garden Medley

No need to wonder why I look forward to this time of year so much when you see a quartet of flavors pulled fresh from the garden like this. We have red Tiny Tom and Canary Tumbling Tom tomatoes accompanied by savory carrots and bulb green onions. And by the way, these were all grown in containers.

Where Late The Wild Tomatoes Roamed

Last year my large blue container(PC language for a busted up, repurposed garbage can) was host to a Russian Persimmon tomato plant. This season it is providing a home for a winter squash plant. And as you can see, things are coming along quite nicely.

Ode To A Melon

Oh wonderful sight,
Oh most excellent orb,
Oh fruit of delight,
Oh sweet succulent gourd,
Born of earth and water and light
You are a true child of the vine.
And I must wait.
Until the date,
Nature makes your taste full and divine.

Out Of One Pot And Into Another

Last year I decided not to grow any squash. My hope was that any squash bugs that emerged from eggs laid the previous year would starve to death and be unable to lay any eggs that would hatch this season. So far, it seems that strategy worked. There hasn't been a squash bug sighting yet. And I've had a good harvest of summer squash while the winter squash is developing quite nicely.

Today I harvested the papaya pear squash beauty you see in the photo above, along with some jalapeño and pizza peppers, to make soup. And yes, it was delicious.

Another Liquid Laundry Detergent Container Success

The only thing I hate about peppers is that they are so deliberate in their rate of growth. It's vexing to know that no matter how early I start them, they really won't hit their stride until I put them outside. And even in a container, I have to wait until the outdoor night temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. And of course we gardeners have absolutely no say about when that occurs. Something that was especially true this year when it seemed that Mother Nature couldn't make up her mind whether to have spring or just skip straight to summer.

Well as you can see, this plant is doing just fine in it's re-purposed container  home. And it's providing plenty of pizza peppers ready for harvest.