It's midsummer and the backyard garden is swelling with yumminess! Whether it's fresh herbs, crisp snow peas, or dark green zucchini, we're making the most of what's ripe and ready to pick.
The berries are ripe and tasty. We often stand by the raspberry and blueberry bushes, snacking on ripe berries that are warm from the sunshine. The strawberry plants are producing, but they're a little uninspired again this year. I think our garden is anti-strawberry or something.
Our garden is definitely not anti-fruit trees, though! They're heaving with apples and pears, so I know there's a lot of canning in my near future. I'll make pies, crumbles, sauces, chutneys, and baby purees that will last through the winter months. In fact, we're just finishing our last jar of applesauce from last year.
In the garden beds, the tomatoes are green and growing and the mass of snow peas is getting bushier each day, sending out its twirly whirly feelers carrying soft pink blossoms and the promise of even more pods. We often stand and snack on peas. Under the broad leaves of the zucchini plants there are loads of dark green squash with floppy yellow zucchini flowers on their tips. We're big fans of zucchini around here, so we'll eat it all up no problem. Well, I say that then I'll be leaving massive late summer zucchinis on my neighbours' front porches because I couldn't look at another one.
Then there's the carrots. I can barely use the plural here because we had only two carrots grow! I seeded twice, but from my kitchen window I saw the birds pecking in the dirt and I think they were eating the seeds. Anyway, we picked one and have one left still growing.
Poor, sad little carrot. But you cleaned up nicely and you were yummy! We each took a bite.
Some squash plants are doing sort of okay. There are some pickling cucumbers growing, some green beans, and some pepper plants that might come along if the sun and heat can stick around.
My favourite part of the garden, the herb garden, is being munched on daily. My 3-year-old likes to eat mint and basil leaves as well as chives and rosemary straight from the garden. I prefer to cook with rosemary, but whatever!
How is your garden coming along? What's working? What's not working? What are you making with all that delicious fresh food?