Random Texarkana Garden Edition

The barrels have the new zucchini plants. The fence (and the copious amounts of cayenne pepper atop of the soil) is to ward off Luna. 

Behind the barrels are the potatoes. I need the green parts to die so
I can harvest the potatoes. Then I have to replace the soil, so not doing potatoes again.  

To the right of the barrels are my tomato plants. 

Behind all that is the peppers, more tomatoes, spinach, onions, radishes, mint (in a pot because it spreads like Tribbles) and cucumbers. 

The pumpkins are in the auxiliary garden at the back of the yard where they can take over to their heart's desire. 

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My garden is still in bloom. We have enough cucumbers supply a battalion of McDonald's restaurants with pickles for a long, long time. Speaking of which, Polly and I are trying our hand at pickling today. The bad news is I noticed I was losing a cucumber plant from disease, so I pulled that plant Saturday morning. If one plant is diseased, there are probably others diseased as well. So, my cucumber days are numbered. By the way, it is normal for plants to become diseased. Flora illness is spread by birds and bees. 

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We also have more tomatoes than one can possibly eat in a lifetime. My lawn guy helped himself to several green ones last week. I also gave Hannah, the cashier at the local Albertson's a handful of green tomatoes. She was so excited, that I'm afraid to go back into the store, lest she opt to accost me again. Hugging strangers in the South is a thing, I guess. 

By the way, if you want the BEST recipe for homemade tomato soup, hit me up. It does take 4 pounds of tomatoes. We still have plenty left. 

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With enough peppers, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers to last for eons, I took a basket around to a couple of neighbors. Mr. Charlie is friendly and always says hello. He took cucumbers, but left the peppers. That's fine. I kind of wanted those. There is a really cantankerous looking guy who lives directly across the street. I've told Marty, I find him to be a challenge and I'm gonna get this guy to smile at me someday. I went over to say hello yesterday. It turns out the guy has a delightful wife (Stephanie). She was thrilled beyond belief and took all the tomatoes she could. I didn't see the guy. Maybe she only dusts him off and sets him outside when she wants to scare people away. 

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I've been growing pumpkins and zucchini in the window from seeds. Polly swears we need pumpkins. I swear we don't. Saturday morning I transplanted a few into my garden. The rest I transplanted into pots and they will be brought to the Texarkana Community Garden Coalition meeting this next week to go into one of the five community gardens in town. I am thrilled to have grown something that might provide food for someone else.