Sanctuary Gardener’s Favorites: Cucurbits

Welcome to the third installment in my Sanctuary Gardener’s Favorites series ~ my favorite cucurbits. If you missed my favorite nightshades and legumes, see the links at the end of this post.

Garden Bounty ~ Week Ending 8/9/14

After being away on vacation for a week and a half, I had quite a bit to harvest when I returned home. I did lose a few things – a bunch of overripe tomatoes, a cantaloupe, a handful of peppers, etc. – but the garden fared well for the most part. On the day I returned, I harvested a pound of tomatoes, almost 5 pounds of peppers, almost 6 pounds of melons, and over 3 pounds of winter squash. Not too shabby for a day’s harvest!

Garden Bounty ~ Week Ending 7/26/14

I love how my garden grows and fruits in cycles. One week, I may have an abundance of tomatoes, while the next week it’s peppers. Some weeks I lose some fruit to insects or heat-related damage, while other weeks I reap the full available harvest. No matter what, there’s always something to eat – and put up – from my garden. This past week, I harvested 55 ears of Glass Gem corn, over a pound of eggplant, 12.5 pounds of melon, almost 6 pounds of snap beans, 1.3 pounds of chili peppers, and 8.7 pounds of tomatoes. Not only tasty to eat, but pretty to look at!

Garden Bounty ~ Week Ending 7/13/14

Despite the continuing intense heat, I’m still harvesting quite a bit. Compared to last year, my pepper harvests are not as big; but I know I’ll be swimming in peppers soon enough (when the heat subsides). This week, I harvested 13 cucumbers, 1 (almost 11 pound) watermelon, 8 pounds of melons (honeydew, cantaloupe, tigger, and rich sweetness), almost 1 pound of lima beans (shelled), 7 pounds of eggplant, almost 2.5 pounds of carrots, a little over 2.5 pounds of peppers, and 9.5 pounds of tomatoes.