The Trionfo Violetto pole bean is vigorous and attractive with its prolific purple flowers, leaf veins and stems, but so far I am waiting for a few beans to sample them. Fortex is only half the height now though planted at the same time. At least the always reliable Provider bush beans are producing, and the Jade beans are not far behind even though I had to completely re-seed them. Below are Provider beans with an assortment of tomatoes, including a small Big Beef, a couple of Gilbertie, and a Striped Roman on the right.
Some Golden and Boro red beets with peppers and beans.
I finally pulled all of the Copra yellow onions and they are now drying on the back porch. They are not as large as I would like but I am still pleased.
The Beedy’s Camden kale is being its prolific self. It is shading my carrots but it grows back as fast as I trim it. My MIL is visiting from Mississippi so I also cut some collards. She has been enjoying the variety of greens coming from the garden and is helping me eat them up.
More beans and shoots. My mustard is now deciding to bolt after the 2 weeks of hot weather so I am snapping off the flower stalks and throwing them in the stir fry with the broccoli shoots.
Another assortment of peppers and tomatoes. I got my first Green Zebra tomato. I think it was ripe, it was yellower than the photo shows. Kind of tangy, would be a good salad tomato. My two small Cherokee Purple tomatoes were coloring up so I picked them. Both were so badly split they were spilling their insides, so I did not photograph them. The plant, a $9 grafted plant, is only two feet tall, a real disappointment. I thought, that’s it for CP, I’m done with it. I sliced off some pieces to salvage what I could and we had a little taste test with the Green Zebra. Wow, what an excellent tomato flavor the CP has, no wonder I have been planting it every year in the hopes I get a few. The Juliet tomato, however, is as amazing and reliable as ever. The early, heavy fruit set is now ripening, but the plant is still adding height and setting new fruit. The plant is healthy and the tomatoes have been BER and crack resistant.
The rest of the garden seems to be in slow motion. The summer squash and cucumbers are finally starting to grow and put on some size. The Sunburst is now flowering but just male flowers at this time. The Green Finger cucumber is also flowering but no fruit so far. The peppers I am harvesting are from the initial fruit set. The hot weather shut them down but a few are starting to flower again. Since we had Fall-like weather the past few days and you can tell the sun is now lower in the sky, it makes me wonder if I will get anything before cold weather shuts down the warm weather crops.
That is what happened in my garden last week. To see what other gardeners around the world are doing in their gardens, head over to Daphne’s Dandelions.
Whoa, Dave, you've got quite a harvest, haven't you? I know what you mean about CP. At times, I even think they're better than Brandywine, but that's just me. So many tomatoes to try, so little space. I'm thinking Tigerella next year, probably tangy like Green Zebra, but the colors are so pretty. One eats with one's eyes, too, you know.
ReplyDeleteAnd the colors are healthy as well.
DeleteI love that last photo, with the medley of different-sized and different-coloured tomatoes and peppers! Just the sort of thing that appeals to me. My Cherokee Purple tomatoes are looking quite good. One plant has produced some very big fruits, which look as if they may well turn out to be very fine specimens. The other one started fruiting very late, and will struggle to produce much of a harvest before the frosts return.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mark. That's a nice compliment coming from a master garden photographer. Hope your CP turn out well. They are a superb slicing tomato.
DeleteYou have a great assortment of veggies coming out of your garden! I believe Copra onions tend to be a little on the small size, but they sure do keep. Wish I had tomatoes coming in like yours!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on Copra size. It was worth the investment of time and space regardless.
DeleteVery nice and colorful harvest! Lovely beans and tomatoes and love the variety of peppers!
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted on the purple pole beans. I have the same variety to plant this monthf or a Fall crop. I'm hoping they are good producers as I am overly fond of purple produce. ;-)
ReplyDeletePurple produce, huh? So you have evolved from your pink phase? ;) These bean vines are at least 7 foot tall already and loaded with flowers. I hope that translates into tons of beans. The bees are going nuts over the purple flowers.
DeleteThe purple beans are so pretty, at first glance I thought they were hyacinth beans. I'm looking forward to seeing photos of the beans. You certainly have had a wild ride with the weather this summer, from floods to heat waves, it's amazing what your veggies have endured and yet they seem productive.
ReplyDeleteSo far plenty of purple flowers but no baby beans. Bees have been busy so hopefully I will have beans soon.
DeleteWonderfully colorful array! We're even slower than you — tomatoes just emerging, beans about ready, and just a smattering of cukes and zukes. A more manageable pace, actually...
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a lovely array of tomatoes - great variety of shapes and sizes. My seeds have all germinated and the seedlings are coming along nicely. Funnily enough I'm trying Cherokee Purple for the first time this year. A reader sent me some seed. It will be interesting to see how it does here.
ReplyDeleteHope you get some nice big ones. They are prone to cracking but the flavor is very good.
DeleteI see you are a fan of Juliet too! I set out two plants this year, and they have been loaded with fruit, and like you there's no splitting, BER, or anything else. CP is a spotty performer for me too, but the one's I get taste so good I am willing to put up with the so-so yield. I hope those Fortex beans get going for you. They are a treat for me too.
ReplyDeleteDave, I know you like Juliet and last year I told you I thought that flavor was lacking. I changed my mind this year and think they taste just fine (not a CP or Brandywine, but what is). Will be planting extra next year. The Fortex take a while to get going but are then pretty productive. I hope.
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