The MVG main garden is loving the warm humid weather!

MVG Main Garden July 14, 2014

The main garden is growing out of control this summer. The warm humid weather and a few applications of Burpee's Sea Magic organic growth activator gave all the plants an extra boost.

July 2nd harvest - bell peppers

July 8th harvest - green beans, cucumber, & sugar snaps

My mom harvests handfuls of beans and sugar snaps and baskets full of cucumbers and green peppers on a weekly basis.

July 11th harvest - cucumbers, bell pepper, and squash

July 11th harvest - sugar snaps

We have begun trimming back the herbs. Hanging them upside down on pant hangers allows the leaves to dry without curling up or folding in half.

July 2nd harvest - sage and oregano

So far my mom has blanched and froze 6 1/2 quart Ziploc bags of green beans and made two jars of Mom's Pickles. She will soon be canning Bread and Butter Pickles in the next few weeks too.

french fillet and blue lake blanched and frozen

Mom's Pickles

I treated our kitties to a few catnip bundles. They love to hug the bundle while rolling around on the ground. The bundles last for weeks too. All you need to do is roll the catnip bundle in your hands to reactive the oils.

catnip bundle

There are many other veggies joining the main garden's weekly harvest. The okra, bitter melon, and squash are sprinkled into the harvest baskets while the melons, pumpkins, tomatoes, and eggplant continue to grow and flower.

bitter melon

melons

tomatoes

okra

summer squash

Fuyu is growing strong. There are lots of new branches, large green leaves, and a few fruit dangling from the tree.

Fuyu has a few persimmons growing too!

It is amazing to see how fast the garden has filled-in over the past few months. Check out our before and after shots below:

July 2nd - pumpkin patch

July 14th - pumpkin patch

Behind the garden beds - (front to back) squash (left), cucumbers (right), and melons.

June 11th  - squash, cucumber, & melons

July 2nd - squash, cucumber, & melons

July 14th - squash, cucumbers, and melons

Second garden bed row: (front to back) thai basil in pot/ sugar snaps and green beans/ okra and tomatoes/ bitter melon.

June 11th - sugar snaps and green beans

July 2nd - sugar snaps and green beans

July 14th - sugar snaps and green beans

Front garden bed row: (front to back) lemon grass and lavender in pots; green beans; bell peppers and eggplant.

July 2nd - green beans and bell peppers

July 14th - green beans and bell peppers

May brings plants, sprouts, and fruit to the main garden.

The main garden has seen the largest amount of growth this month. Over the past few weeks, my parents have planted a variety of plants and seeds in the main garden.

May 12, 2014 MVG Main Garden

The melons have taken over the corn field. We had a large corn harvest last year and decided to grow a different variety of fruits and veggies in the corn field. This year we have three types of melons, summer squash, and cucumbers growing in the corn field.

May 19, 2014 melon plants X 3

May 19, 2014 cucumber sprouts

My mother found bitter melon plants at our local nursery. We have used seeds in the past but finding plants will bring forth an earlier harvest (we hope... keep your vines crossed).

May 12, 2014 bitter melon box

bitter melon plant

My family loves to eat certain veggies and our victory garden would not be a garden without tomatoes, beans, peppers, and okra.

May 12, 2014 okra and tomatoes

May 19, 2014 peas and bean sprouts

May 19, 2014 bean box

May 12, 2014 sweet pepper box

The herb garden is growing quickly in the warm summer breeze.  The herbs are about ready to be used in soups, salads, and seasonings.

Fuyu survived the winter and is now pushing out small green orbs. Arn't they cute?! There are two orbs so far. My mother is hoping for many more this season.

persimmon

Here is the official list of veggies and fruit growing in the main garden:

Burpee Plants

Block Party peppers

Cherry Stuffer peppers

Golden Baby Belle peppers
SuperSauce Tomato

Tweety peppers

Plants from our local Nurseries

Bitter Melon

Cantaloupe

Egg plant

Honeydew Melon

Okra

Red Bell Pepper

Summer Squash

Thai Basil

Watermelon

Burpee Seeds

Blue Lake Bush Bean

French Filet Stringless Beans

Salad Bush Cucumber

Super Sugar Snap Peas

Additional Plants

Catnip

Fuyu Persimmon Tree

Lavendar

Lemon Grass

Oregano

Rosemary

Sage

Strawberries

Thyme

May 19, 2014 MVG Main Garden

First recipe of the 2013 summer season!

It is time for some yummy tummy goodness! I have cooked a variety of meals using veggies from the garden this season. My favorite dish is my tofu, green pepper, and summer squash curry. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:
1 block of extra firm tofu
three small or two medium sized summer squash
two large bell peppers
extra virgin coconut oil
Jar of your favorite curry sauce

stir fry tofu and veggies in coconut oil on medium heat

once tofu and veggies are seared, add in a jar of your favorite curry

simmer for 10 minutes on low heat, remove, serve with rice

I have also been busy harvesting veggies three to four times a week. The weather has warmed up and the veggies are popping out faster than I can eat them.

basket full of green beans

My mother blanched, packed, and froze 4 quart Ziploc bags of beans.  These beans are going to taste good in green bean casserole, soups, and as a side dish... nom nom!

The plums are starting to ripen and fall from the tree. In order to keep our backyard mess-free, I picked as many ripe plums as I could. There are still lots to be picked.

The summer squash is growing rapidly while the green bell peppers are growing into yummy crisp veggies. I have harvested over a dozen green bell peppers, three dozen cucumbers, and handfuls of radishes.

radish, cucumbers, okra

Green beans are here!

green beans

The green beans have arrived. I picked the first batch of beans on June 21st and have picked a few handfuls each day since. These long slender crunchy beans will continue to grow throughout the summer. Green bean casseroles here we come, YUM!

cucumbers are bursting from the vines

The corn stalks have reached for the skies and beyond. The tassels are swaying in the wind and will soon float down to the silk to make sweet corn kernels.

Silk has emerged!

The MVG harvests are full of variety and growing in size. I am still picking zucchini, squash, and cucumbers on a regular basis. However, the radish have matured and are bringing red orbs of color to our salads and soups.

June 21, 2013 MVG harvest