How Does Your Garden Grow?

It's growing like stink. The tomato plants are huge and the cucumber plant that was the size of my pinkie when I planted him is now trailing across the deck like draperies. I would highly recommend tomatoes and cukes to newbie gardeners like myself (I'm a third year container gardener) because they are very easy to care for, with some water and some sun they just go. I also talk to my plants, it's very therapeutic but totally optional.

The herbs are doing well, too but the squash and zucchini have proved to be more of a challenge. The summer squash needs much less water, so I'm trying to dry her out. I didn't realize it until I noticed some of the little squashes rotting and falling off. The zucchini had to be repotted and rebounded nicely, but I need bees to come and pollinate him. I have only male flowers and was outside spreading some pollen around the plant with my pinkie this morning. No female flowers means no black beauties.

I have been getting an abundance of squash blossoms and they are a treat. I harvested some yesterday and whipped up a little appetizer.

If you've never had fried squash blossoms, you're in for a treat. Just dip them in egg and in a bit of breadcrumbs mixed with a bit of Parmesan cheese. Fry them in a very thin layer of evoo for about a minute on each side, just until golden. Drain on a paper towel and devour. They are a delicate and wonderful taste sensation. Sorry about the dreadful picture. They tasted far better than they look there.

These are the cukes last weekend, they are even bigger, longer and uncut now. And speaking of dreadful pictures, here's me yesterday with Tow and Mader, the tomato plants. (Yes, I name them, too.)