Maggie's Farm: A PLUM AN EGGPLANT AND CHILI PEPPERS!

Garden Overview

Today I was checking out the orchard with a cup of coffee and I noticed one of our plums looked very ripe. I touched it to see if it was soft and it fell off into my hand. A bird had taken a small bite out of it but we didn't let that stop us. It was VERY good! looking forward to more!

The birds have devoured just two peaches so far. As long as they keep going back to the same couple of peaches we are happy to share. We've been talking about trying to net the trees but haven't managed to get to it yet.

Something keeps breaking small branches off the yellow peach tree. I'm wondering if the deer have been back. Most of them have moved to higher altitudes for the summer but we still see a few down the street when we are coming home at dusk.

Harvesting Blackberries

YUM!

We also noticed today that one of the most recent aspens planted along the ditch isn't looking so great. On closer inspection, we decided it is not getting sufficient water. Hopefully we caught it before there was too much damage.

Jim & Xena under the grape abor

The Mission black fig isn't looking very good either. It has quite a few figs on it but the leaves are turning yellow and one looks like its being eaten. The water seems to be fine and we can't see any bugs on it. Jim fed it last week and again today. Hopefully it will turn around and improve.
After a bike ride we went to Apple Hill Farms to check out their tree pruning and the status of their veggies, figs and berries. It is such an amazing place!

Bed #1 Chili Peppers

Bed #2 Eggplant

This afternoon it got hot! A hundred degrees but we did a bit of work in the garden. I transplanted the basil starts into the eggplant bed (#2) and into one of the tomato beds (#11). I also finished deadheading the flowers on the deck and the last two butterfly bushes. I bought flowers to fill in the wheelbarrow garden but was too hot and tired to tackle that. It was perfect weather for spraying the fruit trees with and eggplants with the hose to knock off some bugs. Still need to spray a few things with Neem oil one of these evenings when it is coolish.

Bed #3 Acorn Squash, Butternut Squash, Zucchini & Corn

Bed #4 Kabocha Squash, Pumpkin and Spaghetti Squash

All of those new zucchini just turned yellow and died. They were also oddly round so I'm wondering if they really are zucchini. Only time will tell. I think I remember this happening last year with the first zucchini set on the vine. I think they flowers aren't getting pollinated because the early male and female flowers are getting their timing wrong. Typical relationship woes!

Bed #5 Shallots, Onions & Leeks

Bed #6 STILL waiting to be planted but w/ volunteer zucchini

Bed #7 Beets, Carrots, Green onions, Rutabegas & Failed Parsnips

Bed #8 Radishes, Arugula, Chard & Mesclun Mix

Bed #9 Last of the sugar snap peas, Lemon Cucumbers and Yard Long Red Beans

Bed #10 Tomatoes!

Bed #11 More Tomatoes!!

We discovered our first eggplant set on the bush today! It looks like a Japanese eggplant!

Blurry, but First Eggplant

Jim harvesting the first chilis

Jim couldn't wait any longer! He had to harvest some chli peppers today. I was going to say these were the first pepper harvests of the season, but he's been eating one when I'm not around and then reporting back that it wasn't ripe! (We later learned these were not yet ripe either but they sure had good flavor)!