The Birth of a Potential Pickle

We have a cucumber in the Ballpark!

A seven-incher that is about drop.  Here's how it looked about ten days ago...

Then, last week...

Here's how it looks today...

Another half inch or so, and it will be ready for some raspberry vinaigrette.  

There's another baby one on its way...

We are amazed and excited!  He's a little prickly right now, but we like his yellow hat.

The broccoli is starting to look like broccoli, producing thick outer leaves that are a precursor to the florets. 

We've harvested about ten green beans!  We generally eat them raw because we only have two bean plants, and they produce about two beans every few days.

I have boiled a few.

But, it hardly seems worth the time and electricity.  I don't see a green bean casserole any time soon.

The watermelon plant is growing nicely, but as of yet, has no flowers.

He's very confident though, keeps reaching out his lacy leaves, trying to leave the nest.  We hope he's just a late bloomer.  We love watermelon, or H20-melon, as our daughter the chem teacher has labeled it. 

Our carrots and tomatoes asked not to be highlighted at this time, as they have not done diddly-do.   I think they're embarrassed.  And a bit shy, not as confident as H20 man.   

The hog/star of the garden so far is the butternut squash.  We have several little gourds in process.

 

I'm very excited about this, because these butternuts will be part of one of my favorite recipes, Squash Pizza.

Our lettuce is doing great too.  

We pluck leaves for garnish, or tucking in wraps.  There's not enough for a salad.  I don't know how many crops we'd have to plant to create an actual meal.

We're surprised every day by what happens in the garden.   While I'm in a doctor's office, or doing laundry, or helping Mom with a shower, or writing, cucumbers and butternuts are drinking in nutrients and sunshine and stretching their skins and changing colors.  It's magical.

Any gardeners out there?  When do you pluck a cucumber?  How can you boost some lazy tomatoes?   And H20-melon?  Inquiring, novice gardeners need to know.