Exciting Anticipation

Everyday my 3-year old runs out to the garden to see if the tomatoes are red yet. He gets so excited and squeals: 'Their getting bigger!' Then he says matter of factly: 'We're going to eat them when their red.'

We'll, he doesn't have long to wait. (Celebrity followed by Black Cherry)





  
I thought his antics were so cute and it got me to thinking. I am the exact same way; aren't we all? Maybe we don't squeal like a 3-year old at the excitement of anticipating a harvest, but we are excited - nonetheless.

I run out in excitement to see how my winter squash is coming along. Particularly, my acorn squash which appears to be fairly close to harvest time. I have two and they are the biggest acorn squash that I have ever seen.

I love my winter squash bed. They are so unruly. They are my troublemakers. Sneaking over to the tomato bed, covering my basil along the way.

They are even trying to take over my pea bed.

They are really producing too. Particularly, the butternut squash. I was able to get 4 of them in one shot, can you find them all

The spaghetti squash is producing fairly well. These vines are so rampant that I have a spaghetti squash growing right next to a butternut squash.

The entire bed is its own ecosystem...its a jungle in there!

 

Another source of anticipation is my potato bed. I've had another variety die off, so I can start digging anytime now. Potatoes bring feelings of excitement and anxiety because you just don't know what you are going to get.

 

I'm excited about how my Dakota Black Popcorn will turn out as well. The stalks are about 6' tall and the tassles and silks have shown up. Its only a matter of time now...

 

A wee-b-little pumpkin is starting to turn a nice shade of orange. But I  am concerned that there is only one on this plant. Maybe it's production will pick up soon.

 

I've allowed one basil to flower because it had blooms on it every day no matter how much I pinched. The 3 plants around it are not flowering, so I let it go.

 

Lots of rattlesnake beans in the works. One of my readers said that these were delicious as snap beans, so I will be harvesting a bowl of the smaller ones this weekend to try them out.

 

But I am definitely growing cannellini beans as shell beans. I love them! and I love minestrone!

 

My zucchinni are producing about one per day. I hope they keep up that rate because I love zucchini; especially zucchini relish.

 

My carnival mix bell peppers are amazing me. They are only about a foot tall, but they are producing nice sized peppers like crazy. One bush has 4 growing on it. For some reason, carnival mix has four colors, but half of my plants seem to be producing purple ones. Can you see all 4 below (hint, one is purple).

 

Well, this next one isn't exactly an anticipation, but it is a surprise. I never knew that nasturiums were so pretty. I may have to plant some in my flower bed. I grew all of mine from seed.

 

Another nice surprise (and source of anticipation) is my spinning gourd. The flowers are beautiful, but I am also anticipating drying these to make toys for my kids and their friends/cousins.

 

 

But, of all the things that I am excited about and anticipating. There are three that I am most excited about and I'll tell you why in my next post. Until then, what do you anticipate the most from your garden?