Multitasking Vegetables

Often times we forget the vegetables are just as pretty as flowering plants but they are more functional. What can you do with a daisy besides admire it? Sure its nice, don't get me wrong I do love flowers and enjoy having fresh flowers around during the summer but vegetables are great because they can multitask. I'm all about multitasking. If a plant can provide me with dinner and be beautiful I'm all the happier.

Take a pepper for example. This is a heritage pepper; an Aurora Pepper. It's a spicy pepper that starts off purple then brightens to a deep red color.

Before - Pretty flowers; nice to admire

After - functional peppers; that will end up on my dinner plate.

I love it. Beauty meets function. Nature never ceases to amaze me.

Where do babies come from?

I don't think we want to go over that right now but I will show you where baby cucumbers come from! 

The flowers appear first as skinny little arms from the base of the plant peeking out from between the large broad leaves. The base of the flower is where the cucumber will develop. As it begins to ripen the flower will wither and die but leave you with a tasty treat to enjoy.

She'll grow up to be a beautiful cucumber, and maybe, just maybe become a pickle when she grows up. 

Busy Bees, Bumble Bees and Crazy Bees

Our bee's loooove these tiny delicate little purple-y blue-ish flowers; if I was a farmer I'd actually know what this is... buckwheat maybe? It's actually a weed to me because its growing in my garden but ya know what? Its serving a purpose for the bees so I'll let it be for a while. 

They also seem to really love this horribly awful yet so mysteriously beautiful weed... the dreaded thistle. I know its cute isn't it? But it's sharp and really hard to yank out of the garden no matter what. Actually I think of Eeyore every time I see one and I just can't help but smile. Oh, you dopey little old donkey.

As I yanked weeds left and right from the garden I heard this deep doning hum around me and looked up to see this big beauty buzzing around. Everytime she sat on a flower to  nibble a snack the flower sagged under her weight. Check out her pollen sacs on her legs - she's been busy!

Its almost honey harvesting/extracting time!!! Look at what my bees have been busy doing recently. The ladies have been busy.

There was extra room in the hive because we didn't have all 10 frames in so they decided to make their own frame. It was solid honeycomb that they were filling with honey.

Pretty neat huh? 

Garden Update

What the hell is this? 

Do you know? I don't know.

It looks like a weed to me. 

I don't know what it is but I'm crossing my fingers that it's my eggplant but who the hell knows. By this time in the season I guess it doesn't matter one way or the other because I won't get much from it anyway. I started about 5 eggplants from seed, babying them as they sprouted and cooing to them as they grew. This is what I get in return? Boooo. Ok I'm done belly aching.

I did get enough goodies from the rest of the garden to rival a well established CSA! 

Beans, snap peas, summer squash, zucchini, kohlrabi, cucumber and red potatoes, oh my. 

The corn is coming along well too. The ears are still a bit small and underdeveloped (are we still talking about corn? I sure hope so)

Beans! I decided to plant 3 types of beans this year. This is the Empress bean. It's my favorite of the three so far because it goes in a bush so that I don't have to do all the work to stalk it up AND if I get lazy and can't keep up with harvesting it, I can leave the beans on the plant and let them dry to harvest dry beans. The perfect solution for the busy *Read: Sometimes Lazy* gardener. 

These beans were harvested though and they do have another life in the future as "Dill-y Beans" Stay tuned.

Dandelions

Damn. Dandelions are so deceiving. Their delicate wispy tops carry the devil's seed as they angelically float along my garden. I've decided to take matters into my own hands this year. 

I've been loosing the war against the weeds in the garden so I figured 'hey, if I can't beat them I might as well eat them.' They are after all in many fancier dishes. 

Yuck. 

Pitewy.

Blah. 

Ish. 

They are bitter and... ick I can taste it now just thinking about it. 

Not a good idea. So, now I can't beat them or eat them. 

... the fight goes on...

Photo of the Day

Almond Berry Cupcake

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Gremlin

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Mini chocolate raspberry cupcakes with raspberry liqueur ganache... yum!

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Tying up Tomatoes