Gardening

The cabbage are doing well but a cold spring doesn't bother them much.
The grasshoppers have had a few bites but since our big rain storm where the lightning was less than a second apart from each strike, I haven't seen them since.

The tomato plants are finally taking off with the 80 degree weather and it will be interesting to see how they do with such a cold beginning in June. Got to love those Washington Cherry tomatoes as they have been putting on red ones to eat since the end of June. Around here we're typically lucky to get ripe tomatoes in September if it doesn't frost too hard. That's why I started to try my own varieties. Greenhouses supply only those touted to grow in a large geographic area.

I always love the Roma and the Washington Cherry but Long Keepers, Glacier, and Siberia are all new varieties I'm trying. The Long Keepers because the tomatoes are to store well into the winter. The Glacier and Siberia because they are cold tolerant. I see they put on early, ripen very early, and just keep producing.
The Siberian tomatoes and Glacier are very small plants but again we have been eating tomatoes off them since the end of June, unheard of around here. They could be great season extenders. Usually the Early Girls and Celebrities sold around here don't ripen until late August and that's a iffy.
The fruit may be fairly small but I'm thinking the plants with their miniture size would be great in the house this winter. I think I'll try transplanting some.
The peas are blossoming

and a few pods are appearing. The beans are just starting to blossom and I've a new kind I'm trying out. But what oh what am I going to do without squash. There are many things I never got around to planting partly because I just finished getting all the manure on to the garden and partly time. So this year I won't be canning nearly as much but next year I will hopefully be bringing in a large harvest. Meanwhile there is always much to do and I'd better take advantage of the time.

Got to go and help hubby measure the house for new siding and measure the wall in the girl's room to put a strip along the top. Yes, I'm finally getting it painted. The girls are at their dad's. I'll be praying continually until they return.