Peppers galore!

We've got peppers out the wazoo! They aren't quite ready to be picked but in a couple of weeks it's pickling and salsa making time. That is unless they turn in to vapor from this HEAT!

Santa Fe Grande peppers. There are probably 40 peppers tucked in there.

Bull Nose Bells. They should turn red.

This tomato might take the prize for largest tomato from our garden. We'll see if she beats last years prize winner.

Kung Pao Peppers.

More Santa Fe Grande peppers and the lone okra that I have harvested so far.

The day after

It's been over a month since the Food Garden Tour but I was looking through my photos and realized I'd forgotten about these. The day after the tour a few of us drove around to each others gardens. We went to 8 of the 19 gardens that participated. Here are a few pics of the ones we visited. It was really interesting to see how everyone has such different gardening styles. Most were family gardens but there was one that was an urban farm (Mellowfields) that sells at the Farmer's Market and they have a CSA. It was quite impressive. It was a great day!

This was a community garden at a church. Each bed has a different owner/gardener.

Chickens at the Mellowfields Urban Farm's plot in North Lawrence.

Mellowfields.

Kirsten's beautiful garden full of berries, popcorn and medicinal plants.

Mellowfields Urban Farm's other plot at their house.

Mellowfields.

The Paradis' kid-size garden in East Lawrence.

The Hale's raised bed kitchen garden.

Lehrman Family Garden. Every single inch of their yard is used for growing veggies, berries and medicinals. Look at that gorgeous cabbage!

Pizza oven!!! So cool.

Loads of pesto.

I like to grow ridiculous amounts of basil so that I can make obscene amounts of pesto. All summer long we usually have a huge jar of it in the fridge that we put on everything. I also freeze quite a bit. This past weekend I hacked down my basil forest (don't worry it will come back) and made 3 huge batches of pesto. I froze a lot of it in small portions individually wrapped in little wax paper bags.

July heat

It's so hot! I haven't been spending that much time out in the garden. Things are looking great though. Nothing is crispy yet. There is a dove nest in one of our ferns. Maybe it's the same Mama Dove as last year? I'm kind of ready for her little babies to fly off though because my fern isn't too happy. I think they will probably fly off in the next day or two.

Mama Dove sitting on her precious eggs.

Plenty of clover in our yard to distract the bunnies.

Baby doves!

My carrots are blooming!

From above.

It's been so hot lately that I haven't had a chance to get out in the garden and do much except water. Chris got up on the roof last week and took these photos. I have to say, the garden is looking mighty fine these days. I'm harvesting carrots, kale and loads of basil for pesto making. I can see tons of peppers and tomatoes on the plants getting ready to start ripening. Yum!!!