New England July 2017

July, my favorite month of the year. Most of all the things I like to do the most start to happen or are in full speed. The green of summer is in that deep, but bright green, not like the new green of April, or the fading dark green mixed with the soon to be fall colors of September. No school buses, no freezing winds, no cold, just the middle of the warmest part of the year. 
We all have those plans that we have thought about all year, some of them we actually follow through with. We say hi each morning to those friends that are just about done with their young ones in the nest, and seeing the bug population starting to adjust to the hot temps. We keep our hopes up of seeing the rare birds, bats, and butterflies. We listen for the soothing sounds of our close but out of sight friends singing their cherished songs that takes the stress and tension down. 
Our compost piles are cooking, our grass is growing, our hopes are we will defeat the bad bugs of summer so our gardens can flourish. There isn't a lack of water this year for me, and we not baking either. This is one of those real New England summers. Plenty of rain, sometimes a chilly night, mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds, humid days, bright sunny days, green and more green-food for your soul. The jokes about the wild life here start- Our town bird is the mosquito...
We think about why we have the loud, colorful night skies, I sometimes wonder what they would think of us now. We are the lucky ones, that is what they wanted for us.
Our gardens have the ability to be that wonderful area we have spent so much time and thought about. Whether you have what you wanted or not, you still have something and it makes you happy.
The cookouts are starting in earnest, we are starting to loose some of the inches we gained over the winter. We work out side, and we usually over do it. We over do it and feel sore the next day, when will we learn?
But we have summer now. Welcome summer, I missed you.

Be safe this weekend, and every weekend.

God bless America

Everyone must be busy for the Holiday weekend.  I, on the other hand, am not.  I will post a couple of pix just to get our thread moving.....

Above is my Red Pride Tom.  As you can see, its growing by leaps and bounds and so green and not as well seen, lots of little yellow blossoms in that greenery.


This is the 'march of the little feathered soldiers' with Mom and Dad at front and rear to keep them in order. So straight and adorable and getting mighty big.

The babies are looking good. How is the single parent with one baby doing?

Sanderson......I haven't seen that couple for several days now. If the baby was taken by the snapper, then she would have gone off somewhere. I keep hoping to see them turn up. I'm very surprised the First Family stayed intact all this time. They should be flying about now.

Hey, 3 of my mater plants have tiny green fruits, only the Red Pride is still only showing blossoms alone. Even with such a late start, it looks like I will have a few to harvest this fall.

Rock, great summation of July and summer in the northern climes!   Happy 4th of July to you!

QB, nice maters!  And cute little geese family!

Thank you! Just love summer in July. Wish I could take the whole month off, I am going to be happy this year just to be healthy. To you and all, I wish a Happy and great Forth of July!

I'm making homemade pizza for myself for the Fourth.  It's in the oven and already smells great.

Here's a couple of pix of baby greenies.

Above, one of the Better Bush plant. The other Better Bush has one I found also.


This one is on the Patio mater.  I can't find any on the Red Pride yet but there are lots of blossoms.

Its a warm and sunny day here in Maine with it hitting 80F and a nice breeze coming off the river.  Penny and I have enjoyed our walks outside today.

Wishing you all a great Fourth!

Same, all!  Happy 4th!  We do live in an amazing country.

I live in a residential area, but there are a lot of woods around. I'm used to defending my garden against the usual suspects, deer, rabbits, chipmunks and the like. But now, it looks like I'm going to have to go on turkey patrol! Something caught my eye yesterday as I was walking by the window, and before I turned my head, I was thinking, "Gee, that's a big crow!" But when I took a good look, this is what I saw. I've lived in this house almost 20 years, and have never seen a turkey, although I have seen some a few miles away. Maybe he was just strutting his independent old self to celebrate the 4th. Sorry for the bad pic, I had to take it through the window screen, cause he was moving fast. I hope he wasn't out looking for some juicy tomatoes.

Thanks, Rock, for opening July so beautifully.

HG, we have turkeys everywhere around here...more and more every year.  They block traffic or stroll thru my yard, like this one with her 8 chicks yesterday:
THEN they strolled on down the SFG side of the house and she taught them how to eat broccoli and lettuce plants.  Fortunately they were too busy pecking at the lawn to pay any attention to her, but now I have turkey lips on some of the leaves.  

CapeCoddess wrote:Thanks, Rock, for opening July so beautifully.

HG, we have turkeys everywhere around here...more and more every year.  They block traffic or stroll thru my yard, like this one with her 8 chicks yesterday:
THEN they strolled on down the SFG side of the house and she taught them how to eat broccoli and lettuce plants.  Fortunately they were too busy pecking at the lawn to pay any attention to her, but now I have turkey lips on some of the leaves.  

OMG, a whole family! Yikes, that's a lot of babies she's got there. I sure hope for your sake that she doesn't pass along her appetite for broccoli and lettuce!

I'm with quiltbea, salivating over my teeny weeny tomatoes. Such anticipation!  

Turkeys are cool!  We have them around here in the country, like you, HG I am on the cusp of country/town, but have never seen them here.

HG, what variety are the ribbed toms in the 2nd photo?
CC

CapeCoddess wrote:HG, what variety are the ribbed toms in the 2nd photo?
CC

Those are Cherokee Purple. I hope they're as good as my friend told me they were.

hammock gal wrote:

CapeCoddess wrote:HG, what variety are the ribbed toms in the 2nd photo?
CC

Those are Cherokee Purple. I hope they're as good as my friend told me they were.

Let us know, OK? Are you going to save seeds for trade if you like them?

CapeCoddess wrote:

hammock gal wrote:

CapeCoddess wrote:HG, what variety are the ribbed toms in the 2nd photo?
CC

Those are Cherokee Purple. I hope they're as good as my friend told me they were.

Let us know, OK?  Are you going to save seeds for trade if you like them?

Will do.

Just so you know, I've grown Cherokee Purples before and I found that the flavor was A+. Enjoy those beauties.

quiltbea wrote:Just so you know, I've grown Cherokee Purples before and I found that the flavor was A+.  Enjoy those beauties.

This is my second year growing them, and I will never be without them.  Amazing vigor, gorgeous color and the taste is over the top ! Sweet, deep and just the summer tomatoes that you remember!  Soft texture.

Thanks for that info quiltbea and scorpio rising...it's all about the flavor! I'm really looking forward to that first bite. 

hammock gal wrote:

CapeCoddess wrote:Thanks, Rock, for opening July so beautifully.

HG, we have turkeys everywhere around here...more and more every year.  They block traffic or stroll thru my yard, like this one with her 8 chicks yesterday:
THEN they strolled on down the SFG side of the house and she taught them how to eat broccoli and lettuce plants.  Fortunately they were too busy pecking at the lawn to pay any attention to her, but now I have turkey lips on some of the leaves.  

OMG, a whole family! Yikes, that's a lot of babies she's got there. I sure hope for your sake that she doesn't pass along her appetite for broccoli and lettuce!

Turkey lips!

This is the second time I'm trying to post these photos I just took with my tablet. I'll go back and label them with edits if I can ever get them to post.

Turkey eaten Rouge d'hiver lettuce, behind it garlic is getting ready to be harvested.
Tomatoes forming on campari and supersonic plants.
The netting on the greens box has kept out the White butterfly.
Carrots with cherry tomatoes behind them.
 Tromboncino squash. =https://servimg.com/view/17528927/2197][/url]
Bolted lettuce, corn, peas

Ground cherries, beets, then chard, then cukes.
Volunteer potato growing in a bucket of pine needles.
cukes. As always happens in this particular box the ones at the lower end do best. =https://servimg.com/view/17528927/2204][/url]
The netting is keeping out the SVB from the Zukes andd delicata... So far anyway.

Lookin' good, CC. I can never get lettuce to look that pretty no matter what time of year I plant it.

countrynaturals wrote:Lookin' good, CC. ...

+1 

Looks like we have similar growth in our gardens.

CapeCoddess wrote: 
Turkey eaten Rouge d'hiver lettuce, behind it garlic is getting ready to be harvested.

Looking good CC.  Is that really garlic behind the lettuce.  It is so big I thought it was corn.