Friday, August 29, 2008

The raspberries are leaving, and the pumpkins are coming



Well, we finally got a new camera, so here goes an attempt to brighten up the old blog. (Because everyone knows that pictures make a blog more exciting, right? :)

Anyway, our raspberries (pictured are some of the few remaining stalwarts) have decided that their season is over--but hey, it was a good run. They arrived late, but once they were here, they were here in force. We enjoyed them, as we imagine and heard that the people that we shared them with did. They were a little hard to keep up with, and that is all good.

We now turn our attention to the pumpkin patch, whose plants this year appear to have taken on the opinion that it's fashionable to have produce in all kinds of stages of growth, as evidenced by Exhibit A, a picture of one of the flowers:



Exhibit B, which we have decided to label "baby pumpkin":



And Exhibit C, who has been voted "most likely to be ready by October":



And yes, these were all taken just this evening--there was no time-lapse photography involved.

It's been a little strange this growing season weather-wise, but it's exciting to see some of the produce coming around. We did just get some yellow squash and zucchini and corn from our neighbors over the fence, which we appreciate greatly. Their corn turned out better than ours did, and it's wonderful of them to share.

Having seen so many great things on other blogs, I think our variety of produce will increase next year--growing fresh food is a great source of food storage. Seeds start out small, which is ideal for storage, but when things work out, there's a tremendous yield that just keeps giving. Just remember to use and store non-hybrid seeds whenever possible so that you can try and try again... :)

4 comments:

The Scavenger said...

Great pictures, glad you got a new camera andI know you are too. Pumpkins are looking really good too. Any plans to can or preserve the extra. Once again, glad you got a camera.

Chris

Marie said...

Chris--It's nice to have a camera that works in color again. :) As for the pumpkins, to be honest, I have no idea how to can or preserve them, so any information you can send my way would be greatly appreciated. My husband plants them for the kids, but it would be great to be able to eat them afterwards. All we usually do is clean the seeds out and carve them, so I have never "harvested" the meat of the pumpkin--but I would love to know how. I love pumpkin soup (but we have only made it with store-canned pumpkin.)

Marie

Ron said...

That's some really nice-looking pumpkin foliage and fruit. We had pumpkins that were still green at frost time turn orange in our basement up north over the winter, and eventually became pumpkin soup and roasted seeds in the spring.

Sometimes I feel that the pictures tell the story better than I do. Enjoy your new camera! :)

Ron

Marie said...

Ron--The new camera is a lot of fun. Hope that it can catch a pumpkin turning orange soon... :)
I'm hoping that we can actually turn the pumpkins into a food source this year--it would be a step forward. Thanks for your comment!