Here they come!

The first picture is one of the zuchini squashes, the second is the zuchini and punkins together (punkins at the bottom).

Those punkin plants are getting huge already - I knew they got big, but WOW!!! In another day or two the flower buds on the punkins will open.... They have flowers starting everywhere. But those vines...

Ever see the old fifties movie "The Thing"? I feel like the guy in it that asked "HOW BIG DO YOU THINK IT WILL GET?"

This is great! I love it!

 

I was more of a fan for the John Carpenter re-make in the 80s.

 

Don't know if I saw that one or not. But that stuff is growing like KUDZU!!!!

 

My squash blooms are about the same as yours Wolfie.

 

Blooms are bustin' out all over everything Howard - the punkins are flowered, the thai peppers have peppers started, the squash is blooming left and right.

I'm spending this weekend with the tiller getting another 40' by 20' patch laid out for punkins and watermellons. The punkins have got me hooked... They are spreading out faster than the Los Angeles suburbs, and I heard mellons get even bigger! THAT I've just got to see.

I figure I'll have room for four more punkin and three mellon hills (three vines each).

 

Just make sure you have the "dust" ready for those two otherwise they will get eaten alive by bugs before they get anywhere beyond blooms.

 

I've heard rodents and snakes will get up under them an holler 'em out from the bottom too... I guess it's time to look at my old friend MALATHION, much as I'd like to avoid it.

 

Any Y'all around Munford/Atoka - remember me around October. No sence buying a punkin when I'll have so many I won't have any idea what to do with them all.

I'll keep you posted on the 'Mellons too.

To me it's a hobby - these plants fascinate me. I've already decided that all my neighbors will have free Jack-O'-Lanterns out of it.....

*To my amazement they ARE beyond buds now - the ones in back of my house have punkins started, and I'll be watching them like a natural history channel. I figure if someone from FTE shows up and there is a good punkin anywhere in the yard it is theirs for the asking....

 

NEW PICTURES tomorrow - I have pumpkins, corn, peppers, and Zuchini all beginning to form on the plants already...

Things are looking VERY cool!

 

Okay - this is the west garden. The east garden is pumpkin and watermellon. The mellons are just now taking hold, so they don't look near this big yet. Everything got dusted and fertilized yesterday, since something nipped one of my pepper plants in half!

Hopefully it will recover...

 

This will seem really strange - coming as it does from a white man.

Tonight at the first sign of thunder I walked out into my yard with a pinch of tobacco. (I roll my own smokes)

I said to the sky:

"Welcome cloud spirits! I honor you with tobacco"

- and scattered the handful I brought -

"Bless us and my plants with the waters that you hold, so that they will be healthy and strong"

and the first rain droplets fell...



Maybe it means nothing, maybe it works. Maybe it is just a thing that feels good.

I enjoyed it

I DO know that it is raining now - and that is good for my crops.

Mysticism? Call it want you want. Do you pray to God when you plant a garden? Most people skip that step....


There is something spiritual about plants growing though.... I can't define it exactly.



I think it does help

 

Picture this in your mind and hold it when you see your garden:

May the green growing things we want become great - and untroubled by weeds and useless things
May they fruit and expand with abundance beyond all of our expectations
May water come to them so that they have all that they need
May their bounty exceed anything we have seen before

For this we pray -

AMEN

Tell that prayer over your plants....



I bet something happens!

 

Is Noah building another boat? Almost seems like that - but at least most of the rain has been at night.

I harvested some of the Hungarian Hot Wax peppers I have going today just to unburden the plants - I didn't think they were ripe yet...

OH BOY! Was I mistaken.

I forgot to factor in what direct Tennessee sun would do to them! They're every bit as hot as Jalapenos!!!


So NOW I seriously have to wonder about these little numbers:

 

The ONE AND ONLY CUCUMBER I got for all my troubles! The rain and bugs did in the vines before I could set out poison that wouldn't be washed away.

I will give it this though - it just about stuffed a one gallon pickle jar all by itself