Harvest Monday 20120507
Since I wrote at length about gardening books yesterday I’ll make this one a quick one.
We had one squash (larger than the rest because the Resident Storm Chaser decided he didn’t want to pick it while it was still “gourmet” sized). 
My boy and girl squash are too darned flirty for their own good. They won’t open on the same days so we can get some serious harvest. People laugh at me and my Q-tip pollination saying the day will come when I am so overrun with squash I will look back at my naive baby-gardener self with fond indulgence.
All I can say is, bring it on! If I can fill my freezer with my own home-grown squash I will be a very happy Pooks.
Meanwhile, the costanza romanesca and the Benning’s green that I grew from seed only have boy blossoms, and today, the crookneck we bought as bedding plants didn’t have any girls, either. Nor did the straightneck we planted from seeds. A sad day for Q-tips.
A word about the costata romanesca that I continually call “costanza” by mistake. That is such a huge name and I have been trying to think of something else to call them so from this moment forward I hereby call them George.
Anyway, no baby squashes will be pollinated today, damn it.
We have peppers growing, okra not yet blooming, potatoes make me itch wondering whether there are really any potatoes under the earth, and lots of herbs and such. Oh yes, eggplant. I do hope the eggplant produces because I’d also love to have moussaka in my freezer. Yum!
Finally, the primary harvest this week was greens. Ruby chard, blood sorrel and leaf lettuce. The Resident Storm Chaser wrote the weights as I called them out, and I don’t know where he wrote them. Anyway, my gorgeous harvest:
My friend Rita has become my cohort in crime when it comes to exulting over the most minor garden miracle, like, fresh-picked lettuce for a salad that–gasp–tastes like real lettuce! And she did that! And so did I!
We call ourselves the Sisterhood of the Musical Fruits.
Now, to grow some beans. And hope my scarlet runners do better than craft-cristy’s because I’d really hate to think that Thomas Jefferson was right when he only used them as ornamentals!
More wonderful Harvest Mondays at Daphne’s Dandelions!
Thanks for linking me. I have been doing a little covert hand-pollination of the squash plants , too. I wasn’t going to mention it, but since you did, I’ll admit it. Even with my “help,” I only have 2 squashes on the plant, and they aren’t big enough just yet.
I say bring it on, too. I want to fill my freezer with my own homegrown squash.
Last year was a total bust for me, so every harvest is met with something akin to awe.
My Q-tip reports on facebook brought about a mini-revolt from Miss Max who said she would never be able to look a yellow squash in the eye again!
I was so afraid this entire thing would be a bust. I’m so relieved to be meeting with some success, at least.
I hold out great expectations for Frankensquash. Also if I were to visit you with one of my many baby peas, we could become the Sisterhood of the Traveling Plants.
You have baby peas??? I don’t have baby peas. ::pout::
George…lolol
My husband will appreciate the name-change since yesterday we were both struggling over what to call those things.
Love your writing, so entertaining.
Beautiful greens. Hoping my lettuce reach harvest size soon. Still too cold to plant squash, so will be a while before there is any harvest.
But you’re getting all those delicious cool weather crops. Thank you!
Greetings fellow Texan! Your squash and my squash should make a date. I only have female blossoms right now. I planted my potatoes around Valentine’s Day. I only have had luck with onion sets if I plant them in the fall (October 15ish). In the spring, onion plants have produced some small onion bulbs for me.
I said they were Baptist–boy squash and girls squash weren’t allowed in the same Sunday School class. (Not sure if that’s true any more but it was at my Nana’s Baptist church when I was growing up!) Thanks for explaining about the potatoes. I’m just worried I won’t get any. We’ll see!
I like your new name – “George” is much easier to say and recall.
The garden really is a marvel and miracle and source of continued learning and oftentimes mystery. And people wonder why we are so in love with our kitchen gardens!?
Thanks for stopping by! I’ve wanted a garden for years and am thrilled to finally have one. It’s an adventure!
Its very decorous of you to use a q-tip as an intermediary. Personally I just break off the boy and (I’m trying to think of a suitable word here….) …shall we say wave it intimately over the girl flower. It does seem to work.
Thanks for the “tip!” Next time I may just save the cotton!
I like to rename my plants as well. My Genovese Basil is now simply Geno in the garden!
You Garden Looks Wonderful
Geno. Of course! I may have to borrow that one!
Great looking goods you’ve got there! And you squash stories are just too funny
Thanks!
Now i think you should just leave them alone, how embarrassing to be watched and Q tiped!
I want to eat their young. What else is a bad girl to do? LOL
I had the same problem last year and pollinated the babies exactly the way Liz did with hers.
Perhaps I have been too delicate!