I’ve had nothing but problems with my cukes this year. First, I had to replant 3 times. Either the heat or the pill bugs were getting to my cucumber seeds.

Finally, they started to grow

I like to make crunchy dill pickles and I have a great canning recipe for that. So I plant pickling cucumbers from seed as you can never find starts of pickling cucumbers at the nursery. I’ve always planted Boston Pickling Cucumbers, but this year I found another variety – Sumter – and planted those also. Though I’ve only had 5 cukes appear so far, I’m leaning towards the Sumter’s. We shall see.

I also planted  a stand of Straight Eights because I like cucumber salad and cuke sandwiches. Most of them died, so I bought some more at the plant sale.

Hmm, odd looking cucumbers

The reason they’re odd looking is because they are yellow squash. Pretty funny. Guess that’s why I call it The Funny Farm. So I’m left with 2 Straight Eight plants, neither of which have produced anything so far. I still have my hopes.

This is how the cukes looked yesterday

They’re growing, with plenty of blossoms, but this is all I’ve managed to get from them so far.

Pitiful Cukes

Okay, well at least one of the three is decent. Problem is that I’ve planted dill everywhere so I can make dill pickles.

A real Dilly

This plant’s as tall as I am. Look at all those dill heads. They will be dead by the time I have enough pickles to can. Gardening’s all about timing, isn’t it?

Not enough to fill a jar

Knowing me, I’ll do something insane like go buy a case of pickling cucumbers for $20 just so I can use my great dill heads. And jars, and lids, and vinegar, and pickling salt…

Well at least I’ve got something the heat isn’t getting to.

Zinnias for Dearly Demented Mom

Tomorrow, we’re talking squash. I think squash season has peaked with all this heat and drought.

Spreading laughter throughout the world…one chuckle at a time. Pray for DDM.

Mikie Baker
www.mikiebaker.com