We’re just about done with a June tour of The Funny Farm. It’s time to take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Let’s start with the Good.

My One Eggplant

It’s doing great and I have several eggplants on there already, the largest being tennis ball size. I have high hopes for my eggplant and if I get some lovely ones off of it, I’ll do a delicious Ratatouille and share the recipe with you.

The Beginning of Purple Hull Peas

I grew these last year and just loved them. There’s nothing better than freshly cooked black eyed peas to a Southern gal. Add a little cornbread and, voila, you might be able to catch a man. Plus the blooms on them are so pretty.

Delicate, white flowers

I was really worried about the Cowpeas in the beginning at The Funny Farm. In fact, I slapped Ironite on them. They look lush and gorgeous now, though. And they love the heat – the hotter the better so I have high hopes for them.

Now to the Bad.

Peppers just aren’t peppy

They’ve got mottled leaves and the peppers aren’t very big. I’m being patient because they really like the heat, but they just aren’t producing like they did last year. Especially my Mammoth Jalapenos. They’re puny and not very mammoth. Oh well, too hot and windy to stuff them with cream cheese and wrap with bacon to grill. I’m afraid I’ll burn down the neighborhood.

And now to the Ugly. And I mean Ugly.

Funky tomatoes that mostly split on the top

Last year I had bushels of huge tomatoes. Couldn’t keep up with the canning. I have a fantastic recipe for Tomato Basil Spaghetti Sauce and it was a big hit with friends and family. Except Dearly Demented Mom. Too spicy for her.

This year I’ve got probably 2 dozen tomatoes and they’re all small and split.

The best of the bunch

This is the only large, decent tomato out of the garden. Guess I’m just not supposed to do that much canning this year. Last year I canned until I dropped. And then I canned some more.

That was last year’s crop

Oh well, it looks like the weather can really effect your gardening no matter what you do. Me? I’m going to buy some stock in organic fertilizer and nuke everything.

Enjoy your weekend. Don’t know what trouble we’ll get into next week but, trust me, I’ll find some.

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

Mikie Baker
www.mikiebaker.com