Summer Bounty

Here are some pictures of this year's garden 

(and a really good garden helper).

The garden, mid-June

Sunflowers with a blue sky

A particularly striking sunflower

Thomas holding the gourd plant that I won at the ALHFAM conference auction.
The seedling was donated to the auction by Karen Becker of the Museum of American Frontier Culture,
who received seeds directly from Africa for the West African village site at her museum.
 (The seeds are not available commercially in the USA).  The gourd grows into the shape of a large bottle with very thick skin and is traditionally used as a water carrier. 

Thomas with freshly picked wild blackberries.
I was so proud of Thomas this year.  He stayed with me until we had filled our bowls.
 The first time I took him blackberry picking (when he was two), he sat in the middle of the field and cried.

Thomas holding a scallop squash with the HUGE plants in the background

Thomas with "Mr. Potato Head"

Thomas in his farming clothes, with walking stick (sword) in hand
and Williamsburg straw hat on head.

Thomas helping Mamaw break "October" beans

Thomas with a platter of tomatoes--Cherokee Purple, Black Krim,
Pink Bumblebee, and Mountain Magic--and Mexican sour gherkins
(the little green balls in the corner)

Thomas with our yield of dried cannellini beans.
Organically controlling bean beetles continues to be my greatest gardening challenge.
These little devils particularly like bush beans (like cannellinis),
and they make it particularly difficult to keep plants alive until beans are mature enough to harvest.
 This year was the first year I actually accomplished this task--but just barely.

Fresh ingredients for minestrone soup