Pictures and Visiting with a Friend

I caught this bee pollinating the last of our poppies.

Daisy, my second favorite flower. My first our sunflowers but they aren't blooming yet.
Tri-Colored Sage - We just have it as an ornamental plant, but could be used with food.
We can't believe all the peppers that are coming in. We were told to pick the first pepper that starts on each plant early (Before it is able to be cut up to eat) because it puts all its effort into the one fruit, and if you pick it the plant is more likely to get going on several peppers. We didn't do that this year, does anyone else do that?


I'm thinking this is a case of bottom end rot. I'm not sure of the variety, so I'll look into that. Even with my blog I neglected to previous make a good record of what we planted this year.
We have had three solid days of rain showers, and here is the negative side of that.
One of the perennials I planted - Geranium Hybrid "Rozanne." I also planted a Armeria pseudarmeria, "Joystick Red," and a Gaura, "Whirling butterflies," but the pictures were no so good.
I keep taking pictures of the cilantro. We could never get this to grow before. I think it is ready to be used in some cooking!
I planted our two sucker plants and some of the heirloom tomato seedlings here.
Butternut squash, first time planting this and not really sure what to look for when harvesting, I need to read up on this one.
This is one insect I was happy to see!

*Our harvest the past two days has been cucumbers, squash, and zucchini. I also got my first taste of a couple cherry tomatoes!!! I need to harvest the chard and kale.

Update: I spent a wonderful day with my gardening friend Claudia today. She has a huge garden. We harvested probably the last of her peas and a few other goodies. I insisted on doing some weeding. I actually enjoy weeding and it is a perfect time to chat while you are doing something useful. I learned that it is important to pick the blooms away from any type of squash because they get so moist and yucky and it encourages the rest of the plant to rot. I've also heard that if you pick the squash before the bloom rots that you can cook it too! I also know now to put cardboard or something to prop up my butternut squash so it doesn't rot while waiting to mature in the fall. I did a few of these things when I got home and it finally stopped raining, again. I also tied some more string up to discourage the deer???

Side thought: I just finished a book called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, about a family that spends one year eating mainly from their own garden or local food. As I talk about my fascination with some of the topics in the book, killing turkeys/chickens, milking cows, making cheese, and preserving all sorts of food with my grandparents or maybe some other older folks, sometimes they just look at me like "duh." I forget that they grew up living that way. I just find that interesting and just one more reason I admire them so much. I also wanted to know though if they ever had a clean kitchen. Mine is always a wreck now that the garden is in full swing. Food sitting somewhere to be washed and later prepared in some way, food to give away, scraps for the compost, dishes from cooked food, and of course loads of junk mail. I just can't imagine the kitchens of the 1930s give and take a few years. (They probably didn't have the junk mail, you think that could be the difference!)

If anyone has a favorite, easy cucumber dip to share I'm hoping to experiment soon!