Pumpkin Pickin!

We like to go out to the Farm occassionally for pickin and playing! Since we didn't have any pumpkins make it this year due to the dreaded SVB, we spent the afternoon at the Farm for pumpkin pickin. And the kids sure do enjoy it!

When we went for Strawberry pickin in June, DD had more strawberries in her mouth and all over her than in the basket!

This is a view of one of the pumpkins fields and this place was packed with people today because of a fall festival. The field we went to was not as busy as the others!

We rode on a trailer pulled by a tractor, like a hayride, out to the fields. Their were a lot of tractors with trailors today! DS kept saying "there are tractors everywhere mommy!"

The kids next to some of the pre-picked pumpkins and squash.

After the fields we went to the childrens barnyard to play for a bit...the kids LOVE the 40 foot barn slide!

This is a really fun place to go with the kids. Lots of fun and activities for them. And lots of good fresh fruits and vegetables to bring home (depending on the time of year).

I definitely suggest this place for a place to visit for the afternoon if you are ever in the area! Both of the Farm links at the top are different, not sure why they are not linked together, but it is all the same farm! (I guess one is more for the winery...but they should still link them together.)

We did pick out 3 nice pumpkins...DD picked out a smaller, warty looking pumpkin and DS picked out a couple that were too big for him to carry, but they are nice looking.

Homemade Fresh Salsa!

This is my harvest so far this week. The tomatoes are coming in...several a day!

I went ahead and picked some Serrano's even though they look small and are not red yet cause I wanted to use these tomatoes!

Mmmm. Fresh salsa! Hopefully the peppers have some heat even though we have had a lot of rain! If not I will have to go to the store and get some to add to it.

Recipe:

(as stated before I am not one for measuring...)

a big bunch of tomatoes (if I am buying at the store I usually start with 4-6 lbs)

1 bunch of cilantro

1 bunch green onions

1 med yellow onion

4, 5, 6 cloves garlic, depending on how much you like garlic! We like lots!

lime juice (maybe about a tbs or 2)

6-7 decent size Serrano peppers (better if they are red, but green is OK too) Throw the whole thing in seeds and all if you like it hot.

salt to taste

******

Ug, these things are just everywhere out there since I have not been out there much. I caught one batch in the middle of hatching and did not have my camera. It was quite the sight, a whole bunch of the little buggers!

Here is one by himself, but there are several. Not sure what to do as I don't have the energy to chase them all down and kill them. (by the way these are baby squash bugs)

My pumpkin (on the neighbors side of the fence) is growing. It is probably about the size of a small basketball now. These are the sugar pumpkins so they won't get real big any way. Still no sign of a pollinated giant pumpkin, even though I have seen some pea sized ones, they must not be getting pollinated. Not much time left... ***sad face here***guess we'll have to take the kids to the farm for pickin! That is always fun too!

Washed out and neglected...and survivors!

Overall, Louisville has had about 5 inches of rain in the past few days, but our specific area has had more than 8 inches in very heavy spurts...and sadly it has washed away some of our hard work in the garden! What a mess! But it is fixable, at least maybe by next season.

We really should have gotten some good edging in before a big rain like this...but time was lacking! We had some 4x4's around to try to keep it all in but it just didn't work! Live and learn! We'll do better next time! That's what we get planting the garden right where the water runs from the front yard to the back, but it is the sunniest location! We just need to get it all ironed out! And who knew we would have such a cool rainy season!

This is a pile of tomatoes, serrano peppers and marigolds practically all smashed to the ground together!

The smallest and an unlikely survivor out of the tomatoes practically flattened.

The bugs are taking their toll on the cucumbers.

Catface is still hanging on, getting huge and not a hint of red yet!

I am looking forward to all these tomatoes turning red...but they sure are taking their sweet time!

Babies! The new pumpkins the kids planted. I guess the rain was good for them!


Even though the bottom of the cucumber plants look a little rough, overall, the whole cucumber and watermelon trellis is looking pretty full!

Sugar pumpkin still hanging on, need to shoot it up with some BT again cause it looks like more SVB frass is coming out of it. But it is looking much longer after the rain and growing like crazy...just needs some pumpkins on it!!!!

These two tomato cages are about to fall over they are so heavy and rain drenched.

We have a lot of clean up to do if it gets dry enough this weekend to work out there. Right now it is SO water logged!

Pg anemia has hit and I am glad to know, so maybe after some iron I will have some energy to get out in the garden again...assuming we don't keep getting rained out! How nice it will be to give my garden the attention it needs!

Vegetable Garden in Progress

We have been working in the garden today, even though the kids and I have been sick. I just got it last night, they are getting over it.

Last fall we transplanted some hostas from the back yard to around the front tree. Some did not make it so I transplanted some more, that would be the smaller ones. Hopefully they will catch up with a little care and fertilizer.

We finally put some compost down on the side bed. Now it just needs and edge.

The pumpkins, melons, and flowers are doing well, as long as the cats and bunnies stay away. One has been nibbled on already.

On the left is one seeded and one seedless watermelon and Lemon and American Slicing Cucumbers. In the back is tomato and oregano, I trimmed the oregano down. Hope that helps it along. In the middle I have some cilantro and habanero peppers. And a Serrano pepper on the right side.

Here I have bell peppers in the middle. Cabbage in the left bottom corner. And some Acorn seedling just starting to come up in the right bottom corner.

Tomato, Broccoli, cabbage, catnip, and another Acorn seedling. There is some more tomato and Serrano pepper behind the big tomato plant.

This was the first bed started with tomato, beans, lettuce, chard, spicy bush basil, and I just added some summer squash to the left. It all appears to be doing well even though most of it was late getting going.

An overall view. Still haven't got the paths in yet. Maybe when we don't have so much other work to do in the yard. It isn't a top priority as long as the garden is growing!