I just made the best banana cake ever! One is going to the freezer. I am also making banana with orange and vanilla bean jam.

Silvia

Yes, Silvia, I have also been weeding part of my garden this morning in preparation for fall gardening. I pulled out old Seminole pumpkin vines, lima bean vines, and yardlong bean vines.

I was considering planting another crop of winter squash too. What variety are you growing? After seeing how far along your winter squash vines are, I wished I had started mine already. I'm going to start them tonight.

Your food looks delicious! I have a bunch of bananas that will be ripening soon. Bananas foster sounds like a great idea to use up bananas.

Christine

Thank you Christine, this year because of the warm winter we had an abundance of bananas like no other year.

I planted only one variety of winter squash this time, an early butternut squash that is more compact and earlier than the regular one. In the community garden they are planting the same and the red kuri, that is also good for fall.

Silvia

and the dog's name is....??? nice veggies! you guys are incredible with your vegetables.

Silvia ~ I don't have any dwarf butternut squash seeds but I do have some red kuri. Thanks.

All of your pictures are making my mouth water! Are those tomatoes staying in the pots? If so, what cultivar are they? I've been looking for the right tomatoes for containers for a while with no luck. My husband hasn't liked any of the cultivars I've grown so far.

Hi M, her name is Buffy and she is my oldest girl, Arizona native.:) My other 2, the small breeds are Nikki that plays ball, and Tiny that likes food and sleep a lot. All my dogs enjoy the veggies in their dinner, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, depending on the season, I hope that they have a long and healthy life...

Christine, the red kuri is loved by chefs, they used the flowers in very good dishes, stuffed with ricotta, just like in Italy. I had a squash blossom focaccia, delicious!

Beo, any variety that is good for the soil is good for the containers. Yes, they are staying in the pots but they will be moved to two locations in the garden, one has more sun than the other. Since I grow for me and the community gardens, I grow a lot of different varieties, I have a lot of varieties to choose from in a season so I rotate them, unless I have a new variety to try and I always do. I try to grow a combination of cherries, medium and large tomatoes, different colors, hybrids and open pollinated. Right now I have about 20 different varieties planted. I asked them in the community gardens to write down the varieties they like most, to grow them again for them, this way it is easier for me. Like if you tell me exactly what you prefer in a tomato, I can name varieties that I have tried already. Which tomatoes your husband didn't like?...

Silvia

Silvia, all that food looks wonderful!

I'm so jealous of everyone's summer and fall gardening plans - I STILL haven't had this baby (should be any day now, so keep your fingers crossed that it is sooner rather than later) but I'm hoping to weed and replant with nursery grown plants once I can bend over again.

Thank you Truscifi.

I had a very young mother with her 2 beautiful children knocking at my door yesterday. She said that she always look at my yard from the trail, and this time she decided to go and look inside to get "inspired". I told her since she lives near by and her yard is empty, to go baby steps and get the help from hubby, little by little and asking questions her yard will start to look more like what she wants.
There is a time for everything and now you are having a baby, congratulations! and you have to let us know how everything goes and if possible post the picture of the newborn so we can all share your happiness. From experience I can tell you that I work till the day that I had my baby, just be careful and don't get hurt.

Silvia

Banana-orange-vanilla bean jam. It is so delicious!

Silvia

Silvia,

He likes big red juicy tomatoes. I tried Better Boy and the one that starts with an HM followed by numbers. The HM one did not do well for me at all. The Better Boy just got too big and eventually I had to throw it out, but the tomatoes I got from it were very good. I guess I'm looking for a smaller plant that produces large tomatoes!

Stephanie

Hi Stephanie

For a variety that produces reliable and does not get too big, you can try the determinate Florida 91. I am growing 2 plants of those for the community garden and will see how they do.

I also like varieties that stay small and last year I tried the New Big Dwarf and it was good, produced decent tomatoes and is a small plant, this year I am also growing one and have to find a place to put it.

And all my tomatoes are in their places, I have the smaller fruit varieties in one side

And the larger in another side

I grow all sort of tomatoes for different tastes but my very favorite are the bi-colors and hearts. Your hubby probably would enjoy a good Brandywine tomato, but those get big and not all are the same, some are not productive. The variety that I am growing for me and the community garden is a Brandywine from Monticello and I was very pleased with the flavor and production.

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: new big dwarf

Thanks for the tips, Silvia! Your garden and tomato set up look gorgeous, as always -- so very neat and clean looking!

Everything looks beautiful as always Silvia. Happy Gardening!

Thank you Stephanie, one more choice for tomatoes is the Beefmaster that Tom likes and is a good flavored and big tomato, you can get it at the big box stores. If you put it on a big pot and on top of soil with a cage and keep tying them up, when they are put on top of concrete they are not too successful. My tomatoes in the pots always grow some roots out of the pots.

Thank you Amber, I will be getting ready to grow the cold season crops soon,probably start some broccoli, cauliflower, collards...

Happy gardening to all!

Silvia

Here is an update on my garden...

Another banana is flowering.-(

Papayas in the container are ripening, so many at a time!

Some butternut squash forming

And zucchini

Eggplants, cannot eat them fast enough.:)

Silvia

Silvia...now have a total of three eggplants...when should I pick them.?.. the figs are big and soft but still have just a bit of green..since they are soft does that mean it is time to pick? Thanks. Maxine

Hi Maxine

I don't know what happened to your eggplants but for sure something is wrong, all the eggplants that I gave away are either producing a lot like mine or dead because one reason or other when they planted them. I pick the eggplants while they are still glossy, later on when dull color they are overripe.

I am getting a second crop of figs, mine are still green and the first crop is already harvested.

They are supposed to look like these when ripe...

{{gwi:84217}}

Silvia

Maxine, I have a question for you, when do I harvest the sugarcane? it is getting big and the canes have a yellow tinge.

Silvia

Silvia...I am going to pick the softest fig and an eggplant tomorrow. I have been cutting my sugarcanes for awhile now.. yours should be ready cut one and test it for sweetness.. enjoy..

Thanks Maxine, I will be cutting some canes and will make mojito stirrers for the weekend:) Do you feel like cooking eggplant today? I just harvested some and if you can come today by my house, send me an email or call me before you come...

Silvia