Two weeks ago, I started seeing large balloons meant to deter birds over fields of corn.  Briefly I thought about ordering some, but didn’t. So this is what we found – birds know best when things are ready. We were able to harvest some, and of the ones the birds pecked through, we were able to shuck and save the base portion.

No Corn For You

The “Double Standard” variety is an open-pollinated heirloom, and matures at about 73 days. Planted on 5/30, it matures this weekend (8/11), but with the cool weather it  could have used another week to get bigger. We had a half-ear harvest this weekend. Each stalk has 2 ears, maybe the other ear has enough time to mature too.  Aluminum strips hoisted high on multiple stakes as a bird deterrent for the next several weeks as we wait for the “Silver Queen” variety (8/29).

Scarecrow Up High

I am fascinated by the size of the sunflowers. They are heavy and droopy, not the peppy flowers you see at the farmer’s market.

Sunflower

The seeds are forming, which means more birds are coming.

Sunflower Seeds

I never walk near the tomatos and hadn’t seen this tangle of vines and the burden of fruit they carry.

Untamed Tomato

A whole lot of stakes and velcro ties later, the vines are off the ground. Next year, Dan has an idea to grow them through tiers of metal fencing.

How To Train Your Tomatoes

Similarly with cucumbers, the mess of vines, leaves, and weeds makes it hard to find the cucumber. It’s beyond late to trellis cucumbers now, at harvest time, but I can’t find them otherwise.

Mess of Cucumbers

The yard-long beans took seemingly forever to reach for a trellis. Then suddenly they are spiraling out of control. We jerry-rigged leftever trellis, 1-in netting, chicken wire, and old fashioned string, up to the height of the stakes, which is about 4.5 feet. These beans can go to 8 feet… I will need more height.

Yard Long Beans On Various Trellises

Yard Long Beans

Take a peek at the brussels sprouts forming on the stalk, hiding. Whoever decided to cultivate this strange-looking vegetable would smirk at a new 2014 crossover breed, the brusselkale!

Start of Brussels Sprouts

Summer cucurbits ready for eating. Lemon cucumber, in skin color and shape only, it does not taste like a lemon. Pattypan squash and crookneck squash.

A Golden Harvest

Lots of things from the yellow palette, just a bit of fuschia for fun.