Gardening

[Andybev01]

The apartment building I moved into has a community garden and zucchini appears to be the crop of choice.

[MauEvig]

I think there's a lot of factors that go into consideration when it comes to gardening. For one thing, it can be really difficult to determine the weather patterns from year to year. Sure the farmer's almanac can help, but even that isn't going to predict day to day rainfall. It might give you a broad perspective or idea of what the weather might be like.
You also have to take soil conditions and pests into consideration. Squash bugs are going to make any kind of squash plant or relative, including our favorite the humble pumpkin die off easily.
Typically zucchini is pretty easy to plant depending on where you live. Although I tended to struggle with my own garden for a while, I'm starting to learn tricks to make mine better. I'm still not 100% where I'd like to be with it though.
Zucchini produces a lot and there's a lot you can do with it, so that's probably why it's so popular. Murf shared a zucchini bread recipe on here somewhere, so if you get ahold of some that's one way to use it. I remember making it one time and it turned out really good! Murf, I can't remember if I told you that or not.
I bought some stuff to address the squash bugs. I hate resorting to pesticides, but after they destroyed my little jack be little plants and my compost gourds, I noticed one on my pumpkin plant. I was like OH HECK NO! I got some pesticides yesterday and I'm going to try them. It's time to go to war you guys!

[Andybev01]

Get those pests, get them good!!

Our forecast for today is smokey with a chance of coughing.

[Murfreesboro]

Glad you enjoyed the zucchini bread! I haven't made any yet this summer. I need to get on that.

[MauEvig]

I'll have to make it again sometime. It's been a while! I know it's odd that I like having it for Thanksgiving, but that's what my family did.

But for now it looks like I'll be eating a lot of veggies and lean meats on the South Beach diet. (But I'm going to at least sneak a couple peanut butter cups for Halloween )

[Murfreesboro]

I have four seasonal breads I make. Cranberry orange for Christmas, lemon blueberry for Easter, zucchini in August (both my sons have August birthdays), and pumpkin oatmeal in October. I cook a lot at Thanksgiving, but I don't do bread then.

[Andybev01]

Update: a photo from my sister, showing progress.

[Murfreesboro]

I love that photo, with the pumpkins nestled beneath the vines.

You know, up above I said I make pumpkin oatmeal bread every fall, but I misspoke. It's pumpkin apple bread. I think I even got the recipe from an apple cookbook.

[Andybev01]

Either version sounds delicious.

I'm going to inaugurate my oven this week by baking a pumpkin bundt cake with a maple glaze.

I found a vintage pan with a large center chimney as opposed to a modern version with an inadequate tube that doesn't allow even cooking in the center of a cake.

[Murfreesboro]

Bon appetit!

[MauEvig]

So far just one lonely pumpkin and a few gourds. Thanks, squashbugs!

Better than nothing I guess. But we'll be getting tomatoes and tons of beans by the looks of it. So that's something.

[Andybev01]

I'm told that there are squash bugs in my garden at the old house but they've sprayed oil and soap and it looks like there will be a crop.

[MauEvig]

I tried pouring soapy water with dawn dish soap on my plants that had the squash bugs on them, but sadly they still died anyway.
When I saw just one of those pests on my pumpkin plants, I went and got some spray on pesticide. So far so good, but too little too late for my jack be littles and gourds.

[Murfreesboro]

That's so disappointing!

[MauEvig]

It is, Murf. But it is what it is. If I get at least one pumpkin, I'll be happy. Maybe I'll save the seeds for next year.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do next year yet. My beans have been extremely successful, and since they add nitrogen to the soil I might rotate around and plant them elsewhere, and add peat moss.
As for pumpkins, I need to figure out a way to get rid of the bugs permanently. I could take a break and just buy a pumpkin next year, but I feel like it's more fun to grow them. But the break could mean the bugs could starve since they'd have nothing to feed on next summer. I did like those "candy corn" pumpkins from last year and I may get another one if I can find them. I was kind of hoping a variation of those would come back in the compost, but all I got were the gourds.
Decisions, decisions...
I may still buy some minis when I find them at the store. I really like the tiger stripe ones, but I think the idea of anything even remotely resembling a cat is cute so...