Cucumber update: The plants are growing like crazy and have almost grown over the small metal supports that I put into the container. I have to water them quite a bit due to the really hot temperatures and lack of rain in Kentucky.
I spent a good part of the weekend watering my yard and plants, and doing some weeding. That is one of my least favorite yard chores. One of my German Shepherds is being bitten on the ears by flies so I am trying a new pest spray for animals. It is neem-oil based and is not supposed to have any dangerous chemicals so we will see how that works over the next several weeks.
I rarely go to the movies anymore but I managed to go see Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer this weekend with a friend. It was much better than the first Fantastic Four movie and a great break from an otherwise busy weekend. I would recommend it to moviegoers who like light, action movies based on comic book characters. If you want to award winning acting and script writing, go see something else. The special effects were very good and it was fast paced and a good length at about an hour and a half.
The rest of the weekend was spent doing typical house chores, running errands, and taking care of my cat, Irish, who has fatty liver disease. I have to syringe a good deal of food and protein supplements down her throat to make sure she is eating enough. Luckily one of my cat-loving friends was in town and came over three times each day to help with the feeding and to give her medicine and subcutaneous fluids. I am happy to report that Irish is doing much better than she was several weeks ago, and I am hopefully for a full recovery in several months.
I also was able to spend some time with my father and my grandfather, which is always nice. My grandfather just turned 87 and it’s only been in the last year that he has started to slow down and have health problems that are effecting how much he can do. At age 34 I would be happy to have as much energy as he has right now.
I finished out the weekend by having a good dinner and great conversation at O’Charley’s restaurant with one of my best friends Sunday night. I love their potato soup and they have really good rolls. They also make fairly good Strawberry daiquiri, which happens to be my favorite alcoholic drink.
Overall it was a good weekend that was both fun and productive, if still way too busy.
Showing posts with label cucumbers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cucumbers. Show all posts
Monday, June 18, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Gardening Adventures- Cucumbers
I have decided to pursue gardening this summer with the hopes that I will reap several benefits. The first point of this exercise is to have a beautiful yard and deck and to hopefully have some delicious vegetables and herbs. I have grown a few tomatoes and herbs in the past, but this year I am going to be more adventurous. Gardening is also good exercise and I actually enjoy getting my hands full of dirt from time to time. I also think gardening will be a good way to try and slow down a bit, since you cannot rush how fast your plants will grow.
I am mainly using containers on and around my deck for the vegetables and herbs since my two large German shepherds have pretty much claimed the rest of the backyard. I do have a large flower garden in the back that surrounds a beautiful dogwood tree, but the plants have to be fairly hardy to withstand the dogs and their obsession with the squirrels.
My first new vegetable adventure is a large container of Straight Eight cucumbers. I have 12 plants in a mixture of organic soil and compost. I planted them when there were just seedlings, but the plants are already getting quite large. I may have too many in one container. They are in full sun for most of the day and they are getting watered every night. My research on these plants suggests adding some fertilizer when the plants start to blossom and give fruit. According to most accounts, cucumbers are pretty easy to grow and should give fruit all summer long.
On Burpee’s website there is a suggestion to grow the plants on trellises to maximize space and to increase the yield, so I may see if I can find or build some small support structures to put in my pot. Cucumbers are susceptible to various bugs, disease, and fungus but I plan to use a homemade spray I make out of neem oil if any problems arise. Neem oil is quite effective to keep pests at bay, but is an organic substance that will not harm mammals. I never use any type of chemicals in my yard because of the dogs and I do not want to pollute the water table anymore that it already is.
Apparently this variety is best picked when the cucumbers are 6-8 inches long, and harvesting should encourage more fruit production. I am planning to share quite a bit if I have a good harvest since cucumbers do not last long in the refrigerator. I actually hate pickles so I won’t bother using that type of preservation technique either.
My favorite way to eat a cucumber is make a Benedictine spread to serve with crackers or other fresh veggies. Everyone has a similar recipe but this is how I like to make it…
BENEDICTINE SPREAD
1 fresh cucumber- peel and grate, remove some liquid in small colander
Package of cream cheese- softened
1/8-1/4 of a white or yellow onion- depending on how strong a flavor you want
Dollop of mayo- fresh is better
Dollop of sour cream
Salt/Pepper to taste
Add fresh dill, basil, chives to change up the flavor a bit
Blend everything in a blender or food processor and serve
I am mainly using containers on and around my deck for the vegetables and herbs since my two large German shepherds have pretty much claimed the rest of the backyard. I do have a large flower garden in the back that surrounds a beautiful dogwood tree, but the plants have to be fairly hardy to withstand the dogs and their obsession with the squirrels.
My first new vegetable adventure is a large container of Straight Eight cucumbers. I have 12 plants in a mixture of organic soil and compost. I planted them when there were just seedlings, but the plants are already getting quite large. I may have too many in one container. They are in full sun for most of the day and they are getting watered every night. My research on these plants suggests adding some fertilizer when the plants start to blossom and give fruit. According to most accounts, cucumbers are pretty easy to grow and should give fruit all summer long.
On Burpee’s website there is a suggestion to grow the plants on trellises to maximize space and to increase the yield, so I may see if I can find or build some small support structures to put in my pot. Cucumbers are susceptible to various bugs, disease, and fungus but I plan to use a homemade spray I make out of neem oil if any problems arise. Neem oil is quite effective to keep pests at bay, but is an organic substance that will not harm mammals. I never use any type of chemicals in my yard because of the dogs and I do not want to pollute the water table anymore that it already is.
Apparently this variety is best picked when the cucumbers are 6-8 inches long, and harvesting should encourage more fruit production. I am planning to share quite a bit if I have a good harvest since cucumbers do not last long in the refrigerator. I actually hate pickles so I won’t bother using that type of preservation technique either.
My favorite way to eat a cucumber is make a Benedictine spread to serve with crackers or other fresh veggies. Everyone has a similar recipe but this is how I like to make it…
BENEDICTINE SPREAD
1 fresh cucumber- peel and grate, remove some liquid in small colander
Package of cream cheese- softened
1/8-1/4 of a white or yellow onion- depending on how strong a flavor you want
Dollop of mayo- fresh is better
Dollop of sour cream
Salt/Pepper to taste
Add fresh dill, basil, chives to change up the flavor a bit
Blend everything in a blender or food processor and serve
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