It’s time once again for Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. I’ve got a lot of photos this week, so I’m going to do a few of them in collages so I can share as many as possible. There were also some notable ‘firsts’ last week too. The berries are coming on strong now, with my wife harvesting blueberries and me picking the blackberries. We have plenty for fresh eating plus we have started freezing them for later use.
blueberries and blackberries
The cucurbit family was well represented last week in harvests, with summer squashes from the veggie garden and cucumbers from the greenhouse. I’ve been freezing some of the squashes, and so far we have managed to keep up with the cucumber harvests. I also pulled four more of the big Kossak kohlrabis, some of which I will likely turn into kraut and kimchi.
summers squashes, cucumbers and kohlrabi
The big news of the week was that I harvested the first eggplant and the first tomatoes of 2021. These are growing in various containers and grow bags, and have given us a jump start on the season while we wait for the in-ground plantings to begin fruiting. Red Racer cluster tomato is a 2018 All-America Selections winner and I have two plants growing in 15 gallon Smart Pots. They are loaded with fruit, and it’s been a dependable performer for me ever since it was introduced.
Red Racer tomatoes
The eggplants came from Patio Baby, Fairy Tale and Gretel, which are all three AAS Winners from years past and some of my favorites for growing in containers. We roasted this modest harvest, and the plants are loaded with more blooms and developing fruits.
first eggplant of 2021
And last but not least I got another head of Bergam’s green lettuce that we used to make a wilted lettuce salad. I still have a few more plants of lettuce to harvest, but the pickings will be slim until the cooler weather of autumn.
Bergam’s Green lettuce
In non-harvest news, bees both small and large are loving our Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) blooms right now. It was planted here when we bought the place in 2007, and is still going strong. I made the video yesterday morning when the plants were literally buzzing with bees!
Harvest Monday is a day to show off your harvests, how you are saving your harvest, or how you are using your harvest. If you have a harvest you want to share, add your name and blog link to Mr Linky below. And be sure and check out what everyone is harvesting!