First Green Bean Harvest.....and doing battle with bugs

Green beans!  The 'Contender' bush beans had a nice sized harvest.  Two of my kids helped snap them as I reminisced of snapping beans on the back patio with my mom.  My kids normally are not fans of green beans (they actually prefer canned to frozen - EEEEKKKK!) but I promised to fix them in the least healthiest (and best tasting) way - slow cooked with bacon.  I also let them stick a little at the end - I know - but I love that taste!  They actually liked them.  My 2nd oldest had seconds!

Also discovered Japanese Beetles going to town on my runner bean tepee.  Sprayed the runner beans with Organicide from Lowe's.

Status of Melons, Red Bell Pepper and Bean Tepee

My first attempt at cantaloupe in the south, both plants ('Hale's Jumbo' and 'Ambrosia') have set some good looking melons.

The bean tepee is thriving and the red bell peppers are getting larger, but not ripening yet.

2nd Fish Emulsion Feeding

Today I returned to my garden after being gone for 2 weeks.  I weeded, trimmed, tied and fed it.  Not to mention some serious harvesting!

Planted fall squash, caged the last tomatoes and some of the peppers

Planted a row of acorn squash and a row of butternut squash.  The two poles mark the rows until the seedlings sprout.

Today I caged the last of the tomatoes before leaving town for two weeks.  Luckily my hubby and oldest (along with my younger two!) are going to care for the garden.  Unfortunately none of them LOVE it the way I do!

Some of peppers are getting so full of fruit, their bending the plant over.  For the first time ever, I think I'm going to cage my peppers.  I had to tie one up that tipped over in the last storm.

The beans are all going nuts.  The bean teepee with Ky Wonder and Scarlet Runner beans is filling in nicely.  Both the bush beans (contender and tendperpod) are doing well.  I've never had much luck growing beans here in the south.  I did much better in the north.  Hope this year is better.

The sunflowers are starting to come up behind the squash and zucchini

Another harvest

Today we harvested LARGE zucchini, summer squash, tons of banana peppers.  

Put new support stakes in the already caged early girls and bradley.

How's everything doing

Things are growing well.  We've had decent rain and LOTS of heat.  Need to finish picking the lettuce before it starts to bolt.

Squash & Zucchini are growing like gangbusters.

Both beds are starting to fill in and green up...

The runner beans ('scarlet runner' and 'Ky wonder') are starting to work their way up the poles.

(From left to right)

bush beans 'contender', carrots, mint (top center), cilantro (bottom center), Mr. Stripey tomato (top right) and apple mint (bottom right)

6-12 garden work

Fed today with fish emulsion

Caged part of the 2nd bed tomatoes (pink brandywine)

caged the German Queen tomato

Put landscape fabric under the melons

can see the sweet potatoes (top of pic) filling in some