Forgot these too:

Our first real crop of Loquats. Last year we got about 1 dozen of them, because this tree's pretty young. It was planted some years ago when the in-laws gifted it to us. this year we got about 350 loquats. I always ate these as a kid, but liked them best before they were real ripe. Always liked a tangy bite to fruits. I did use some of these as spice for some salmon we ate this week.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...tol2012051.jpg



Also, a bumper crop of lemons. I've been juicing them by the hundreds. Then strain the juice and pour it into one of those old ice trays with the long lever on the top. they make the biggest cubes. We been freezing up zip-lock baggies full and sticking them in the bottom of the freezer for summer and beyond. Also, my wife's been making lemonade.


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...tol2012049.jpg

Check out the size of these Radishes. Big ones!


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...selemon013.jpg



also, strange coincidence, but this lemon grew on our tree and I found it during the eclipse last weekend. I call it eclipse lemon.



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...selemon011.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...selemon003.jpg



And here's pictures of the eclipse shadows refracting on our wall as we saw it just before I picked the lemon:



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...tol2012005.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...tol2012002.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...tol2012007.jpg

Today I made chefs salad for dinner from the proceeds of our garden. Of course I had to supplement it with storebought stuff like ham, avocados, cheese, and such, but I've been buying our eggs from local backyard egg raisers. I highly recommend you search them out in you area too.

Anyway, today's victims in the plot are three different varieties of lettuce, radishes, and what's left of the broccoli.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...updates012.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...updates011.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...updates009.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...updates013.jpg


These little thieves have been chewing the leaves of our radishes right down the ground. Have to chase them out of there daily


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...updates005.jpg


Also note that we added fresh picked loquats to the salad

July update
 

The garden is in full swing right now. Carrots, corn, squash, garlic and tomatoes all providing weekly food. Also have been using the sweet basil for seasoning


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12023.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12024.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12030.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12029.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12028.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12026.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12025.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12037.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12036.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12032.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12031.jpg


Also filled up the new woodshed with free firewood from craigslist ads. My son bought a house close by also, and he's been getting about 1/3 of the wood I've collected


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12039.jpg



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ejuly12040.jpg

Lotta stuff ripening up these days, and the garden has close to peaked it's internal boundaries.



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nupdate003.jpg



Cherry Tomatoes



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nupdate005.jpg


Zucchini Squash


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...pdate006-1.jpg


Lots of sweet white corn



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...pdate010-1.jpg



Strawberries



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...pdate008-1.jpg



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nupdate018.jpg



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nupdate021.jpg



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nupdate024.jpg

Mrs Ayatollah picking carrots and squash



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nupdate013.jpg



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nupdate016.jpg



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nupdate012.jpg



Tonights dinner in the raw. I made a chicken stew using all these ingredients from our garden, and added some leftover chicken from the day before. Also added sweet basil we grew, and potatoes that we didn't. The stew turned out rather excellent, and we froze up some for next week



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nupdate027.jpg

Our rat problem had intensified this past week with the rats eating all of our tomatoes. We fought back with the old style spring loaded rat traps, and immediately took out 2 rats in one day. This morning we saw movement in the corn stalks, and spotted a rat eating our corn! I took a shot at him with a CO2 pellet revolver, but missed him. I've had to reset the traps now. Our Corn is sacred :mad:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ingcorn009.jpg


The shot I took must have just slid by that little pest, from examination of the trajectory and the pellet which lodged in the fence a few inches away. I should examine the pellet for rat hairs;)



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ingcorn011.jpg