Eggplants ahead!

Eggplants are one of my very favorite vegetables to grow (second only to tomatoes).  Last year we had great success with the "Little Fingers" variety, which grow into long eggplants that are smaller in diameter (similar to Japanese eggplant) than the big ones you usually think of.  I like them because the peel is not as thick as in the bigger ones.  And just last week we received signs that yes, these plants are gonna make it...

The purple flower you see in the upper left is the predecessor to the eggplant.

Hot stuff.

While I have for some reason never had success growing bell peppers in my backyard garden, we always have a large crop of hot peppers.  Last year we did banana peppers, and the year before we grew green jalapenos.  This year we are growing red cayenne peppers.

These are great to add to dishes for a little heat, and also to dry and grind up - in that form, we add them to chili frequently.  In the past, when we've had a big surplus, we've chopped them up and either scattered them over our plants or made them into a liquid that we can spray to protect from pests (this has had mixed results, but isn't too labor intensive and doesn't cost anything, so we continue to try).  We only have one red one so far, but there are more on the way...

I personally find it fascinating how they go from green to such a vibrant red.  Very easy to tell when these are ready for picking!

Weeds.

While the lack of rain has adversely affected many crops throughout the US, in my backyard it does not yet seem to have phased the weeds. 

I do not know much about weeds, other than being able to identify them and knowing you need to get them out by the roots (otherwise, they will just keep growing).  One great reason for planting your vegetables in neat rows is that it makes the weeds more readily identifiable.  I try to go at the weeds at least once a week, more if they seem to be really plentiful.  Here are a few of the most common (I hate all of them equally).

There will be tomatoes!

Well, the few hours of rain that finally came last Thursday made basically no difference at all.  By Friday it was as though it never happened.  Thirsty ground absorbs rain quickly!

However, I was heartened when out on the garden this past weekend to find plenty of tomatoes!

The first ripe beefsteak tomato.  A day on the windowsill and this will be ready for slicing!