In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen

Last week we harvested the first of the Sugar Pearl corn. Seed is from Renee’s Garden and it matches the catalog description in every way. We have evidence suggesting a raccoon visitor to the garden but so far the plywood armored raised bed is holding. We put the critter camera out to see who’s visiting while we sleep.

“Pearly white sweet kernels with that delicate, meltingly tender flavor that characterizes really delicious white corn,” as the catalog says. We savor every bite and have shared ears with two garden tenders who kept the garden alive while we were away for several weeks.

The very cool June and July may explain why many of the stalks only have one ear this year. Happily, the last three weeks have been sunny and warm and the corn was ready to harvest near the expected 70 days from planting.

Every day my husband brings in at least this many Emerite pole beans—sometimes more. He’s letting the largest, best pods ripen for seed collection.

More Baby Belle peppers which are especially useful in summer salads with the surplus going to the freezer. They like the last few days of 90 degrees, though we don’t. This is very unusual for our location two blocks from the ocean. As the warm season crops finish, I’m preparing the raised beds for the cool season garden and tending the broccoli and cauliflower starts.

I removed all the tomato plants last week as each gave their last gasp and booty. The black cherry tomato, which is a monster, remains and is dripping with fruit to come. I think we’ve had an opossum and the occasional rat helping themselves so traps are set. Tomato season appraisal upcoming in a future post.

Zinnias don’t mind the heat and seem to come into their own. I’m contemplating what fall flowers will be planted in the raised beds with my vegetables.

Check the What I’m Planting Now page as I plan and sow seeds for the cool season garden. Then head to Harvest Monday, hosted by Dave at Happy Acres blog and see what garden bloggers around the world harvested last week.

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