I've been waiting for Crooked Neck, when all along it was you, Pattypan.

We have been having the coldest, wettest summer the shores of California has seen since 1924. And my garden can be the first to tell you.

We had about four warm days this last week, and my cucumber plant seized the moment and set a nice little cucumber, about the length of my hand. It started to get cold and wet again, so I harvested it early. It was so sweet and soft, the taste was amazing. I cut it up and made a delicious cucumber water with it, the only thing that truly refreshes me on a hot day. The rest was put to good use on a sandwich.

Also, because of the weather and the proximity in which my crook neck zuchini was planted, everything in garden B kept getting powdery mildew. I took a daring step and pulled the crookneck up and placed it in a pot. She was pretty shocked and droped all her fruit... but I think the worst is over.

While sitting and watching my garden I wondered, "Why does that zucchini plant keep dropping it's fruit after that whole 'funny butt' phase?" dozens of 'funny butts' as I like to call them, had come and gone, none of which had given me a full sized crookneck. "I baby it and baby it, and still nothing to show for it!" Then it hit me. It was a Pattypan! When going to the nursery for transplants, I asked Brendan if he thought I should get the showy pattypan, or the utilitarian crookneck. He said to forget the pattypan, we'd never eat it.


There must have been a mix up!

My eggplant set several flowers during the heat wave, and what I belive to be the Green Zebra tomato got a start on a nice little tomato if its own... I read a really interesting blog where a woman suggest self pollination with an electric toothbrush to simulate bee wings. What a fantastic idea! I am eager to try it, as besides that one tomato, I've seen nothing else.

The mustard seed all took and is going strong.

Also, the swiss chard is doing well, as well as the two beans I planted there.

The snap peas that I took a gamble on are actually setting out flowers. Wow, if that doesn't let you know how gloomy its beeen here, I don't know what will!

What should I do if things continue the way they are? Black plastic? Weed tarp? Giant domes of plastic over the entire garden? As it stands, I am not getting much return on my investment, and it would be a shame to come away with nothing. Of course, money cannot buy the utter fulfillment and joy I've found in gardening