Fenton Friday: We've Got Gherkins

I was away this past week and had someone watering for me as needed, so I figured I'd come back to a tangle of weeds and some wilted plants. Happily, the weeds were not that bad and we did have a few rains, so everything looked pretty good.

One pleasant surprise was that there were fully formed gherkins on our vines (see pic above). I thought they were still a few weeks away. I looked up our planting date, which was exactly a month ago! This summer's record heat is at least good for something!
   Each gherkin is about the size of a fat ring finger. I picked a couple and tried them today. They taste just like any fresh cucumber. First, though I had to scrub them with a vegetable brush under running water as they are covered in small, hard spines.

Elsewhere in the plot, the tomato experience continues to disappoint. Just when you think you might have a good-sized one ripening, this happens (see pic at right). Some creature punctured it and I found it lying on the ground below the vines today. 
   There are several other good-sized green tomatoes on that same vine. As SOON as one starts to color up, I'm going to pick it and bring it inside to ripen.
   Meanwhile, the county parks department (who run this community garden) has heard the Fenton gardeners' pleas about the rat population explosion and had traps set up around the garden. We shall see if that helps things for the fall harvest time.

Finally, the cutting garden is coming along. I cut a few zinnias and cosmos today. The dahlias are slower than last year but have lots of buds on them. I did have to do some quick repairs to this dahlia (see pic at left) that split open and was splayed out in all directions. I tied it all up on one metal support in the middle. I hope that is enough to sustain its weight for the rest of the season.

What are you growing in your edible garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 13th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).