Garden Update - eggplants and cantaloupes are coming in.

Not sure what variety those eggplant are, Nicko, but given their depth of color and shiny skin, they look ready to go despite their smaller size. If they start to turn dull, pick 'em quick, cuz that's a sign they're past their prime.

My experimental planting of Sugar Peas (a cowpea)  is just getting ready to set flowers; so I'm confidient it will set fruit and I'll have seed for a full crop next season. And now that we've had a few nights of cooler weather my peppers are finally setting fruit. Both the poblano and cubanelle are trying to make up for lost time. Hooray!

Big success story here is the Kentucky Flat Tan Field Pumpkin. They are going gangbusters, with at least 20 of them out there (hard to tell in the jungle). The Flat Tan is said, by the pastry chef at Blackberry Inn, to be the best culinary pumpkin available. So I'm anxious to see how it does on the table.

Nice pics, Nicko!  I'm glad your garden is doing so well.  Mine.. well that's another story.  The house next door is a rental and the fence between our properties has been an ongoing issue for a couple of years and on Saturday they finally fixed the fence.  (I think the order from property standards had something to do with that) So my garden is beside their fence and in order to fix it they needed access to both sides of their property... and now all I have left is blackberries and a couple of shrubs.  It's ok though.. I do have a quarter share from an organic farm coming my way in the fall so I will at least enjoy local seasonal produce and... next year I can plant my garden with confidince!
 

Wish I could post pix, Nicko, but I don't even own a digital camera, let alone know how to download.

About half the pumpkins have changed color already. But it likely will be well into September or October before they're actually ripe. But the way things are going, looks like I'll be canning a lot of pumpkin this season.

Ironic story behind them, btw. I am an avid collector of Kentucky heirloom veggies, and have a fairly good fix on what's around. But despite my passion for Kentucky heirlooms I had never heard of them until about two years ago. But I didn't learn of them from a grower.

In one of Food Arts' what's in store for the fall articles they included the folks from Blackberry Farm. The pastry chef provided the dessert entry, and mentioned both that she considers them the finest culinary pumpkin available, and that John Coykendall grows them for her. John, whom I've known for years, is the horticulturest at Blackberry, and grows many of the veggies they use---all of them heirlooms.

Anyway, I called John, and he sent me seed. Wasn't able to get them in, last year, so they had to wait until now. Looks like it may have been worth the wait.

I'm envious Nicko. For the 2nd year running I've run out of growing season for my eggplants. Cucumbers are fabulous. They just keep on giving. I've been picking them small for weeks but now i've pinched the tops and waiting for some big ones...They'll be this years bread n butter pickles.

Love the pics. I'll have to practice with the camera and figure how to downlad properly. My zuchinis are worthy of the gallery

Being in Chicago means cooler nights and the result is smaller fruits.  Eggplants of course belong to the nightshade family so plants like petunias, tomatoes and peppers are cousins to eggplant. Six to eight hours of direct sunlight is appreciated by eggplants and if you have a spot that can remain warmer at night with really rich soil, you will get larger fruits.

 Food for thought for next season. 

 Judging by those pics I will say that good things come in small packages so nice job Nicko.