Monday Garden Club

So, it's Monday, after another busy weekend. The wedding on Saturday went very well and I must admit, when I heard it was going to be a casual backyard wedding with a beer keg on wheels and an entire hog turning away inside a huge grill, I was a little worried. Turns out, beer keg technology has come a long way (there was even a tap of Sprecher Root Beer) and really the pig roast was kinda awesome. The weather was perfect, perhaps even a little hot out in the sun. I posted some photos from the wedding on my photo blog if you want to have a look. I'm hoping to post some photos of all the food later today...

Anyhow, like I said, It's Monday, time for a garden update!

The Summer squash still aren't quite big enough to pick but there are LOTS of them.
Check out this giant pumpkin. The seed packet promised it could grow large enough to fit a small child comfortably inside.
Lots of green tomatoes hanging already...
Last week I mentioned trimming up the tomato plants in an attempt to keep them under control. Here's what they look like now...
Now the plants look more like trees than bushes and the cages are holding them up so far. My father in law saw me out there with my pruner and a 5 gal bucket and thought I had lost my mind. He doesn't do anything special to his tomato plants but he also told me that he can't even get into his tomato patch because the plants are too sprawly already. My point exactly!
I replanted the Lima beans (front corner above) but they haven't come up yet. I'm starting to think maybe the seeds were no good.

The apple trees in the orchard (too fancy a name for the area of our yard where the fruit trees live) are doing well.
I'm thinking if the birds and bugs leave these apples alone, I may have enough for a few pies.
Yesterday while the Gardener was out mowing the lawn, he stopped and called me outside to look at what he had found out in the orchard. He had been mowing down some trees that came up on their own right through the grass and finally when they got too big to keep driving over with the lawnmower, he decided to just let them grow.
Any ideas what this tree is???
It's a Mulberry tree! With Mulberries on it almost ripe to pick!

Not sure how we missed a 6 foot tall tree with BERRIES on it, but it is a huge surprise. I was just reading a recipe for a Mulberry tart and it mentioned that Mulberries don't travel or store well (I've never seen them in a grocery store) so the only way to get any is to pick your own. My in-laws have been trying to grow them (trees they bought from a nursery) for years with no luck bearing fruit so far. Goes to show that Mother Nature still has major control over the gardening world. To be perfectly honest, birds love Mulberries and our neighbors have several trees so I'm thinking that our luscious berry trees were transported here as seeds through bird poop. Mmm, delicious! This pretty much makes up for the blueberry bushes I have been trying to grow for years without much luck.

Now for all you gardeners out there who wish to participate, either leave a comment on what's growing in your yard, or post a Monday Garden Club update on your blog. Don't forget to drop your link in the comments and I'll add it to this post.

Participating Blogs:
Out In Them Sticks

Ma Vie Folle
Easy Eco To Go