(How can I pick happy and unhappy, under “Happiness”? Neutral isn’t what I’m feeling.

Well…after a VERY insightful comment from ceae about my lack of achocha, I went outside & squinted at flowers for some time, as it’s likely that the female flowers are not being pollinated after all….so, I went outside to do the job myself, as I don’t recall ever seeing a hover fly (the chosen pollinator for achocha). However, it appears that I chose the time of day that the female flowers are closed. Ok. Better luck tomorrow.

I did the bittersweet task of collecting seeds from the rat-tail radishes, the amaranth, and the golden purslane. I mean, I"m really happy: these were forays into new territory for me, and I liked them so much that I want to harvest their seeds….but the act of harvesting reminds me that autumn is just around the corner.
The feeling is intensified by Overachiever Sugar Pumpkin, who weighs 8 pounds in my estimation, and is already bright Halloween-orange, a shocking color on July 27th.

Early bloomers aside, the sugar pumpkins are looking to be the biggest success of the garden, and we’re looking forward to sharing them with our friends & our chickens.

(Pictures tomorrow: too dark now)