Vegetable of the day.
Trimming leeks is a pleasant, fragrant job. Given some precious space in the crisper drawer of the fridge, these will hold up quite some time.
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Tomatoes coming in strong. Here’s a purple cherokee.
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Really nice everyone! What do you think this has been a good year for so far?
Peppers are usually good here
These are for MIL Jean, for whom I named the scotch bonnets.
Tomato plants look healthy for August, but after the first harvest, some fruit seem pretty but small.
So grateful for even the hope of figs after last year; treating each with kid gloves( or bags)
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My figs got gobbled up by ants. I managed to eat half of one. After the general deluge of last year we’re up to our ears in tiny ants. I didn’t think they’d eat my figs, though. But they did, the little wankers.
Yours look wonderful. Eat one for me 
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Done!
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If I lived nearby I’d ask you for a cutting!
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@shrinkrap are you protecting the figs from birds? (The two fig trees in my brother’s garden were barely touched by birds, though nasty hornets made one of them home, yikes)
Yes! Something has managed to remove a bag or two. Hornets/wasps don’t seem interested. Maybe it’s too hot!
I do see wasps carefully checking out my tomato plants, I like to believe scavenging for hornworms!
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A fine assortment of fruits! So how do you like the Sugar Rush Peach? You can let them get a little more pink in the color for maximum sweetness.
Did reduced watering help with fig cracking?
Are the smaller, yellow peppers seasoning peppers? Looks like salsa time!
Someone cut a major communications cable out here and the phone, internet was out for eight days 
With no cell service, it was a major pain. No robocallers though!
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nice! We’ve been picking tomatoes at what is now called “breaker stage”…when they just show a hint of pink. They ripen just fine indoors where the critters can’t get them!
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Yes, I have started that too!
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First balcony figs. I have not been home all summer, other than to water my plants every few days, so I am glad the tomatoes and figs are thriving. These are Hardy Chicago. Small, but hopefully tasty.
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BTW; I’m trying to send the small peppers by USPS priority mail. Anyone have suggestions? Do I need to include an ice pack or desiccant?
“Pick figs early or let the wildlife get them?”
This morning I found several about five of my organza bags on the ground, with battered figs inside. I know if a bird could do this, and it would have to have been after sundown, or pretty early AM.
There are plenty of bagged figs left ( enough to eat standing there, and enough for a bottle to preserve), but I’m trying to find a middle ground.
A few YouTubes
There’s another one, but I’ve lost it.
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When I’ve shipped peppers, here’s what worked:
Pick the peppers the same day you plan on shipping, if possible. Let the stem ends dry a bit before packing. Wrap the peppers in paper, e.g. crumpled newspaper, to keep them from contacting plastic. Put the wrapped peppers in a plastic bag and poke a bunch, maybe 6, dime-sized holes in the bag. The bag should only be needed for longer travel times, 3+ days. If there are a lot of peppers in the box, the group should be humid enough; just wrap the fruits in paper.
The idea is to keep them humid enough not to dry out and open enough to avoid mold. An ice pack may help if shipping in very warm, hot regions, but keep it from contacting the peppers.
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Sounds like raccoons! motion activated trail cameras can catch an image of the culprit. If the bags were chewed, don’t handle them, just in case the raccoon(s) has rabies. Let the bags dry out first and use tongs or disposable gloves to discard the bags. Rabies virus dies upon thoroughly drying out, especially in the sun.
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Husband brought these from patients. Eggs are easier to identify, but I have clues.
I think these are Asian Pears. Am I right?
He says these are a kind of plum, but they are so tiny!
They sure look like Asian pears. FYI these will not ripen on the counter. If they were not ripe when picked, you’ll be out of luck. Refrigerate.
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