Late Tomato Blooms

We're getting lots of blooms on our tomato plants now. Unfortunately I think it may be too late. The weather forecast is calling for low temperatures in 45 degree range (7 c) all week. That may be too cold for the plants to set tomatoes and, even if they do, I'm not sure that they can ripen before even colder weather arrives. That's one of the most challenging aspects of trying to grow vegetables in this climate. The optimal weather conditions in the Spring and Fall just don't last long enough. It seems always to be too hot or too cold. Anyhow, the good news is that we already have several tomatoes ripening on the vine.

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In Bloom

Quite a few plants are blooming around the house now that the blast furnace of Summer has cooled. Here's a few pictures to add some color to the blog. All of these were rescue/clearance plants purchased for a couple of dollars at most.

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Blooms in the Blue Pot

One of our succulents (sorry, I don't know its specific name/type) is putting on lots of little white blooms. This plant's growth, along with that of the others in the "blue pot," has been tremendous.

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Cucumber Update

Our hanging cucumber plants seem to be doing quite well. They are growing very quickly, and this morning I noticed that one had produced its first bloom. I've never grown cukes before, so I really don't know how well they set in the heat. Tomorrow it's supposed to cool down into the 90s for a few days. Maybe this cold front will help out a little.

Okra Blossoms

For those of you that are curious about the blog's title image of the pretty yellowish flower, wonder no more. The picture is of an okra blossom on one of my plants. So, beyond producing the delicious tasting pods that they're famous for, you can see that okra plants are really very ornamental. There are also multiple strains of hybrid and heirloom okra plants that vary greatly by size and color. Maybe I'll plant a few of a dwarf variety like the red Little Lucy in some small pots around the back just to liven things up a bit. Some other interesting possibilities include: Alabama Red, White Velvet, Red Velvet, Red Burgundy, and Star of David.