In this week’s update, we harvested and began eating from our garden. I’ll tell you what vegetables they were and how we ate them. We also started more corn for a late harvest and planted the last melons we’re growing this year. I’ll provide a general update on everything we’re growing as well. Finally, this edition of the Seed of the Week takes us to the American Southwest, where a variety of corn has been grown for over 800 years. Let’s dive in.
First Harvest
This week saw us achieve a goal we set at the start of the garden: Harvest something from our garden and eat it the same day. That included three cucumbers and two eggplants. Two of the cucumbers were from plants gifted to us by our neighbor, but one was a Boston Pickling that I started from seed, making it the first fruit harvested from this year’s garden that I started from seed. We ate the cucumbers raw by slicing them and eating them on the side with dinner. For the eggplants, Magz sliced them into coin shapes and roasted them in oil and seasoning. They were delicious. We’ve found that doing as little as possible with high-quality, fresh vegetables is the best thing for them. We have a lot more cucumbers coming on, and there are more eggplants that are close to being harvestable, so we’ll be eating a lot more of them moving forward.
Starting More Corn
We had some open areas of our garden beds where potatoes weren’t growing, which we think is the result of poor drainage and too much rain early on. In the open rows, we wanted to grow more of something that we’ve had great success with: corn. We still had some Hopi Blue and Sweet Mexican/Black Iroquois seeds left, but because the Hopi Blue corn takes a lot longer to reach maturity, we planted the rest of the Sweet Mexican/Black Iroquois seeds. All three varieties (the above two and Butter & Sugar) have done exceptionally well, and a late planting of corn could lead to us having sweet corn in September.
At the same time, we planted all the remaining melons and squashes that we’re growing this year. In a few more open spots, we dedicated two of them to the White Scallop Winter Squash, three of them to Ali Baba Watermelons, and four to the Noir de Carmes cantaloupes.
A General Update (With Pictures!)
Our tomatoes continue to put on fruit, with the Cherokee Blue, Black Krim, and Queen Aliquppa growing close to full size. Now, we just wait for them to ripen.
Our Cal Wonder pepper plants have quite a few fruit on them, but they haven’t reached full size or started to ripen yet. Our plants also haven’t grown to full height, which is weird. I read that peppers are one of the slowest-growing plants and require hot temperatures and full sun, which we’ve had lots of this summer. I’m still holding out hope for them.
Our melons, squash, and pumpkins are all doing well. We have spaghetti squash that are close to softball size and many cucumbers that are growing. Most of the other plants are producing blossoms.
The tomatillos have been growing their husks for more than a week now, with one of them larger than a golf ball. There are many husks starting and even more flowers coming on at the same time.
We are finally starting to see some progress with our beans. The first batch of Provider beans has a few beans on the plants, which is major progress, even if the pods are small. Our Kebarika and Jamapa plants have started to produce flowers.
TomatilloBean blossom
Seed of the Week
Our Seed of the Week this time is the Hope Blue corn variety. It’s a very old type of corn that has been grown in Northern Arizona for over 800 years by the Hopi Native American tribe. This variety is a flint/flour type of corn and is milled down into cornmeal or flour. The Hopis use it to make a ceremonial type of bread called piki. But even though this variety is primarily used for flour, it can be eaten as sweet corn.
The kernels of Hopi Blue corn are dark blue, nearly black, and the stalks grow up to nine feet tall. We got our seeds from Fedco out of Maine, and on the listing, they quote one of their growers, who says that the corn is “crunchy, corny and wholesome.” We’ve had great success with our Hopi Blue seeds. They overcame torrential downpours within a week of being sown and have excelled. The stalks are currently taller than our fence (so about 4 1/2 feet) and are gorgeous. If you’re curious about growing different varieties of corn, give this one a try.
Up Next
This week, I’d love to see some of our tomatoes begin to ripen. Our cherry tomatoes are pretty much full size, so ripening is the next step. I also think we’ll harvest some of our beans. Beyond that, we’re enjoying how relaxing it is to watch our garden grow. Each day, something new happens or we can see measurable growth. For example, we had a cucumber grow multiple inches in one day. It’s unbelievable. I hope your garden is doing well. Happy gardening.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post on the 5 hardest seeds to grow this year. If you haven’t read it yet, I recommend checking it out. In it, I went over the 5 seeds that I’ve had the most trouble with this year. It could have been the result of an error on my part, poor weather, or something else entirely, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t get them to grow.
Today, we’re going to look at the 5 seeds that I’ve had the best luck growing this year. I didn’t treat these seeds any differently from the ones listed in the previous post, yet they took off and are growing abundantly. With each seed, I’ll go over what has made them a success and why I think each was easy to grow. Let’s dive in.
5.) Queen Aliquippa Tomato
I’ve written about this seed so many times that people will get sick of it. We didn’t know this tomato variety existed until we saw it in this year’s Sow True Seeds catalog. They’ve been selling it for years, but this was the first year we requested their catalog. As a refresher, this tomato variety is named for Queen Aliquippa, a Seneca nation leader who lived in Pennsylvania during the 18th century. She is so well-known in Western Pennsylvania that a town, a school, and businesses are named in her honor. In fact, the town of Aliquippa is only 10 minutes from where Magz and I went to college.
These seeds could have been a bust, and I still would have been happy we bought them. Thankfully, that hasn’t been the case. Of the first batch of tomato seeds I started, only 3 are still alive, and 2 of them are Queen Aliquippas. I treated the Queen Aliquppas the same way as the other tomatoes; however, the others didn’t take off.
These plants have gone through a late Spring that resulted in them getting leggy at the start, multiple torrential downpours, and a week of excessive heat, but they remain our best-looking tomato plants. We have since transplanted a few more plants that I started later, and they are also looking good. The Queen Aliquippa tomato plant is unique among the others we’ve grown. It has potato leaves that aren’t serrated like a typical tomato plant. When ripe, the fruit will also mostly stay green with a bit of amber at the bottom. To this point, we’ve loved growing this variety, and assuming we like how they taste, we’ll continue to grow it in future years.
4.) Seminole Pumpkin
These pumpkins have done exceptionally well so far. We have plants that were started indoors and transplanted outside and ones that were direct sown. Regardless of how they were started, they’ve grown well. We don’t know how many of these plants we’re growing because I misplaced the labels when transplanting the ones I started from seeds, but we think there are 3 or 4 of them. The ones that were transplanted have vined out about 2 feet from the roots and are getting ready to produce flowers. The ones that were directly sown are smaller since they were started later, but all of the plants look healthy.
Even though these are called pumpkins and have pumpkin leaves, the fruit doesn’t look like a typical pumpkin. It’s buff-colored rather than bright orange and reaches about 6 inches in diameter. They can be stored for up to a year but can also be picked early as a summer squash. These have required little attention. Since transplanting or starting them, we’ve made sure they have been consistently watered, and I side-dressed the older plants with some bone meal. If you’re looking for a smaller and historical variety to grow (these were grown by the Seminole people of Florida) and you live in a hot and humid climate, you’ll love these.
3.) All Corn Varieties
Before we started gardening, a common remark I’d hear was that growing corn is hard or not worth having in the garden. I don’t remember any family members trying to grow it. Now, that could be because fresh sweet corn was plentiful and cheap where I grew up, so it may not have been worth the effort in people’s minds. Magz and I first tried growing it in containers in 2022 and had success with it. We had 3 stalks in each tote, and they produced small ears that were delicious.
This year, we bought 3 varieties: Hopi Blue, Black Iroquois/Mexican Sweet, and Butter & Sugar. The Hopi Blue is a flint corn for grinding into meal or flour, the Black Iroquois/Mexican Sweet is a dark-kernel sweet corn, and the Butter & Sugar is the common bi-color sweet corn. We planted a row of each on the same day in May after the threat of frost had passed. Immediately, we had a week of heavy rain that totaled more than 3 inches. I was nervous that the seeds had washed away because some of the soil had been relocated, exposing the seeds. We covered them over again, and within 2 weeks, nearly all of them germinated.
At this point, all 3 varieties are doing well. The Hopi Blue is more than 4 feet tall already and can grow up to 9 feet tall, while the others are about 3 feet tall and should only reach 5-6 feet tall. Yesterday, when I was checking out the plants, I noticed the tassel developing inside the leaves for the first time. Corn is an easy, low-maintenance vegetable to grow. Besides weeding and watering, the only thing I’ve done is give the plants consistent nitrogen. Corn is a heavy feeder, so it needs extra nutrients to reach full height and develop big, full ears. If you’ve been on the fence about growing corn, it’s worth a shot. It doesn’t require a lot of work, and seeing corn grow is a beautiful experience.
2.) All Cucumbers
Cucumbers are another vegetable we’ve had success growing in the past. In our container garden, we grew a pickling variety, and we were pulling multiple ripe cucumbers off it daily. This year, we bought 3 varieties to grow: Boston Pickling for pickles, Tendergreen, which can be harvested for pickles or left on for slicers, and Richmond Green Apple, an Australian heirloom. We were also gifted 2 starts of a burpless variety from our neighbor.
I started the 3 inside and transplanted 2 plants of each variety into the garden. At the time, they didn’t look good. Like other plants, they were leggy at the time, and the weather wasn’t friendly to growing cucumbers. However, within a couple of weeks, they took off and now have blossoms on them with small fruit growing. The starts we were gifted also weren’t healthy when we transplanted them, but they’ve taken off and have produced 2 fruits already. These have required little maintenance other than a side-dressing of fertilizer. We may need to trellis or stake them at some point, but up until now, they’ve grown nicely without any assistance.
Bonus: Most Melons, Squash & Pumpkins
Because I didn’t want to have a listing for all melons, squash, and pumpkins, in addition to already having all corn and cucumbers, I wanted to add an honorable mention or bonus section. In this section are all melons, squash, and pumpkins. The Seminole pumpkin deserved its own listing, but most of the things I wrote about it apply to all of these. Quickly, these are all the melons, squash, and pumpkins that we are growing:
Ali Baba Watermelon
Noir de Carmes
Tigger Melon
Hokkaido Pumpkin
Black Beauty Zucchini
Candy Roaster Melon
Golden Glory Yellow Zucchini
Queensland Blue Winter Squash
Zapallito Del Tronco Zucchini
Ping Tung Eggplant
White Scallop
Kakai Winter Squash
Jarrradale Pumpkin
Dark Green Yuxi Jiang Bing Gua
New England Sugar Pie Pumpkin
Of the above seeds, the only ones that haven’t done well are the Black Beauty Zucchini, Golden Glory Yellow Zucchini, and the Ping Tung Eggplant. I don’t know why the zucchinis didn’t do well since they were planted at the same time as the Zapallito Del Tronco, but they didn’t. Only 1 Black Beauty and none of the Golden Glory seeds germinated. The eggplants were started indoors and never got to the point where they could be transplanted outdoors. The others have all done well.
I started a lot of the squash, melons, and pumpkins indoors. They immediately took off, but we couldn’t transplant them right away due to the weather. As soon as the weather broke, they were moved outdoors, but I had little faith in them doing well. All but 3 of the plants lived and are thriving. We also directly sowed a bunch of them later in early June, and they’ve done exceptionally well. All of the plants look healthy and are growing vigorously. What’s most interesting is how all the squash, all the melons, and all the pumpkins have similar leaf structures and growing behaviors, but have subtle differences between the varieties. For example, the Seminole pumpkins have silver lines on the leaves that the other pumpkin plants don’t.
We bought additional seeds (these are the ones in orange text) in late June to have a wider variety of pumpkins and squash. To put into context how quickly and easily these grow, I started them on Saturday evening. By Tuesday morning, the Hokkaido had germinated, and by Wednesday evening, the Dark Green Yuxi Jiang Bing Gua and Sugar Pie Pumpkin seeds had as well. Consistent moisture levels, full sun, and warm temperatures are the perfect recipe for these. If you find a variety you are curious about, give it a go. Odds are that it will do well.
1.) Provider Bush Bean
I love beans. In the United States, we’ve done a horrible job of educating people on how many bean varieties there are and all the ways we can use them in food. In most grocery stores, the only fresh beans you’ll find are green beans, and you may find some edamame or snap peas, which aren’t beans but are similar enough to include them here. I think that a lot of Americans picture canned beans when they think of beans. Whether these are green beans, black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans, the average American doesn’t envision bags of dried beans or fresh varieties that are a color other than green. I’ve grown bush beans in the past, but this year, we found ourselves interested in growing other varieties.
American history is filled with people of the past growing bean varieties that were vitally important to their culture and heritage. Baker Creek sells a variety that was found in a New Mexico cave and dates back 1,500 years. In the South, Southern peas (also known as asparagus beans or Cowpeas) were preserved by slaves as a way to save their heritage. It’s the same in Latin America, South America, and Asia – beans (and all seeds) tell stories.
We attempted to grow 5 varieties this year: Kebarika, Jamapa, Red Bush, Provider, and Chinese Red Noodle. We’ve had moderate success with the Kebarika and Jamapa and nearly no success with the Red Bush beans. However, the Provider and Chinese Red Noodle beans have excelled. I planted the Chinese Red Noodle beans in a planter box I built, and they are currently climbing the trellis to a height of 7 feet.
I planted the Provider beans in our bed with the Kebarika and Jamapa, and they’ve done pretty well. They’re not real tall yet (about 18 inches), but are still growing and have started to flower. But when our Red Bush beans failed (only 1 successful plant among a full row of seeds), I planted more Provider beans in the same row around the lone Red Bush bean plant. So, it was the same growing conditions. Within 2 days, almost all the seeds germinated, and at the time of writing this, the plants are nearly the height of the Red Bush bean plant, which is more than 2 weeks older. As Magz pointed out, the name Provider is pretty on point. These plants provide.
So, there it is. These are the (more than) 5 plants that I’ve had the easiest time growing this year. All have a few things in common: they grow in spite of the weather, my mistakes, and questionable soil quality. They’ve all required little maintenance and make you believe in yourself as a gardener. Have you tried any of these varieties? If not, I recommend giving them a go. Do you have any favorite seeds to grow?
I asked myself this question last summer with genuine uncertainty. Knitting is such a cold-weather medium that a knit made to be breathable and light for warm weather seemed, well, a bit like an impractical fashion piece. I think this is an important question to ask of ourselves before we jump on a trend. Whether it is to buy a knit t-shirt or to handknit (which means you are dedicating weeks of work to a project), having the right expectation matters. Trying on a knit t-shirt beforehand helped me visualize what I was in for. Knitwear for all seasons is currently having a moment even in ready-to-wear, which makes this a great time to go try on a piece before committing to a big project.
Wearing my Grandma’s cotton knit t-shirts, although they were two sizes too small, helped me visualize knit as a process to make a fabric instead of a woolly winter garment. That’s what makes knitting and crochet extraordinary skills; they are versatile. The fiber maketh the project. The stitch maketh the airflow. Lacey, open weave? Fantastic for hot and humid days. Not so much for a pair of mittens.
To remedy this, I think fiber acquaintance is a fantastic way to learn whether a knit t-shirt is right for you. When I began knitting in 2012, I knew there was wool yarn and acrylic yarn. That was it. However, there is actually a rainbow of fiber waiting to be discovered, and the lineup sure has expanded in the last 13 years!
Cotton
Linen
Bamboo
Hemp
Pineapple
Lyocell
Rayon
Yak
Alpaca
Camel
Mohair
Cashmere
Silk
Did you know that wool has two unique properties? It helps you regulate temperature and is naturally antibacterial/antimicrobial; therefore, it inhibits bacterial growth naturally on the fiber and prevents odors, which is why it is such a great sock material! Although I wouldn’t recommend wool for summer tops, it is a remarkable fiber. There are two fibers, though, that are breathable and naturally don’t let bacteria and microbes hang around – it’s linen and silk! For fiber education and the chance to feel these materials, I recommend finding a friendly local yarn shop and talking to the experts.
Finally, I do have one possible hiccup with my current selection of hand-knit t-shirts. I can’t wear them in 85 degrees Fahrenheit weather and above with humidity, but I do believe a knit tank would fix this problem, and a lacey stitch technique in future projects will solve this. I don’t like sweating a lot in my handknits, and because I was learning with my first few tees, the knitted cotton fabric is a bit bulky. That’s my error. You know what is so cool about knitting, though? You can unravel the finished garments and try again, so I can rework these finished garments in the future. Anyway, I hope you will consider the knit t-shirt as a warm weather staple in your wardrobe, it’s a lovely way to use crochet and knitting all year round!
A few months ago, I wrote about my 2025 being a creative slump. Well, things have changed, and now I’d say I’ve found my pace. It’s a dash! I have more ideas than my hands can craft and it feels freeing, like all the crap from the past few months have lifted and the world makes sense, as long as it is crafted from needles.
New Materials
Maybe it’s the new yarns? I’ve been branching out to find new brands and new favorites. Loops and Threads cotton has provided an affordable fiber to try new techniques and play around. The Caron Big Cakes and Blossom Cakes are getting me excited for every stitch, and Knit Picks Pima Cotton has been a dream to work with.
With the news of Big Twist coming to Michael’s, I’m excited to have my tried and true affordable winter yarn to keep pushing my creative limits.
The most exciting new fiber, though, is a recent pickup from my local farmer’s market. A skein of yarn, from sheep in my neighboring county, that was processed and spun over the border in Ohio. It’s not quite the LYS I was wishing for, but it makes me hopeful for the future!
DIY Merch with Yarn
The North American leg of the 2025 Stray Kids Dominate Tour made me feel some big FOMO for the unique merch sold at the shows. From the SKZ Baseball jerseys to the Evil Skzoo tees, dang, I wanted to participate, until I heard the stories of long hot lines at the baseball stadiums and endless screechers, I came back to reality. But – it got me thinking, why can’t I make my own? So I’ve been designing, knitting, and feeling a buzz of happiness because these pieces are some of my best work to date. I can’t wait to share them!
Kokka Fabrics and Firecracker Fabrics
I’ve found new fabric sources and new go-to brands I love. In support of small businesses, I made a purchase from a local fabric store – Firecracker Fabrics, online, because honestly, it is far too difficult to go into Pittsburgh in road work season. Through this purchase, I fulfilled a goal – to try Kokka Fabrics. They are a textile design brand out of Japan, which is sold at my local shop, and it was a dream to work with! With the bad news of Joann’s and the uncertainty of tariffed materials, to be honest, I was thinking my sewing days would be cut short, but this is a fantastic resource. It was affordable, good quality, and unique – all the things I look for in fabrics but have struggled to find at Joann’s, which made me shop at Mood Fabrics. Now I have another option!
I also thrifted some fabric from my in-town thrift store, truly unique fabric that has pushed me forward to try making shorts again and overalls. For not sewing as quickly this year, the garments I have completed are more daring, and I think that is the new materials and new techniques, like elastic, that are pushing me to design more than just sew. I feel like I am back in my 2021 mindset, and I am ready to make clothes that express my design point of view. I lost that in 2023 and got burnt out in 2024, yet a six-month break got me back into it. Maybe that is one good thing that has come from the chaos – a break to reset.
New Inspiration
I’ve found inspiration from K-pop stages and historical sewing channels up to this point, but it was getting stale. Nothing was sparking that drive to create, until recently, when I found some new making channels. I like to watch other people make things, not to copy, but to learn by observing and then channel what I learn into my own inspirations, such as learning how to embroider, make eyelet openings for corset-ish vests, upcycling ideas, etc. A recent find has been Maybe Bre’s channel with her “Mama Mia Summer” video, inspiring me to make overalls. Mark Vogel’s channel has me itching to learn crochet after seeing his granny square vest, and finally Kali’s Threads/Handmade with Kaye – these sisters are innovative. I didn’t know I wanted to wear a crochet polo button shirt until I saw Kali’s finished garment; it’s beautiful!
Final Thoughts
Sometimes we need a break. Sometimes we need limitations to make us push forward in our goals. Sometimes a change of pace helps rediscover our passion. I’ve started gauge swatching, pattern writing, and looking for pieces I think I should make to enhance my wardrobe that are more fun, less functional. It’s weird how the creative process, when you hit a slump, can convince you of a lack of talent. When really, maybe your cup is empty? Or in my case, maybe you have lost your spark because you needed to raise your standard and make new, challenging projects to ignite your passion again. Until next time, thanks, reader, for spending time with me today. Happy creating to you! 🙂
In this week’s update, we went to a local farmer’s market and got to meet many people who are as invested in gardening as we are, we restarted a few of our garden beds, and we had a cute but unwanted visitor in one of our gardens. Finally, in the Seed of the Week section, virtually travel with me to the Middle East and learn about an Iraqi melon variety.
Farmer’s Market
Last week, we were looking forward to Saturday to visit the weekly farmer’s market in a nearby town. Our town has its own farmer’s market, but it takes place on Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m., which makes it tough to attend. I work until 5 most days, so we wouldn’t get there until 5:15 at the earliest, and by that point, most of the items are gone. Early last week, our neighbor told us about the farmer’s market in the next town, and this market is held on Saturday mornings from 9 to 12, which is much friendlier to our schedule. We got up in time on Saturday and arrived by 9:45, and it was a great experience.
There were probably between 20 and 25 vendors, and they sold a lot of items, including produce, flowers, meat, baked goods, honey products, wooden kitchen utensils, and yarn. We came home with a bunch of red beets, green and yellow zucchini, 3 strawberry plants, a wooden flour scoop, and a skein of yarn. But it wasn’t just the items that got us excited. We were able to make connections with people in our area who have similar interests to ours and are motivated to grow their own food and be makers. Magz talked with a vendor who raises sheep and sends the wool away to a local mill to be spun into yarn. We also talked with the gardener who sold us the strawberry plants about the best way to grow them.
Lastly, the town’s library has a booth at the market each week, and we were able to become members. Up to this past Saturday, we haven’t had library cards since we moved to town in 2021. Our town’s library doesn’t have a great selection and is in the basement of the borough building, so it doesn’t feel like a library. Becoming members of our new library has us excited for the potential to get more involved in the community and find new books to read. I’m especially excited to check out their reference section for gardening books and to request such books from other libraries.
Restarting Garden Beds
For the past few weeks, we’ve been having some issues with grass growing out of control in a couple of our beds. It choked out the carrots and beets and also wasn’t allowing some of our greens to grow. Given that most of those plants were among the first things we planted, we weren’t confident that they’d grow to maturity at this point. So, we decided to get the mower and tiller out, and we mowed down everything that was growing and turned the soil over to start fresh. In those beds, we planted more winter squash/melons/pumpkins that we recently bought, more carrots and beets, and the strawberry plants we bought on Saturday. By restarting the beds, the plants will have a great chance to thrive, since the rows are spread out and everything is marked.
We’re also going to be turning over the soil where our potatoes were planted (they didn’t grow), where we pulled our ground cherry plant (also didn’t grow), and where a couple of our melons didn’t work. In their places, we’re going to plant a few more cantaloupes and watermelons, some late-season corn, and a final row of shelling beans. While it’s getting late in the season, there’s still time to get a late crop of seeds in the ground. July means hot temperatures for germination and plenty of sunlight to help the plants grow once they start.
A Potentially Unwanted Visitor
On Thursday evening, I was looking out the kitchen window at the backyard. It was close to 8 p.m., and I was about to get a shower. I saw two rabbits, which isn’t unusual. We have a populated woodland community on our property, and the rabbits are some of the most active members. They love our yard because we don’t cut our grass super short and have places that provide shade and protection. To this point, we haven’t had any issues with them getting into our beds or eating our plants. This day, however, one rabbit was outside the fence and one was inside.
The one that was inside the fence was getting dangerously close to one of the melon plants that Magz is passionate about and recently started. I quickly ran outside to get the rabbit out of the garden, which was an interesting experience. Thankfully, it left the way it entered, which revealed a hole in our fence that likely opened when we started the fence or was the result of the mower getting caught in it. I was able to put a new section of fence in and closed up the hole, and we haven’t had any more visitors, so fingers crossed that they stay outside the fence.
Seed of the Week
This edition of the Seed of the Week takes us to Iraq and the Ali Baba watermelon. We bought our seeds from Baker Creek, who originally got the seeds more than 2 decades ago from an Iraqi farmer who preserved them. Thankfully, that farmer and seed companies like Baker Creek have shared and preserved the seed, because it is now nearly impossible to get seeds from Iraq following decades of warfare.
Ali Baba watermelon
We’ve never grown these before, but the Ali Baba watermelon plant produces an oblong fruit that grows to between 12 and 30 pounds and has a rind that is lighter in color compared to the watermelon we typically eat in the United States. We started these seeds in at least 3 spots, and they germinated successfully and quickly. All of our plants have produced their second set of leaves and will begin vining out next. As long as we keep them well watered, they should continue to grow and hopefully put on fruit. We’ll keep you updated on their progress.
Up Next
A small addition to the weekly update: we harvested our first cucumber last night. It was a burpless variety that our neighbor gave us and was about 5 inches long. It’s definitely a monumental occasion. Between now and next week’s update, we have plans to start a couple more rows of corn and beans in some spare space we have. We’re also going to start at least 1 more cantaloupe or watermelon plant. Hopefully, we’ll also get to harvest a few more items. Until next week, happy gardening!
This post is inspired by current Wuthering Heights and Jane Austen adaptation discourse, in particular, the thoughtful discussion of the Regency Rumours podcast that sparked my musings. Which novels would I love to see adapted that have not been made into a movie or streaming show?
My list will be organized by author, since for some, there are multiple books I am featuring. I will try my hardest to tease the story without giving spoilers so that you can enjoy these stories on your own. Let’s jump in!
Elizabeth Lim
It started with Spin the Dawn, concluding with Unravel the Dusk. Now I find myself fully enveloped in another masterpiece of Chinese fairytale-inspired adventure fantasy – Six Crimson Cranes. The sequel, The Dragon’s Promise, and the prequel, Her Radiant Curse.
Why? These stories have imagination, action, twists, and flawed characters that experience growth. They live in both a fantastical world and also feel tangible to our everyday life.. Although magic is a driving force, the experiences of the plot feel incredibly human. Family, love, freedom, and facing down injustice, these are real-world issues placed in a far-off land.
I think these stories need grandeur, like C-dramas and the imagination of other magical favorites, like the school in Scotland with the magicians. Spin the Dawn features sewing, a dangerous competition, a perilous journey, a curse, a Kingdom in danger, and a main character facing crushing grief. Six Crimson Cranes features the confusion of adulthood, the consequences of our choices, looming corruption, and the fear of losing it all.
I think these two duologies – The Blood of the Stars duology (Spin the Dawn/Unravel the Dusk) and Six Crimson Cranes duology (Six Crimson Cranes/The Dragon’s Promise) would make excellent mini-series. Like the concise one or two-season format of K-Drama shows. With her Radiant Curse either being a separate show or a movie. I believe Elizabeth’s work will be beloved for generations to come for her imagination, unique settings, and plot pacing. Please, someone, adapt these stories and adapt them well.
Judy I. Lin
You know what really bugs me about the creative world? How can we can’t have nice things. That we compare and put down. I think it is idiotic for readers to compare Lin and Lim for their work of reimagining Chinese fairytales when Judy I. Lin created a magic system unlike anything I’ve encountered before – tea. But some people like to yuck my yum and say Lin is a lesser Lim, and to that I say, you’re missing out. A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet would translate well to film. Think Avatar: The Last Airbender and Murder on the Orient Express, but in a Chinese fairy tale. These books sing!
What if you needed to solve a murder, while sneaking into a national competition, with a skill you have to master overnight, and you have an undeniable connection with a person who may or may not be responsible for your demise? It’s just so dang good.
Susanna Kearsley
I have read most of Susanna Kearsley’s body of work. She is my favorite historical fiction author. Her romance-filled stories are closed-door, but charismatic, like a satisfying slow burn of a Jane Austen novel. The first book I encountered of her work was The Shadowy Horse, set near Hadrian’s Wall at an archaeology dig. This book feels a bit like Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, and The Banshees of Inisherin. A movie would be great for a Halloween watch.
What about a cozy Cornwall mystery? Featuring a cozy rom-com protagonist, like a Kathleen Kelly who has a connection to the town and the house she rents that is stronger than she would ever imagine. The romance in this one gets me every time. Will they actually get together?! I’ve read this multiple times, and I am still on the edge of my seat. A movie of this would be lovely.
What about the Jacobean period, vaguely pirate in nature? What about romance, a castle, and the intrigue of spies? How about a two-book arc over several points of view, generations apart? Could history truly come to life from the relics of the past? I wish I could weave a story together with the same ease as Susanna can. This would be excellent as a mini-series with elaborate costumes.
With the rise of historical dramas in Hollywood and beyond, I think Susanna Kearsley’s stories should be shared in this way. Fans of Outlander would be intrigued, as well as Austenites, Bridgerton fans, and costume lovers.
Kayla Cagan
Were you an art kid? Did your parents ever discourage you from pursuing a career built on your artistic passions? Has your home life been disrupted by that one relative who is selfish and dysfunctional? Have you ever felt trapped in your hometown?
Piper Perish and its sequel, Art Boss, will pull on your heartstrings. The desire to pursue our dreams is a journey we can all empathize with. This coming-of-age story would make a great two-part movie set or a small mini-series. The art, the fashion, the settings! It could be fierce.
Annie Gray
Adapt a cookbook? With a historical interpreter. Yas queen. Mrs. Crocombe is that girl. She ran the kitchen at Audley End in the mid to late Victorian Era, a position also held by men. It was a great responsibility to prepare, plan, and manage the food systems on site and beyond in Audley End’s local produce. She had to keep up with trends and changing fancies, all while providing elegant meals for the family and their guests. In addition, cooking for the staff.
The restaurant world is a wonderful canvas to build a show upon. This would appeal to fans of Downton Abbey, The Mind of A Chef, The Bear, Great British Baking Show, and Chef’s Table.
Elizabeth Kostova
Alright, this last book is technically in progress. The rights have been sold, but nothing has moved forward for a movie or series. This could be a horror masterpiece.
This story pulls me in, to the point of drowning in the world that feels too real for comfort. It is Dracula, unlike the world has seen him before. It needs to be played out on screen.
I’m not really sure how long this post is going to be, but I wanted to speak out into the void today because there is far too much darkness hanging around, and it’s honestly eating me up. I’m disappointed in my own feeling of doom, and feeling hopeless when what I am feeling afraid of is shadows on the wall. Like the Cave allegory of Plato. I think C.S. Lewis’ work The Screwtape Letters does a magnificent job of adding a new layer to the allegory of the Cave, in my opinion. (They are not directly connected by anything other than my own musings.)
In my opinion, we are living, staring at the shadows, chained by things of our own choosing. The main one I would say is social media, and the 24-hour news cycle, which in concert is keeping us chained in our own prisons, by keeping us distracted. We are stuck dwelling in the never-ending waterfall of problems, and we don’t stop to think or to choose a problem to tackle; instead, we are thrown over the waterfall, and our peace is dashed against the rocks every day. If we would pause and breathe. Stop and consider, you realize that you can either continue being overwhelmed by the world, or you can take the chains of social media off. This thing that so easily entangles us and shuts down the ever-wailing news and its dribble of despair, to seek ways to fill your cup. Therefore, you can approach the troubles of the world with renewed eyes that have hope because we have hope from within. Not the human spirit but the Holy Spirit. I think we forget that we can do that and still care about the problems in front of us. We are not apathetic but proactive. Seeking more than what seems possible from all these voices shouting hate, doom, and fear. Are things broken? Very much so. But when have they been perfect?
The world is doomed. It has been doomed since the fall of man. Even though Jesus overcame the world, there is still no guarantee of a charmed life for believers. This place of fallen things is temporary, for the world will pass away someday. It doesn’t mean it is happening now. We all went through a collective world trauma in 2020, which compounded the daily things that make the world unfair, and it also opened our eyes to injustice in our midst. Just because we are more aware of the bad doesn’t mean that we can’t fight to fix it. But I think we need to do that offline. It’s a distraction. And I think Screwtape and Wormwood have a very easy job as long as we stay divided, isolated, and helpless online. The algorithm forces us to consume things at its pace, but that pace is a complex math equation, not the inner workings of millions of human minds, each made uniquely, that process, cope, and solve at our own pace.
For my fellow Americans specifically, if the Big Beautiful Bill is going to destroy America, I think we are looking with tunnel vision because of our own privilege. How many of our marginalized neighbors have endured far worse over the history of America, and they still have hope and have fought for a better future? I’m not falling for this propaganda anymore, and I’m also not supporting the workforce blackout either. We need supply lines, and we need to provide for ourselves. Protest with wisdom, not with sabotage in mind, because not having goods trucked in is going to hurt those most vulnerable in society, not the Senate or the Executive branch.
Finally, there are so many resilient cultures around the world that we could look up to right now for a reality check. All the countries deemed “3rd World” or developing nations. They are exploited every day by 1st world nations, and have for centuries been held down for the profit of the few. Do those people give up even though this is their reality every day? No. Against every odd, they provide for their families without help. We have help, and we cry poor and ignore their struggles and worry about our first-world inconveniences. We do this to the most vulnerable in our own country, too. Look at what’s going on in our communities due to ICE, the housing crisis, the cultural genocide of Native peoples, and African peoples through the slave trade. We have always had evil running things; this is not new. If America is ruined by the BBB, our foundation was always sinking sand. So don’t give this junk another moment of worry and focus on the big picture – how can we be the light of the world and the salt of the earth? And every day, let’s focus on the solid foundation freely given to everyone through the sacrifice of God’s son.
Sorry that this is a bit of a rant, I just needed to push back against the heaviness I feel pushing down on this lovely July day. Happy Canada Day! And stay strong. ❤
In this week’s update, we’re starting to see our garden really take off. Plants that were already big have started to bloom and produce fruit, while plants that were small or looked a little unhealthy have started to grow and look like they’re going to make it. We also needed to tackle some of the grass in the beds that was becoming unruly, and we side-dressed many of our plants with bone meal. Finally, what is this update’s seed of the week?
Visible Growth
Since last week’s update, we’ve been blown away by how much growth there has been in the garden. The tomato plants we bought from the greenhouse, as well as the original Queen Aliquippa plants I started, have all started to blossom and produce fruit. The Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, and Yellow Pear plants all have fruit on them, while the Queen Aliquippa plants have numerous blossoms. Our pepper plants are the same way, with two of the Cal Wonder plants having at least one fruit. The small starts that we transplanted last weekend have grown and are looking healthy.
Our melon, squash, and cucumber plants are also showing a lot of growth. The spaghetti squash plant we bought at the greenhouse has 15 or so blossoms on it, while another plant that I started inside (we think it’s a pumpkin) is also blossoming. All but a few of the plants in our melon bed are doing very well, including our cucumber plants, where we’re starting to see baby cucumbers growing behind the blossoms. Lastly, our eggplants are growing a lot of fruit, with the largest being roughly three inches in length. It’s safe to say that the heat and sunshine have been wonderful for our garden.
Mowing Inside Our Garden Beds
This weekend, we realized that we needed to deal with the grass that was growing in the last garden bed we planted in. We had been using long shears to trim everything, but Magz smartly suggested that we try getting the mower in between the plants. Yesterday, we did and had so much success that we used the mower in our other beds, which made for much less work by hand. I maneuvered the mower while Magz helped me not run over any plants. While no plants were harmed, I did run over a wooden marker, but after 30 minutes or so and many squeaks from Magz, we were done. She is my Richard Hammond. We’ll be using this method moving forward to save time and work.
Side Dressing Plants
With our plants growing well and starting to bloom, I applied a layer of bone meal to our tomatoes, peppers, beans, and our more mature melons, squash, and cucumbers. I like bone meal because it’s easy to apply and gets absorbed pretty well, but I want to find a better fertilizer. I like bone meal when transplanting starts, but I would like to find something more water soluble or even a liquid fertilizer for side dressing needs later in the season. The bone meal has worked, though. The day after I applied it, we got a nice rainstorm, and the plants looked perkier afterward.
Seed of the Week
This week’s featured seed is the Black Krim tomato. We’re growing these from seed and from starts that we purchased at a greenhouse. These tomatoes are originally from the Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea and were named after the Isle of Krim. They gained popularity in that region during the 1850s but didn’t become commercially available in the United States until the 1990s. They may have been the first “black” tomato to be sold in the U.S. These are the first black tomatoes we’ve grown.
Up Next
At this point in the garden, we’re largely managing the garden. We’re dealing with weeds, making sure the plants are properly watered, and generally ensuring that everything is healthy. There’s a chance that by next week’s update, we’ll have harvested at least one tomato, eggplant, and/or cucumber. How are your gardens doing? Happy gardening!
Of the 82 seed packets we ordered earlier this year, we have planted nearly all of them, with only the fall crops still remaining. So, I wanted to write two articles: one on the hardest seeds to start and a second on the easiest ones.
I’m starting with the hardest seeds. My experiences with these are just that – my experiences – and are in no way an indictment on them or the seed companies they were purchased from. I could have done something wrong that caused failure, and if you’re curious about them, you should still buy them. Without further ado, here they are.
5.) Principe Borghese Tomato
We bought these seeds to be our paste tomatoes for the year, opting for this heirloom Italian variety over the more popular Amish Paste or San Marzano. We were intrigued because of their history, that they could also be sun-dried, and because they were spherical rather than the typical oblong. Unfortunately, we had nothing but problems with them.
I started these seeds the same way and at the same time as all the other tomato seeds; however, for some reason, these didn’t germinate as well as the others, and the ones that did germinate got leggy within a few days. Side note: Nearly all our tomato starts got leggy due to inadequate lighting, but these starts were worse than the others. When I attempted to harden them off and transplant them into the garden, none of them made it. To be fair, only one variety of tomato plants successfully transplanted due to poor weather conditions, but these were the worst. Later, I attempted to direct sow them in the garden once the soil temperature was warm enough, but it’s been at least two weeks now, and we’ve seen no signs of germination. These seeds not working is disappointing because we were excited about them. There’s a good chance we’ll try them again in the future, but we’ll buy a second type of paste tomatoes if we do.
4.) Calabrese Broccoli
We wanted to grow broccoli this year despite having no experience with it. We chose the Calabrese variety because it is supposed to be a traditional-style broccoli that produces smaller heads and multiple side shoots. Everything I read made me confident that it would grow well in our area. I started them indoors 4-to-6 weeks before the last frost, as the seed packet suggested.
The seeds germinated well, but the new starts immediately struggled. I didn’t know this at the time, but broccoli is sensitive to warm temperatures. That is something I struggled to monitor and control with our seed-starting setup because I started vegetables with different temperature requirements at the same time. Additionally, our current grow light gives off heat but needs to be very close to the plant to provide enough light. This created a lose-lose scenario. Understanding this, we may direct sow late in summer for a fall crop. I think this will result in a better growing experience, but it’s anything but a “set it and forget it” seed.
3.) Husk Tomatoes – Ground Cherries & Tomatillos
I’m combining these two because they’re part of the same husk tomato family, grow in similar manners, and seem to be susceptible to the same issues. This is another vegetable/fruit that we’ve never grown before. Actually, we don’t think we’ve ever eaten ground cherries before and have only had tomatillos in salsa. We had similar issues with these that we had with other seeds: When they germinated, they went leggy pretty fast. One difference, though, was that these seeds took a long time to germinate and were slow to grow after they did.
When it became clear that getting any fruit off our starts was going to be a struggle, we bought a plant of each at the local greenhouse. They were very healthy and already had fruit forming. We transplanted them into one of our garden beds and quickly encountered issues. It started with the three-line potato beetle that required a non-organic spray to treat and has only continued with the plants struggling to grow. I think it’s the result of too much moisture in the soil, but as a bright spot, our ground cherry plant is still producing fruit, and last evening, we were able to harvest one. It wasn’t ripe enough yet, but it was rewarding to get something from it.
We also bought a few more tomatillo starts and transplanted them into a different garden bed with better drainage. I preemptively sprayed them to prevent beetle infestation and staked them. They’re still doing very well with dark green leaves and fruits that continue to develop. We’ve learned a lot since we first started these seeds, and we’re certain that 2025 won’t be the only year we grow them.
2.) Ping Tung Eggplant
We gave these seeds a shot because they were unique compared to the Italian eggplant that is more common in the United States. These originate in Taiwan and have a more cylindrical shape compared to the bell shape of the Italian style. Before purchasing, we were aware of the struggles that some gardeners have experienced with these seeds. Some talked about the issues of successfully moving from germination to transplanting. That’s the same problem we had. They germinated quite well, but like other plants, they quickly went leggy and died. I tried restarting them in May, but they didn’t even get past the germination stage. It’s quite a bummer.
We bought two eggplant starts from the greenhouse, and they’ve been doing very well since being transplanted. I don’t think they’re Ping Tung eggplants, but they are an Asian variety. They have been flowering for more than a week, and several fruits are beginning to develop. We were also gifted an eggplant start from our neighbor. We were unable to transplant it right away, so the plant was looking unhealthy by the time it was transplanted, but it has since recovered and is growing nicely. The Ping Tung seeds may just be difficult to start; I’m unsure, but I think we’ll give this variety another shot in the future, either this fall or next spring.
1.) Ishakura Bunching Onions
The final item on this list is an Asian-variety bunching onion seed. We chose these because we like Asian vegetables and were intrigued by being able to grow onions in the spring. Like the Ping Tung eggplant seeds, there were some mixed reviews from gardeners, so I knew there was a chance of some issues. I attempted to start these inside, which is what the seed packet recommends. In fact, it says to start these up to three months before the last frost date, so I had an expectation of slow but consistent growth, because it’s hard to keep starts going that long without needing to transplant them.
I began them in normal seed cells and had successful germination in the expected timeframe. They grew to about three inches and then stopped. They didn’t grow any taller or thicker. I thought that it could have been part of their growing process and that they would take off after being transplanted, but that wasn’t the case. Transplanting them was difficult due to the fragile root structure, and none survived. I later attempted to direct sow a row of them in the garden, but none germinated. This seed was easily the most disappointing of the season. Part of that is because we were excited about these onions and never experienced a hint of success.
I think part of this was the result of poor growing conditions. I think that growing them in a container would yield better results. You can tightly pack these seeds in, so in a 12″ diameter pot, you can probably grow two or three dozen plants. This would also allow for better moisture management. Still, for how easy the seed description said they were to grow, these were a letdown.
Giving Up or Trying Again
This is the decision we’ll find ourselves with next spring. Do we give up on these seed varieties and buy a different seed or a start, or do we try again with the knowledge we didn’t have before? It’ll likely be a combination of both. We had a conversation last evening about these seeds, and we are unsure if we’ll buy husk tomato seeds next year. They’re quite difficult to start, and the starts are very affordable. That doesn’t mean we won’t try starting them from seed again in the future, but I want to have confidence in successfully growing them to harvest before going back to the starting point again. The Calabrese broccoli seeds may be the same way.
But I think we’ll buy the bunching onions, Principe Borghese, and Ping Tung seeds again. I can pinpoint what went wrong with all of those, make changes, and be confident that we’ll have a different result. We’re going to upgrade our growing light, which will help, and our weather this spring was unusually bad. An improvement back to the norm would have a big impact.
I am planning on doing this article each year as we try new seeds. I’m also going to be doing a post on the five easiest seeds to start. Happy gardening!
One Rabbit Riot 