Following the spring harvest of strawberries, nothing is as satisfying to me as plucking all those summer veggies I planted and cared for throughout the season. Harvesting vegetables in the garden is an exciting time for me, especially when it’s been a good year.
Awaiting the Summer Harvest Crops
As harvest time slowly nears, I think it’s the tomatoes that many gardeners, myself included, get really excited about. We’ve waited all season long for those delightful juicy globes to top our salads or cover slices of sandwich bread. Yum! But it’s not just the tomato I anticipate most.
A close second, and it’s really hard to choose just one, is squash. I love summer squash, like yellow crookneck and patty pan. I’m from the South where fried squash (and even fried green tomatoes) is a delicacy. Unfortunately, squash bugs seem to love them just as much. I find myself fighting these marauders nearly every year. So, I tend to get very excited when I’m actually able to harvest anything.
Another favorite of mine during harvest season has to be cucumbers, though peppers tend to get me excited too. I told you I couldn’t just pick one”¦ apparently not just two or three either. There’s always crispy leaf lettuce to pick and taters to dig and so much more.
As with the tomatoes, once I hawk any of these long-awaited morsels in the garden, I’m continually checking them so I can be certain to grab the fruits up before anyone else has a chance to. Don’t want any of these summer harvest crops going to the “squigs” (my piggy squirrels) and raccoons, or falling victim to insect pests. Nope, these babies are all mine – though I may be willing to share a few!
Harvesting vegetables in the garden is a satisfying feeling. It means triumph over all obstacles faced that season and a job well done. And I get to enjoy the “fruits” of my labor at the dinner table, making it more than worth the effort.
Since you’ve worked so hard in the garden this summer we want to show off the fruits (and veggies) of your labor! We invite you to join the Gardening Know How Virtual Harvest Show by submitting photos of your harvest!
