You Grow Girl™

I grew this tall variety from seed this year but was a little late getting started so it is only now starting to produce the first flowers. And it is tall — probably about 4 feet already. I chose this variety because it was tauted as being resistant to powdery mildew and so far that is ringing true. My plants are as green and gorgeous as can be without a speck of white powder. Considering the wet summer we’ve had I consider that a small miracle.

The Mexican Sour Gherkin (Melothria scabra) is producing lots of yummy little cucumber-like fruits. This is my second year growing them.

I’ve been trying to grow their cousin, the West Indian Burr Gherkin for two years straight but either the seeds (obtained from two different sources) have not been very viable or it just has a very low germination rate. I’m going to go more hardcore on that next year.

In the meantime these little “Barbie doll melons” are easy to grow and abundant. Although I rarely seem to get any home with me, preferring to pop them into my mouth while I work on my community garden plot where they are growing.

Related:

• Growing Mexican Sour Gherkins

While out on a canoe expedition, Davin and I came upon an island with a very large hill that we decided was big enough to be called a mountain. I was determined to get to the top of the mountain and enjoy the view. Thankfully I came prepared, having brought along my runners and a pair of socks in case we came upon a spot that might be worth hiking. We wore sandals in the canoe.

We did make it to the top and this beautiful, healthy sumac was what we found growing there.

I’m tentatively identifying this as a staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) but to be honest there are so many sumacs I find it a bit overwhelming. Staghorn sumac is one of the types that can be made into a vitamin C rich drink although I have never done this and probably never will since staghorns share a family (Anacardiaceae) with cashew nuts and poison ivy. I am allergic to cashews. They won’t kill me but I get dizzy when I eat them. My vision gets blurry and my stomach becomes upset. I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that I might have a problem with poison ivy as well.