This has been a busy week as we continue to try to get all the rest of our seedlings in the ground, as well as direct seeding winter squash, watermelon, and more green beans. Last Thursday we had quite the storm and got 1.5" of rain which helped everything tremendously. We water regularly, but there's nothing like a good rain. Our summer squash are just starting to produce, right now our cocozelle zucchini are what are producing. This is an Italian variety of zucchini that are delicious even when huge! Our cucumbers have started producing in earnest, and everyone is getting some this week. These cukes are mostly the smaller, pickling type, and we will have bigger slicers coming on later. The small ones are great for snacking (our kids LOVE them), and are still good for slicing too!
Our spilanthes plants are also doing well. Spilanthes is an herb, also called "toothache plant," and are one of the craziest plants we have ever encountered. When you nibble on the flower, it has an analgesic effect and makes you whole mouth tingly (think poprocks) and go numb for about 5 minutes. It is also antibacterial, antifungal, and stimulates the immune system, so it is often in natural mouthwashes, and has been used medicinally for centuries. We enjoy nibbling on them, and kids usually love the unusual sensation. If any of you would like to try some, we would be happy to throw a few in your bag, just let us know!