Jul 20, 2009

BACKYARD SHENANAGINS

My first veggie garden experience is turning out to be....um...well...interesting.

Last night Aunt Chrissy dutifully checked on the garden patch and came in with a funny look on her face and the advice that we should probably look into this whole "cucumber situation".

Now, considering I've never grown cucumbers before, what I am about to show you might actually be very normal (and you'll really think I'm a boob), but I'm a little mystified:
Is this normal?

If it IS, then I have a LOT to learn about farming and growing one's produce.

If it's NOT, then I'm going to christen these the world's very first "Zaftig Cucumbers Grown By a Very Spastic Spinster (and her little dog too)" and call it a day.

On Saturday I helped Aunt Chrissy re-organize her stitching studio and then Stewey and I hung out until the wee hours with she and Bosco. I worked a little on "Blooming with Inspiration" but got ridiculously bored with it, so yesterday I picked up:



Don't look too closely at this one, or you'll be horrified by the amount of GLUE that I'm using to hold all of the slippery Neon Rays down. GLUE! On a canvas!

Please don't give me too much grief. I struggled with this sucker for months until a little voice in my head said "They make fabric glue and stitchy glue for a reason, BoBo, so go ahead and tack this crap down and get on with it". So I did.

Tonight is grocery night and I am determined to get something fabulous so that I can channel my inner Ina. I grilled salmon last night and it was pretty tasty (if I do say so myself), so I'm anxious to see what else I can play with. (In case you're interested, I made a simple marinade for the fish: olive oil, dijon mustard, soy sauce, and minced garlic). It was lovely. Just lovely.

Stewey's out on the back patio sunning himself and listening to the radio, so I'd better go check up on him. If he doesn't turn over every ten minutes he gets an uneven tan and then bitches about it for days, so I'd like to avoid that if I can. Damn dog.

13 comments:

  1. Yep, them thar are what real cukes look like before they are finished growing. I can even buy (I don't grow 'em--too ashamed) lemon cukes which stop growing at the round stage and turn yellow when ripe but taste just like a real cucumber.

    Mother Nature doesn't believe in stitching with the colors listed, Dearest Spinster.

    Things look pretty good to me actually. You must not have deer and a groundhog racing you to the produce as it ripens....

    By coincidence I saw Shenandoah Spring on an English counted thread website for the first time last night. It caught my eye because the greens are so cool and inviting and because I live overlooking the real Shenandoah. Have fun stitching it!

    Jane, waving from CH

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, you have cucumbers! But, varieties will, well, VARY. Just make sure they get consistent water, but not too much, and they'll get a bit longer. My one and only cucumber plant was attacked by bugs this year... but the rest of my garden is making up for it.

    Fun stuff! And, thanks for sharing the ingredients on the salmon marinade. Haven't tried adding the mustard before. Will do.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I cannot help with the cukes - it's been so long since I've had my own veggie patch.

    I'm stunned with your stitching - glue and all. It looks as if it stitches up really quickly. I might go look for some of these designs. I think i've got some mono canvas in my stash...thanks for the inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Crazy cukes, this must be their awkward stage. Your spring canvas looks beautiful. CJ ok;-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've seen cukes like that too! It's amazing how they can look sometimes. Your needlepoint piece is absolutely breathtaking! I just sat and stared at it! Glue or not it is stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Cute cukes! No matter what shape they are, they'll still taste like cucumbers. Really.

    What glue? I don't see any glue.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Don't know anything about cucumbers but your stitching is gorgeous! I love the color.

    ReplyDelete
  8. i saw no glue
    just nice stitches
    i like that circle design

    zaftig cukes made me grin from ear to ear

    i am sure they will be delish

    be sure give stewey some spf
    :0)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm pretty sure despite what all these gardening experts say, you are growing alien cukes. ;-)

    Beautiful canvas! The central circle just mesmerizes me!

    Carmen says "Big sloppy kisses to Stew-meister"

    ReplyDelete
  10. The canvas piece is lovely. No help on the cukes.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love the stitching!
    The shape of the cukes I've seen before but couldn't remember where...then I remembered...my mirror!
    Fear not...I've been known to kill silk flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your cukes are looking quite normal. Keep a close eye on them, since they are prone to double in size overnight...no...seriously! LOL :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm no gardener, but I went to a lecture on bees Saturday and one slide had a photo of cucumbers that looked like the ones in your photo. The slide was an illustration of insufficient pollination.... Perhaps you could encourage more bees and other pollinators to visit your garden?

    Cheers, Kay

    ReplyDelete