Each year, I plant at least one new-to-me “experimental” crop. I see if it grows well, whether I like it, and (if there’s enough to sell) how it does at market. This winter, I got a little carried away when dog-earing the seed catalogs. I’m growing six new crops.

Yep, six: painted hills corn, Cajun jewel okra, Henderson bush lima beans, golden summer crookneck squash, cucamelons, and Chinese pink celery. That’s not to mention the new varieties of crops, like red currant cherry tomatoes. All of these “new” crops are heirloom varieties, meaning they’ve been passed down for generations. The summer squash has been grown here since before 1492!

You’ve already seen the golden summer squash at the market, and the okra, lima beans, and celery might be showing up soon too. The cucamelons – tiny cucumbers that resemble watermelons – are just starting to flower, and the corn, well, we’ll see if the critters leave me any. As with any experimental crop, whether I bring these vegetables to market depends on how big of a harvest I get from them.

Speaking of the market, tomorrow you can expect more beans and summer squash, fresh basil, garlic salt, and handmade items.

I’m selling a mixture of two bean varieties this year: ‘Contender,’ which is a standard green snap bean, and ‘Dragon Tongue,’ a cream-colored Dutch wax bean with striking purple streaks and excellent flavor. Both are stringless, tender, and great for fresh eating, cooking, freezing, or pickling. I highly recommend sautéing a handful with some sliced squash and seasoning it all with chopped basil and a generous sprinkle of garlic salt. Yum!

Hey folks! Just a quick post today to let you know what to expect tomorrow:

• snap beans
• golden crookneck summer squash
• garlic salt
• fire salt
• produce bags
• Swiffer covers
• dish cloths
• skillet handle covers

There’s a 60 percent chance of showers tomorrow morning, but the dedicated market vendors are planning to set up! Come out during a break in the rain or enjoy a summer shower with us. Despite a wet forecast last week, we had beautiful weather for the market, so keep your fingers crossed and carry an umbrella (a sure way to discourage rain)!

Keep an eye on Facebook – both my page and Broadway Community Market‘s – for weather-related updates.

See you at the market!

My favorite month has drawn to a close, but as we plunge deeper into summer, the garden really comes to life. I can hardly believe it, but the corn is already taller than I am and decorated with purplish tassels. And although I’ve been watching the beans closely, I was still shocked to discover beans plump enough to pick today!

So, surprise! I’ll have green beans at the Broadway Community Market tomorrow – just a few, as the first harvest is always small. But there will be plenty more in the coming weeks. I also picked the last of the sugar snap peas this morning, so in a rare overlap, there will be both spring peas and summer beans on my table tomorrow morning.

I still have plenty of garlic salt, as well as the last couple bottles of fire salt and one lonely hot salt. In addition to my usual handmade items, I also plan to set up notecards featuring my husband’s beautiful nature photography.

Looking ahead, you can expect the first of the yellow summer squash next week and more beans. The squash plants are full of bright yellow blossoms and the buzzing of happy pollinators, and I spotted one baby zucchini too. We still have a couple weeks until tomatoes, though. And in the photo at the top of this post (a different perspective on the garden than usual!), you can also see lima bean plants getting ready to flower in the foreground and a tidy row of young okra plants. There is so much to look forward to in the garden.

See you at the market!