Rachel's Growing Garden

Rachel's Growing Garden The purpose of this page is to document gardening endeavors from season to season...to share ideas.

Before and after pressure canning the Royalty Purple Pod beans…crazy color transformation, right?
06/16/2026

Before and after pressure canning the Royalty Purple Pod beans…crazy color transformation, right?

The watermelon plants are behind where they were last year, but I’m still feeling good about the possibility of growing ...
06/15/2026

The watermelon plants are behind where they were last year, but I’m still feeling good about the possibility of growing bigger watermelon than last summer (see pic).

My record last year was 35.4 lbs!

The new irrigation is such a time saver and directs the water to exactly where it needs to go.

I’m adding a liquid fertilizer weekly going forward to increase my yield and size of the melons.

Trying something new with these Bloody Mary Pickles! Prepared horseradish, Bloody Mary mix, worchestershire, jalapenos a...
06/14/2026

Trying something new with these Bloody Mary Pickles! Prepared horseradish, Bloody Mary mix, worchestershire, jalapenos and lots of seasonings…there’s no way these don’t turn out delicious.

I found the recipe from The Zen Hen and the Honey Bee to be very enticing…so I had to try it out.

I had no idea about the tannins in grape leaves helping to keep pickles crisp…so I added wild grape leaves to the jars to give it a try! Why not?

Now to wait for a couple weeks to let the pickles sit in the refrigerator and develop their flavor.

Here are links to the recipes I used:

https://www.pinchmeimeating.com/refrigerator-dill-pickles/

https://youtube.com/shorts/A90g68YhqSs?si=CNAq1oDg7MqHztHW

Harvested my first spaghetti squash, this nice-sized Goldetti…my mouth is watering thinking about cooking it up!The colo...
06/13/2026

Harvested my first spaghetti squash, this nice-sized Goldetti…my mouth is watering thinking about cooking it up!

The color change from deep green to bright orange on this variety makes it easy to know when it can be harvested.

If I were wanting to cure and store this long term I would have left it on the vine until the stem showed corking.

Royalty Purple bush beans are a stringless heirloom variety celebrated for their vibrant violet-purple pods, ornamental ...
06/12/2026

Royalty Purple bush beans are a stringless heirloom variety celebrated for their vibrant violet-purple pods, ornamental purple flowers, and excellent flavor.

They actually turn a bright green when they are cooked!

Y’all know I’m always looking for pepper varieties that are unique for their look and taste, and this new-to-me Arriba h...
06/11/2026

Y’all know I’m always looking for pepper varieties that are unique for their look and taste, and this new-to-me Arriba hybrid fits the bill.

Arriba is a prolific, early-maturing hybrid jalapeño pepper known for its high-yielding plants and consistent, slightly citrusy heat.

Also called a "Caribe" type, the peppers start as pale yellow, transition to orange-red, and ripen to bright red.

They can be consumed at any stage but are highly prized for their robust flavor when yellow.

I tried Zinc tablets in the canned green beans and there is quite a color difference.The jar on the left has no zinc, th...
06/10/2026

I tried Zinc tablets in the canned green beans and there is quite a color difference.

The jar on the left has no zinc, the middle jar has 50 mg of zinc and the jar on the right has 100 mg.

This is purely aesthetic as the bright green color mimics commercially canned green beans, but it’s not considered safe practice by food experts for home canners due to possible toxicity. Idk though, maybe that’s true if a single individual is consuming entire quarts of green beans (juice and all) on a regular basis then there would be a safety concern…but that’s not realistic.

It was a fun experiment but I really don’t mind the dull green color of regular ole canned beans so I’ll stick to only adding salt to the jars.

The first green bean variety to produce is Contender!This is one of 6 varieties planted so I’ll be picking daily for the...
06/09/2026

The first green bean variety to produce is Contender!

This is one of 6 varieties planted so I’ll be picking daily for the foreseeable future…what have I done?!? 😝

Look at this farm stand inspired shelving my husband built and installed!This will help keep the produce and eggs more o...
06/08/2026

Look at this farm stand inspired shelving my husband built and installed!

This will help keep the produce and eggs more organized and added a rustic accent to the kitchen.

And it’s a perfect spot for my not so perfect string of onions from the garden! They are very heavy!

Filius Blue ornamental peppers add a fun pop of color to your planters around the house!These beauties greet me on both ...
06/08/2026

Filius Blue ornamental peppers add a fun pop of color to your planters around the house!

These beauties greet me on both sides of the entrance to my she-shed.

The peppers turn orange and into red when they mature.

Although most often grown for their striking appearance, they are completely edible and pack a significant, cayenne-level punch although the flavor is described as grassy and bitter.

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