Dad's Garden, Part 9

We have officially entered the stage of summer gardening that I like to call "The Crunchy Stage".  

Most plants are past their peak and the heat is making these plants work really hard to produce.

The tomatoes have been busy making really tasty fruit.  The tomatoes start blooming at the base of the plant and progress up the plant until it runs out of vine. 

This vine has bloomed all the way out to the tip of the plant.  The tomatoes are weighing down the end of the vine.  

The one plant in the garden that seems to really enjoy the sun is the okra.

Just when the rest of the garden seems to be looking at bit tired, the okra comes on strong. 

I mean - look at it!  If you look you can see that there are pods growing all the way up the trunk at every space available.

Dad has some pods selected to mature and dry out on the plant.  These pods will provide the seeds to start the plants for next year.  

I am the Bubba Blue* of okra.  I love it!  How do I like okra?  Well...I like

fried okra

boiled okra

pickled okra

roasted okra

okra and tomatoes

okra gumbo

Mmmmm.  I have a bag of okra in the refrigerator that I brought home from Mom and Dad's.  I need to clean it and make something yummy with it.  

(*of Forrest Gump fame)