This is a snap of what I've brought in so far from my little balcony garden. This is the second basket of Roma tomatoes (the first have already been cooked down, juiced and put in the freezer) and the big yellow thing is one of the two Alwaha melons I got. (I know it looks horrible, but smells HEAVENLY!)

Best Wishes
Amino-X

I thought my plants were stunted because they are on a north facing balcony, but I visited my parents' place across town this weekend. Their plants aren't looking any better. It's been a wet, cold summer for Colorado (thankfully as we always need the moisture). Everyone still just has tomato blooms. My parents' dedicated neighbor gardener is pulling his hair out over his stunted corn.

I'm actually glad to be a balconeer today as hail goes ripping across Denver. I know my plants will be mostly protected by the deck above (hail tends to go straight down around here).

I'm about to go out and get another harvest of them soon as I'm done here!

Then I had my first Cherokee Purple tomato that I picked and I included it below with 3 ripe Snow White cherry tomotoes that I had picked from plants I had started from seed that are planted at one of my sister's houses:

This is my first ripe Marianna's Peace tomato that has since been picked:

I also have a big pile of ripe habanero peppers that I have to pick:

Back in June, I had a bunch of ripe strawberries that have since been picked and frozen but had looked like this:

I'm about to go out and do some more harvesting!

So far, I have gotten from containers black raspberries. They were gobbled up as they ripened and basil for several batches of pesto. Tomatoes are not ripe yet, but I was late getting them on the roof.

Sorry no pix, everything eaten up already!

One plant has given me 3 already, but they trickled in one per day for about 3 days. Now they both have 3 tiny ones on them so I'm waiting for them to plump up :D

I'm also trying an experiment just to see. I grated 2 of the cucumbers and put them in the freezer. I plan to thaw it out in the refrigerator and see if I can make relish out of it or if it's a useless pile of goo when thawed :D

I'll try to get pics today and post them :)

Best Wishes
Amino-X

Here is a great way to keep cucumbers from getting limp and yucky in the refridge while you wait for more babies to get their plump on:

Take a BIG tupperware container, enough to hold at least 3 quarts. Fill it up most of the way with ice, then fill it to full with water. Stick the cucumbers in and let the excess water overflow into the sink. Put it in the refridge. You can even do this with cut-up cucumbers or ones with their bad spots removed. Or if you only eat 1/2 a cucumber in your salad, you can put the rest back in the ice bucket. Keep adding freshly picked cucumbers as they get big. The temperature in the refridge will probably keep the ice more or less frozen and the cukes being in the water keeps them plump. I left mine in for over a week. If you notice the ice is melted, add more.

When your tupperware is mostly cucumbers and not much room left for ice, you have enough cucumbers to make a few jars of pickles. :-D

Im not an expert of anything (duh, I said this was my first time gardening) but it worked for me! :) Good luck!

I had one in the fridge that was getting a bit mushy to pickle and my wife spotted it this afternoon so that rascle's gone LOL!

Best Wishes
Amino-X

click for PICTURES

I already made one batch of hot sauce,

I'm going to make another batch, and try some mango chutney with red savinas.