kirby cucumber – MINDING MY P'S WITH Q

“Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae. It is a creeping vine that bears cylindrical fruits that are used as culinary vegetables. There are three main varieties of cucumber: slicing, pickling, and burpless.” Wikipedia

The humble cucumber is available throughout the year at most grocery stores or fruit stands. Inexpensive, they are a perfect addition to a salad, or can stand on their own with only a sprinkling of salt and pepper. My favorites are the pickling variety.

A few facts I recently ran across regarding cucumbers suprised me. I knew they would remove puffiness around the eyes and were low in calories, but I did not know that they have many health benefits. A few of these are: good for the kidneys, regular consumption can dissolve kidney stones over time. Cucumbers are one of the best sources of potassium. Cucumbers help the pancreas create insulin. Cucumbers reduce the risk of certain types of cancers.

There are many other benefits of cucumbers. I’ve included a link to a great article that lists many of advantages of eating or using cucumbers for skin, hair and oral health. Cucumber Benefits

Cucumbers are easy to grow in the garden. I have started them in two ways, in pots a few weeks before the last frost date, and right in the ground. Some varieties grow on bushes, others are vines and need trellis support. In my Square Foot Garden I grow two to a square.

As always, the Pinterest site is loaded with hundreds of terrific pins concerning cucumbers. Take a look: Cucumbers on Pinterest

My Square Foot Garden is still going strong. I have replanted my spring section with Fall vegetables. The summer section is bearing fruit, and I am harvesting the bounty. The peppers are delicious, the eggplant are producing fruit. The newcomer, spaghetti squash, is huge and starting to turn golden. The bush beans are quite a thrill. I planted some new varieties and have had so much fun watching them fruit and dry on the vine. I have to check my cucumbers daily to make sure one isn’t hiding away becoming a MONSTER of a CUKE. The photo below might not seem like such a large cucumber, until you realize it is a Kirby pickling sized cuke.

In my garden containers, the tomatoes are cascading over the tops and are bearing quite a bit of fruit. Even though the rascally squirrels steal some of the bounty, I have brought some of the tomatoes inside to my windowsill and they are ripening. (A neighbor has since told me that this is due to the dry drought conditions we are experiencing. The squirrels ease their thirst with the juice inside the tomatoes.)