Oh summer. What's not to love? Hot, sunny days and warm, clear nights. Tan skin and dirt on my hands. Flip flops and sun dresses. Fresh food!

I'm finally reeping the rewards of my hard work. This past weekend, I found my first two cucumbers resting in the shade of prickly leaves. They're small and crisp, perfect for salads. Our okra is putting out a few sprigs every couple of days. The tomatoes are on the cusp of turning red or purple. And my squash is growing faster than I can pick it. These are the days when I love living in Tennessee. I hate the cold, rainy, miserable winters, but our summers are heavenly. It's been hot and sunny for weeks now with just the perfect amount of storminess to keep things from getting too dry and scorched. I refuse to put my toes away until October, and sleeves are nowhere to be found. This is MY weather. So, as you can imagine, I've been finding every excuse to play outside when I'm not working. That means PROJECTS! Not only is my garden rolling right along, but I've added some new life and beauty around the abode since my first update, and things are looking awesome. This post will be picture heavy, but isn't that why you're here? Check out how things are going, er growing, around my little city plot...

Heres what the garden is looking like these days. Tomato bushes are busting out of their cages. The cucumbers are conquering every inch of extra space they can find. The squash is creeping into the neighbor's lot. It's a thing if beauty.

More tomatoes. And those are cantaloupe vines crawling along the front with several little yellow blooms emerging. Somewhere in there, you'll see a couple of bell pepper plants so heavy with peppers that I had to stake them.

On the left...Pumpkins! I've never grown pumpkins before, but I started these from seed and they're just taking off. I'm so proud. And on the right, le squash. It's completely overtaken one of the nasturtiums I planted, but I don't even care. The flowers are a pretty surprise when I lift the leaves to check for new growth. In the back I have new snap pea sprouts just coming through, and okra in front of those. Okra flowers are so beautiful.

Deep in the underbelly... Ha!

Nasturtiums. Edible flowers, did you know?

Maters! These are Cherokee purple and will be the best damn tomatoes you've ever tastes. I swear. They don't travel well due to their soft flesh, so you have to grow your own or find a local farmer who does.

Look at all those potential cantaloupe... Mmm.

Did I mention I've planted heirloom corn? Take that, Monsanto! I ordered seeds from an online seed bank for a purple and a yellow variety. I can't wait to see what these babies do.

Did you know that beets are like turkey timers? This one just popped right outta he ground when it was ready. So cool! My first beet ever!

Kale chips, anyone? And stems for juicing, of course. I picked all of this Saturday just to make room for more growth. It's really gotten out of hand.

And more of Saturday's bounty.

The strawberry table has gained some growth in the past month, and few "daughter" plants have sprung out.

Last years rescued plant is really taking off, too.

I was digging around and pulling weeds under my okra two weeks ago, and guess what I found... Four tomato seedlings that must've come up from last years plants! Craziness. Nature will always find a way, I suppose. So, I gently moved them, and they seem to be doing just fine. I'm hoping for some late season maters.

Oh yeah! And I threw together a little 4' by 4' raised bed for my watermelons. On the left side, I planted two rows of carrot seeds, too. It took, literally, twenty minutes to put this together.

I've also been hard at work on my front porch project with a little help from my momma. She has vision, that's for sure.

We found these old, dingy, beaten chairs in the attic...

...added some paint and new fabric, and they're good as new.

I, also, have a dining set that used to belong to my grandparents. It's nothing fancy, but solid. I decided to freshen up the chairs while I was in a painting mood, and they look so nice in white.

The little blue pots were also salvaged from the attic, just plain wicker baskets. All in all, I've spent less than $50 to make my porch a place where I'd actually like to sit. I planted some herbs in the blue pots, as well...dill, parsley, and basil. I'm not quite finished. I'd like to add some flowers and the perfect little table between my white chairs, but not too shabby for a weekend project, huh?

There you have it. July 2014, things are looking good and tasting great. Next month, we should have a feast-worth if veggies to share. Stay tuned...