RAISED BED UPDATE: SO FAR, SO GOOD!

At least, no critters have managed to pull down our little mesh tents, as of yet.

I've got a couple of 'maters in this one. Of course, I doubt they'll set any fruit until the daytime temps drop into the 80s, which could be another month or so. The bees can't get in to pollinate, so I thought I might have to leave the sides propped open during the day. However, according to what I read on line, most tomato plants these days can pollinate themselves, as long as there is air circulating around them, to move the pollen about. No worries then, for breezes they have aplenty. In fact, that is my major concern right now. If we get one of our ferocious wind storms up here, these little plant covers are liable to end up over in the next county!

These are some some of those big, flat Italian green beans -- Romano beans -- that are so delicious when parboiled very briefly, then sauteed in a bit of olive oil, garlic, and Panko bread crumbs. Just toss them around in the pan a bit until they are coated in the crispy crumbs. The deer love them too, so it took me all summer, last time I grew them, just to harvest enough for one or two servings! The deer didn't really bother the plants much until they started producing beans, so we won't really know if the tents were worth the investment until then.

I've also got one row of tri-color bush beans, about ready to be thinned out, and one of the little skinny haricots vert, which we like to oven roast at 400 F., in a bit of olive oil and sea salt, until they have those nice brown caramelized patches here and there. We then pick them up and eat them with our hands, like french fries!

There is still plenty of room to add a variety of lettuces and other cool weather plants, once our night temperatures finally cool down a bit (our lows are still in the mid-seventies, unfortunately). When they do, I just might try planting me some broccoli and cauliflower. If the tents can keep them from being decimated by those nasty leaf rolling caterpillars, well, you'll probably see me doing my happy dance all around the side of this hill!