State of the Garden report, middle July

A rather hurried report, sorry. Getting ready for a 3-day jaunt to visit the mother-in-law.

Now or then?  On the now front, I have this leaf thing with the purple stem:







Malabar Spinach. I planted six or eight, I got one. But when I found it at the Farmer's Market, I recognized it immediately.  I bought a big bundle, laboriously stripped the leaves and tender stems off the tough stalks, and boiled them up.

But--and I really hate to admit this--I didn't like it. It's not like spinach or even Swiss chard--it's like okra. And that means, slimy.  Or maybe the word is 'soapy'. In any event, the "mouth feel" is horrid.
Maybe a really long cooking or a stir fry would deal with the slime factor.




I also have this absolutely gorgeous salad green that came in a pack of mixed mesclun. I have no idea what it is but I'd love to have it in my flower garden.




And this lovely creature. Plenty of this lovely creature.