I planted four cucumber plants in the spring. One was a small variety that I put in a pot and gave me a good dozen or more little, fat cucumbers. Two of the plants suddenly died in one of my beds and was pulled out.
One survived.
I have tried cucumbers in the past and was never able to get them to grow. I will admit that cucumbers are a hard sell around here. Larry hates them unless they are pickled and it isn't like you can cook up cucumbers to serve with dinner like you would zucchini or broccoli. In another words, their uses are quite limited.
However, I remember stories my mom would tell of these amazing Italian cucumbers my grandfather would grow and when I was a little girl my mom and my brother Pete grew a garden and cucumbers were included. The only reason I remember cucumbers...and not anything else the two of them grew...is because my brother was taunting me with the cucumbers and I was a jealous 6-year old. I wanted to grow cucumbers (and I think maybe I did but mine died? I don't know what else would have made me so incredibly jealous!). I have a picture of my brother, knee deep in this garden on an empty lot next door to us, with a gigantic cucumber in his hand and I am in the forefront with a pouty face and an angry stance. Something like, "He is so arrogant with his cucumbers and he doesn't seem to care that MY cucumbers died!! How can he stand there holding the biggest cucumber I have ever seen and smiling while I am obviously miserable!?!," was what I envision was going through my head. Although, "my stupid brother!!" was probably more accurate for the time and my age.
Anyhoo.
I finally got cucumbers to grow and that ONE plant of mine provided me so many cucumbers I believe it would fill an entire room, top to bottom. I bet I plucked over a hundred cucumbers off that ONE plant! I shredded the cucumbers and froze dozens of bags; I gave them to neighbors and family and friends; I brought them to the school for the teachers; Larry took them to work; my mom took bags to the senior center. I was basically a cucumber pimp.
Not only was it the cucumber motherload but it took over the entire bed and annihilated the pepper plants, the eggplant seeds, the marigolds, and the lavender.
One weekend we decided we have had enough of the cucumbers. It was Early October and the plant was taking over not only the bed but everything outside the bed that came within ten feet of their big leaves and curling vines...so we decided the time had come to cut it way back and contain it just to the beds. Meanwhile we ended up picking a HUGE box full of cucumbers and I spent two days making cucumber relish, cucumber marmalade, a cucumber spread, and a cucumber sauce. And the pile still didn't look like it went down! I brought some to my friend and told Larry to take the rest to work...I was done.
(In this photo, the cucumber is behind the tall tomato plant, which is in the forefront. This photo was also taken in early August before the cucumber really began to take over the world.)
A couple of days ago we finally pulled the rest of the plant out of the bed and I have to say, I was a bit sad. And we still pulled another half dozen cucumbers off the plant that are sitting on my counter. (More freakin' cucumbers!)
As much as I have enjoyed the fresh, delightfully sweet cucumbers I am not sure I am going to plant them again next year. I have enough grated to last me into next winter and I have jars of marmalade and relish in my fridge that should easily last through spring. IF I grow them, I may try the patio-variety that is a little more contained and will provide me with just enough cucumbers to maybe make a batch of relish and enjoy cut up as a snack or thrown in salad.
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