The labors of spring planting have given way to the fruits and vegetables of summer, with an abundance of produce within picking distance of the backdoor. Local gardeners are harvesting beans, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers for use in favorite recipes, or enjoying them au naturale.

Tammi and Dave Herrmann of Peachtree City have reaped squash, carrots, radishes, corn and tomatoes from their raised bed garden, plus many hours of fun and learning for their three children. The beds are accessible from all sides, allowing Amee and Natali plenty of space to explore the garden, water it, and pick out their favorites for dinner. Herrmann started her planting in April, some from seeds and plants. This year, the Herrmanns experimented with their tomatoes by tube-feeding them and fertilizing the roots through a mini-compost pile contained in the circular fencing surrounding each plant. The results were not as good as they hoped. “Our tomatoes did better last year,” admitted Herrmann, noting the process outdid the product.

One of the beds is home to vegetables, while another provides color with various flowers. Tall spikes of gladiolas are just about to bloom. Herrmann has personalized her garden with a small wrought iron trellis, a pottery plate bird bath, and a few tiny garden markers. Each year, the garden expands in another direction, with plans for a stretch of shade to be filled with impatiens and other hearty varieties in the near future.

Across the street from the Herrmanns, Sandy Campbell and her clan make the most of a tiny poolside patch with a rectangular garden filled to the brim with salad-ready veggies and dessert melons. “I raised some from seeds and some from plants,” Campbell noted. “Early on we had some lettuce, radishes, eggplant and squash. Now the melons are starting to bloom,” she indicated pointing out the yellow flowers on the cantaloupe vines.

She credits Miracle-Gro with her prize-quality tomatoes, plus a tip she learned at a local farmer's market, mixing epsom salts with the fertilizer or water before application. We're had a garden every summer for about five years, and every year we get a little better at it,” Campbell said.

Finding ingredients for native dishes can be a struggle for many Japanese families transplanted to Georgia. Junko Tsusuki has found growing her own Japanese cucumbers is the answer. Tucked behind her Peachtree City cluster home, Tsusuki has a postage-stamp size plot of cukes ready for picking. The long slender variety is used in her easily-prepared cucumber salad dressed with a combination of vinegar and sugar.

Prolific amounts of squash, zucchini and tomatoes can pose some interesting challenges for amateur farmers. When the family tires of zucchini bread, squash casserole and tomato sandwiches, extra yields can always be preserved for the cooler months in several easy ways.

Freezing, drying and canning are three methods of saving the best flavors of summer. Easy to follow guides on all three processes are available from the Cooperative Extension Service, located at the Fayette County government complex on Stonewall Ave.

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