Summer is far from over but we do need a summer garden clean up. Because a prepared gardener is a more successful gardener and a good clean-up takes some time. And it helps to deal with the hot temperatures when you can think of end of summer. Summer's end can be a challenging time for gardens. Some plants may not have fared so well, yet we still have a couple more months of this growing season. A good cleanup at the end of the season gets your garden off to a good star

CANTALOUPE SALSA!!! 4 CUPS BITE-SIZE CHUNKS CANTALOUPE 4 CUPS FRESHLY DICED TOMATOES 1/2 RED ONION, DICED 1/2 CUP FRESHLY CHOPPED CILANTRO 1/2 YELLOW BELL PEPPER, DICED 4 JALAPENO PEPPERS, DICED 2 T. LEMON JUICE 2 T. LIME JUICE 1 CLOVE GARLIC, MINCED 1 T. OLIVE OIL SALT AND GROUND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE Mix cantaloupe, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, yellow bell pepper, jalapeno peppers, lemon juice, lime juice, and garlic together in a bowl. Add enough olive oil to moiste

Summer brings more than 20 different types of delicious, succulent melons to the farmers market. local farmers choose rare and heirloom varieties and let them slowly mature on their vines until perfectly ripe. Melons are relatives of squashes and cucumbers. Although often groped together, most sweet melons fall into two broad categories: watermelons and muskmelons. Watermelons are easy to identify, but muskmelons come in many varieties including honeydews and cantaloupes.

Cucumbers thrive when the weather is hot and water is plentiful. Growing cucumbers is for warmer weather. Cucumber plants grow in two forms: vining and bush. Vines scramble along the ground or clamber up trellises, while bush types form a more compact plant. General, vining cucumbers yield more fruit throughout the growing season. Bush varieties can be increased by planting several crops in succession 2 weeks apart. Whether you want a cucumber for slicing or pickling,