Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Blossoms and young fruit

While the students are away on break, Mr. Dwyer is looking after their crops.  They're missing quite a show in the garden!  Many plants are putting out blossoms, while others' blossoms have already been pollinated, and young fruits are developing.
 
String bean plants have white and yellow blossoms.

Cantaloupe blossoms will turn into melons when they are pollinated.

This sunflower is almost ready to bloom.

This orange blossom will become a green zucchini.

These nasturtiums attract insects that will pollinate other crops.


When a blossom is pollinated, a fruit develops, like the young watermelon you can see below the flower on the left.

This bell pepper is about the size of a golf ball.

These cherry tomatoes are almost fully grown, but in a few weeks they'll ripen and turn red.

An ear of corn grows alongside the stalk after its flowers have been pollinated.

Besides flowers and fruit, there are roots, bushes, and leaves that are developing.
Onions grow below the surface.

We eat the leaves of the kale plant.  These are ready to harvest.

This pineapple bush was rescued from the compost bin.  It has taken root in the garden.  Pineapples usually grow in tropical climates in volcanic soil, so only time will tell how this experiment turns out.