This is our little okra patch. Being novice gardeners, we decided that okra was something we needed to try growing, along with squash, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, garlic, green beans, blackeyed peas, watermelon and cantaloupe. Oh, and corn. But this is about okra. We planted two rows, about 20 feet long and we have had okra out the kazoo... Now, I love fried okra, but I'm going to have to start freezing it, I guess, because I've sent 3 batches to Texas to family and friends, I've sent several batches to friend around here and we've still got okra coming on...
This is a closer photo of some of the plants. There are some plants that have grown to over 5 feet tall. This shows the flower and also an okra pod.
This is the spent flower. Inside the flower the okra pod (or whatever you call it) is forming. As the pod grows, the flower shrivels up and sheds off as the pod gets longer...
Here is the flower, and in the background to the left is a spent blossom and you also can see, directly at the left of the bloom, the okra pod that is ready to cut off, take inside, cut up, roll in corn meal and fry up for supper with fresh out of the garden sliced tomatoes.... I would've taken a picture of that but was too hungry and I ate it allll up... burp... excuse me.
Here's a "did you know" for you... Did you know that okra is a member of the hibiscus family? I sure didn't and when I commented to my Bro that the flower sure looked like our hibiscus, he said, "duh... because it is a member of the hibiscus family." Well, duh, Mr. SmartyPants, if I had known would I have made that remark!? (If you click on the image, it will show you a bigger image and you can see how beautiful the flower is...)
Sibs... Whatever would we do without them...
Don't feel so bad! I didn't know that either. But I've never planted okra before either. In WV, where I grew up, I had never heard of it. Then I moved South. It's everywhere here. If I knew how to make it, I might try growing it one day. The only kind I have eaten is at a restaurant. It's not bad. But I'll bet homemade it better!
ReplyDeleteSure glad you are having fun growing things. You can keep the okra there with you though.
ReplyDeletelove okra in soups... and fried YUMMMMMM beautiful plants you got there!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love OKRAAA! They don't know even what it is on the west coast. Send me some.
ReplyDeleteThat flower does look like a hibiscus but I would have never guessed they were related! I've never had okra, n.e.v.e.r. I have no idea what it tastes like or what all you can do with it. Can you tell i'm a city girl??? ;)
ReplyDeleteI never knew they were related. I've never had a veggie garden either, but every fall I think about prepping the ground for spring.
ReplyDeleteThen I remember the way the deer devoured my sunflower seedlings and come to my senses.
(Visting from WWoW. Nice writing!)
I have never tried Okra...but the pictures are great and the explaination on how it grows is fascinating!
ReplyDeletePut me in the no nothin' about Okra category. Is it mushy (my greatest food fear!) That's a mighty big garden for novices. What a neat woman you are :)
ReplyDelete