Why cucumbers are like your charismatic cousin

You know the one….

Remember as a kid that cousin who had great stories, fun to hang out with, pretty versatile….then the weather starts cooling down and then you don’t see them until next summer.

Honestly though - who isn’t a fan of the humble cucumber?

Can’t plant it until the soil warms up (around 21 - 30 deg.C according to some sources), it loves fertile ground, plenty of sunshine and a good drink. This plant will pump out the goodness, sprawling all over the place making itself right at home. For the backyard market garden I plant out a couple of successions to ensure abundance all season long.

Cool, refreshing, juicy, calming on the skin, loved by all.

Raw, sliced, diced, juiced, pickled, pan fried. Check out Corner Smith’ s gin pickled cucumbers, for that fabulous long summer lunch. Honestly, try the cucumber stir fry option over here.

Heard the phrase ‘cool as a cucumber’ ? Maybe it’s due to the fact cucumbers have in built mulch to keep the sun off - when left to sprawl, their leaves overlap about 10-20 cm off the ground, providing a great shade canopy for the rest of the plant.

Really don’t think you want to face one more cucumber but don’t want to pull the plant out yet? Harvest the gorgeous little golden flowers, use in salads, garnishes or drop into that tall gin drink at the end of an extended summers day.