Photos du jour: Garden update

It's now July, and the garden is in full swing.

Why it matters: It's my favorite time of year, when I can go out in the yard first thing in the morning and come back in with an armful of fruit.

Catch up quick: I doubled down on trying to keep everything clean and neat and beat the squash vine borers and the unrelenting weeds this year.

• I've not been successful. The borers are in a lull right now, I think, and succession planting means I'm getting a few squash.
• The tomatoes are doing well, and somehow I haven't yet battled the hornworms. (Knock on wood)

The latest: Now, the focus is on keeping everything from burning to a crisp in this heat and on the melons, which are kicking into gear.

• My watermelons are off to a strong start and I've harvested one cantaloupe already, with a half-dozen nearly ripe.
• Also, the ground cherries are doing well, but the leaf-footed bugs are eating them before I can. Maybe this is why people don't grow them more?

What's next: With the help of my brother and my mom, I'm trying to get a bunch of stuff canned and pickled this year to keep so many tomatoes and cucumbers from going to waste.

• I'm growing an interesting variety of cucumbers called Dragon's Egg, and I'm excited about pickling them whole so it looks like a big jar of pickled eggs, but is really egg-pickles.
• The goal is also to can cooked tomatoes, especially a good tomato sauce base, so if you've got a good recipe for that or pickles, please send it my way.

The bottom line: How are y'all's gardens?

• Hit reply and let me know — and send photos!