Glimpse of the Garden: Week 22, Lemon Cucumbers

I love growing plants in containers because it saves space and helps in a yard with limited direct sunlight. It is also makes gardening with kids a little more accessible.

This post contains affiliate links, please see disclosures for more information. 

One of the container plants we have enjoyed growing the past 2 summers are heirloom Lemon Cucumbers. This year I have a bumper crop, which is nice because my other plants haven't been super productive! 

Lemon Cucumber on the vine. ©SBF 2015

Lemon cucumbers are named for their shape, not their taste. They are round palm-sized cucumbers that can easily be eaten in one sitting. They taste like any other cucumber, not too sweet and in my experience never bitter. They are an excellent choice for the garden if you are gardening with kids!

Personal sized cucumber! ©SBF 2015

Looks like a lemon on the outside, regular cucumber on the inside! ©SBF 2015

Last year we grew them in a small pot with a little trellis. After seeing the far reach of their sturdy vines, I decided this year to give them some more space. They are enjoying the barrel planter they are in and were happy to vine up the fencing and strings that I had tied in for support. Their tendrils are beautiful and fascinating. You can read more about the fascinating science behind these cucumber tendrils in my post: "Glimpse of the Garden: Week 16, Tendrils-Plants in Motion" 

©SBF 2015

I learned about these great little cucumbers in my favorite container garden book, Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces.

You might be familiar with the author, Gayla Trail, from her website, "You Grow Girl". I highly suggest both the book and website if you are interested in gardening but have limited space.

This week's other garden highlights:

How is your harvest coming? Share your stories and photos in the comments below, e-mail me at shareitscience@gmail.com or share via social media with #shareitscience