Texas gardener returns from vacation to a cucumber takeover: 'Y'all may have been right'

One Texas gardener came home from a six-day vacation to a summer surprise: a massive amount of cucumbers.

In a garden harvest update, the gardener, Ashton, documented her backyard yield that quickly turned into a lighthearted admission that adding three cucumber plants may have been a bit too ambitious.

What happened?

As the home gardener explained while checking on her zone 8b backyard garden, "Some of y'all told me that three cucumber plants was too many, and y'all may have been right."

By the time she got back from her trip, the cucumber plants had clearly been busy. On camera, Ashton then counted out seven of them.

@ashnicholel garden harvest 🫛🥒 . . . #gardeningtips #backyardgarden #homegarden #garden #gardening ♬ A Summer Place - Hollywood Strings Orchestra

The clip then followed Ashton as she checked on her pinto beans and dinosaur kale. She said part of the bean crop had gotten too mature to enjoy green, so she planned to leave those pods to dry and save them instead. 

Referring to the older beans, she added, "The strings are not fun to eat." Her kale was still yielding as well, although "Caterpillars are really getting after it, though."

By the end of the harvest, she summed it up simply: "This is what we've got. A bunch of cucumbers and a handful of green beans."

Why does it matter?

Even a small backyard garden can yield enough produce to help cut grocery bills, especially when it comes to fast-growing staples like cucumbers, beans, and kale. 

Homegrown vegetables also tend to taste better because they can be picked at peak ripeness instead of being shipped long distances before eating.

Beyond the food itself though, gardening can also support both physical and mental health by getting people outside, encouraging movement, and providing a calming daily routine.

Ashton's kale shows another familiar part of summer gardening: pests. For gardeners dealing with hungry insects, there are plenty of ways to control pests without chemicals, which can help protect pollinators while keeping food-growing spaces healthier.

What are people saying?

Commenters were quick to laugh in recognition at Ashton's cucumber overload.

Others said they were also in Ashton's situation after they also planted too many cucumber crops.

One person wrote, "Oh boy I have 3 too. New cucumber gardener. I'll visit you often."

Another joked, "Well I got like 35 cucumber plants. Guess I'll be figuring out how to make pickles," while a third added, "OMG I think I have 20 cucumber plants growing right now 4 varieties."

As one commenter put it: "This is my first year gardening and I've planted 9... whoops."

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