Beginner Gardening: Pics of what you're all responsible for...and more questions, 1 by patterntracy

patterntracy wrote:
First, I have to thank all of you for sharing your gardening advice. I don't often post here, but I often "eavesdrop", and I wanted to share photos of the garden you've all played a part in creating. I LOVE IT!! We rebuilt our raised beds last fall (the ones the previous owners had put in were rotting), and were able to increase the size of the garden some. We've now got pole beans, bush beans, edamame, cukes, tomatoes, basil, arugula, squash, zucchini, leeks, and swiss chard, and are finishing up on snow peas. And it's by far my "happiest" garden ever (and most ambitious), thanks to all the advice from DG members. I work from home, and I probably go out to "check" my garden 5 times a day; it just makes me unbelievably happy. Ok, now my questions:
1) my cukes are outgrowing the tomato cages and spiral stakes I'm training them onto. Should I pinch them off or something? I hate to lose any cukes; I'm actually planning on attempting pickles this year.
2) I put in a strawberry pyramid so that the beds can be devoted to everything else. but the pyramid is pretty full now, so what should I do with all the runners?
3) the pole beans have outgrown the poles by about 2 1/2 ft. Should I just let them keep twining together and see how they do?
4) anyone know the best way to freeze all the beans I'm getting? I think the production is going to start to outpace our ability to eat....
5) Is it OK that my tomatoes look like a jungle, despite stakes and cages? Will they still do OK? 'Cause I count on being able to freeze enough to supply us with salsa until next summer!
Again, thanks to everyone who makes this such an informative site! Here's a pic of my baby-