Jim Leach | Contributor

The up-side of all this rain is that our cucumbers are very happy.

I've already made three quarts of refrigerator pickles —with an experimental low-sugar recipe - and numerous batches of tzatziki.

I pick them when they're six to eight inches long and maybe two inches in diameter. They tend to get bitter as they get bigger.

My daughter said that this year's cukes even tasted "sweet," although I am not 100 percent certain she was referring to their flavor. It might be some kind of young person lingo for approval.

Our experiment with growing cucumbers vertically has paid off, at least so far. Eight plants take up about 16 square feet, though they are reaching upward to about five feet tall now. They've reached the top of the cages... I'll report back what happens when they continue to grow throughout August!

Janice and Jim Leach have been gardening together for close to 30 years. They tend a backyard plot in downtown Ann Arbor, where they try to grow as many vegetables and other plants as possible. For the last four years, they've published gardening tips, photos and stories at their 20 Minute Garden website.