Blackberries are almost over in the garden, but now the cucumbers are starting. As you can see in this photo, I picked the first two cukes earlier this week.
This year I planted only one variety: Eclipse, from Stokes Seeds. I've planted Eclipse in the past, and it has performed very well for me. It looks like it will perform well again this year.
When I first planted Eclipse several years ago, I was still pickling cucumbers, and Eclipse is an excellent cucumber for pickling. In recent years I've lost the initiative, but Eclipse is also an excellent variety for eating fresh. I generally pick them at 4-5 inches in length, before they get too wide in girth and the seeds expand in size.
The biggest problem that diminishes yields in the garden — aside from the Basset Hounds — is powdery mildew, but Eclipse holds up very well, better than any other variety I've tried. So I decided this year to plant just Eclipse, and so far, the plants look good and I'm looking forward to an August full of cucumbers.