This is my first crop of tomatoes. Beautiful, aren't they? A few varieties of heirlooms and hyrids. Lemon Boys, Japanese Trifle Black, Black Brandywine, Encanted, San Marzano and a few others. The Lemon Boys are actually quite lemony. They are, as Martha Stewart would say, "a good thing." And rather delicious. Here they are in their full glory.
I planted them toward the end of April after having stocked up at a $3 seedling sale. It was a great deal I thought--$18 for six plus five free ones. What I didn't calculate however were the other costs.
As I didn't have a proper garden I had to buy pots and potting soil and organic plant food, and the tomato stakes. So rightly we are looking here at nearly $100 worth of tomatoes. Not that I am quibbling about the money, mind you, but I reckon these plants better maximise their yield and give over bushels and bushels.
I am rather surprised that they have done so well considering I have never felt particularly blessed with a green thumb. In fact I have been nursing a low thumb esteem as my mother is rather the master gardener and my middle sister seems to have followed in her footsteps.
I have killed quite a few cactus in my time. But this tomato crop has boosted my confidence a bit in the garden department.
In truth, this is my second successful harvest. The first one was nearly 30 years ago, when as as little girl, I threw some left-over corn kernels in the ground. I was delighted at the results. They grew and flourished. I don't remember if I ate the corn or not. I only remember that shortly after they had broken through the earth, my mother had our garden-boy/yard helper, Errol, transplant them into her green house filled with anthurium. Sadly, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in June of 1976, on my sister's birthday, Errol met a sad end in the water reservoir where only the brave boys swam. Even the best swimmer in the village could not save him. It would be years before we recovered from the shock, and many more before I set foot at the site.
It's been many summers since and now again. My tomatoes are in full fruit and so I delight in the wonder of the ability to grow things, to be a steward for some living thing and to enjoy the literal fruits of my labour.
I planted them toward the end of April after having stocked up at a $3 seedling sale. It was a great deal I thought--$18 for six plus five free ones. What I didn't calculate however were the other costs.
As I didn't have a proper garden I had to buy pots and potting soil and organic plant food, and the tomato stakes. So rightly we are looking here at nearly $100 worth of tomatoes. Not that I am quibbling about the money, mind you, but I reckon these plants better maximise their yield and give over bushels and bushels. I am rather surprised that they have done so well considering I have never felt particularly blessed with a green thumb. In fact I have been nursing a low thumb esteem as my mother is rather the master gardener and my middle sister seems to have followed in her footsteps.
I have killed quite a few cactus in my time. But this tomato crop has boosted my confidence a bit in the garden department.
In truth, this is my second successful harvest. The first one was nearly 30 years ago, when as as little girl, I threw some left-over corn kernels in the ground. I was delighted at the results. They grew and flourished. I don't remember if I ate the corn or not. I only remember that shortly after they had broken through the earth, my mother had our garden-boy/yard helper, Errol, transplant them into her green house filled with anthurium. Sadly, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in June of 1976, on my sister's birthday, Errol met a sad end in the water reservoir where only the brave boys swam. Even the best swimmer in the village could not save him. It would be years before we recovered from the shock, and many more before I set foot at the site.
It's been many summers since and now again. My tomatoes are in full fruit and so I delight in the wonder of the ability to grow things, to be a steward for some living thing and to enjoy the literal fruits of my labour.
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