In Praise of Summer Tomatoes

Summer tomatoes, with a dash of salt and pepper and served on a BLT sandwich is the very definition of heaven.  

Get you some!

Monday Garden Update - June 22

What a difference two weeks makes; especially two weeks of warm weather.  There are tomato blooms aplenty and on a few plants, actual tomatoes!

It was hard to make a picture but there are jalapeños just set on.  The basil is starting to look happy, and the zinnia seedlings are strong.

An afternoon of weeding is clearly in order but things are looking most splendid here in my garden.

That’s happy!

Indian Summer

After some days in the 70s, Summer’s heat has returned in the last week.  That’s a chance for a few more tomatoes and zinnias and the garden is hard at work.  This week’s heat may give these tomatoes enough time to ripen.

There were a handful of cherry tomatoes and a few pretty zinnias.

The tomatoes were had for supper; the zinnias joined the Mason jar bouquet on the table.

I am ready for cooler weather but these Summer treats are always welcome.

Garden Report, Week 18: October 2

The garden is looking raggedy and dry; the tomatoes plants are clearly coming to the end of their season.

But as long as a warm sun shines, I water the garden.  So there are tomatoes to pick and enjoy each week.

That’s happy!

Garden Report, Week 17: September 25

Thanks to unusually warm September weather, my garden and backyard have finally begun to look a little ragged around the edges.

To take advantage of the warm days, I ran the sprinkler a few times last week. The reward was a generous handful of tomatoes and still more set on the vines in a race against frost.

There is more warmth forecast for this week, so I’ve a feeling a few more tomatoes will come my way.

That’s happy!

Tuesday Garden Update: July 26

At the start of July, I vowed that I would make a picture each week to accompany a Tuesday blog post about my garden.  Last week’s pictures never made it into a post because I was distracted by the horror of the RNC spectacle.  But I was out in the garden every day and in last week’s photos I can see all the evidence of the harvest soon coming my way.

Over the weekend, two of the largest tomatoes came ripe.  And with them, we’ve officially entered the delicious tomato portion of our summer.  

This week, the garden is a reflection of the past week’s sunny heat.  More tomatoes are on their way to ripening.  My zinnias have buds that hint of flowers and bouquets in my future.

Gardens are lessons in patience and careful effort.  They are a reminder that Mother Nature will not be rushed and that good things come to those who wait.  

Tuesday Garden Update: July 12

After a truckload of sunlight and heat last week, Mother Nature sent us bountiful rains to start the weekend.  The garden is loving it.

There are tomatoes growing like mad.

Zinnias are coming along nicely.

There are hot peppers about ready for picking.

Fertilizer has been added; next up is a little 3:1 water/nonfat milk treatment to treat blight.  I await a bountiful harvest of flowers, tomatoes, squash, peppers, and basil.

That’s happy!

Tuesday Garden Update: July 5

The garden is mulched and the warm, sunny days mean that growing is happening by leaps and bounds.  I’ve picked my first tomato; many more are set on and making progress.

The zinnia rows are taller by the day.  I added some extra seeds to fill in the gaps and those tiny seedlings are also growing.

I’m out here every day, checking the progress,  looking after my plants, and re-arranging the sprinkler as needed.  I check the blooms and admire the progress.  I daydream about the cucumbers and zucchini in my future.

This part of summer is delightful but always seems fleeting, perhaps because it’s filled with such promise.

Weekly Garden Update: July 20

Last week, the first tomatoes that set on my plants began to fully ripen.  This occurred just as several more tomato buds began to set on with fruit.    At this point in the growing season, things change daily.  The hot, sunny weather of the last few days will bring on rapid growth, especially when supplemented by the sprinkler as was the case this morning.

Each day I spend time in my garden listening to the birds chirp and watching my crops come to fruition.  I planted a bit late, on May 25, but still in plenty of good time for a season’s worth of growing to pay off.  The tomatoes have already begun to ripen and there are some tomato sandwiches in my immediate future.  

That’s happy!