The Year of the Tomato

Have you ever noticed that when all the right variables come together at just the right time, under just the right conditions, incredible things can happen? Well I believe that this is going to be one of those times.

Here are the variables as I see them:

1. After a really dry year last year, I learned my lesson and put in a drip system.
2. We started trying to be more conscientiousness and sustainable and started composting and amending the soil.
3. We put up the greenhouse which allowed us to start our tomatoes before the last frost of the winter.
4. The Atlanta summer has come in like a roaring lion!
5. At just the right times, we've gotten nice thunderstorms to add that little extra "umph" to our garden.

With all these lining up just right, I'm believing that we're going to have bumper crop of veggies, especially tomatoes. Just a feeling? I don't think so.

We're still a week away from summer and the plants are loaded down with green, pinkish, green and red striped, and full out red tomatoes.

The Mr. Stripy heirloom (pic at left) is making some very interesting and delicious looking striped tomatoes.

Our Big Boy tomato plant is so tall now that it has grown out of the top of the greenhouse and I'm resorting to tying the cage down so that the wind and rain doesn't topple the whole thing.

When we were on vacation last week in Seattle, I have to admit that I had black "dirt" envy. My son's garden looks like what mine would if I were to just use compost in my raised beds. But I must say that the blazing heat of the south surely makes good tomatoes.

The one Cherokee Purple plant is definitely in the running for the largest and darkest green tomatoes in the garden.

But the prize so far goes to the smallest of the lot. In less than a week of harvesting, we've already taken around 30 small but wonderfully flavored cherry red's off of a single bush and it is loaded with clumps of green fruit from top to bottom that have already proven to be great additions to salads.

I think my granddaughters tried these out before I did and were impressed.

I even have a couple of plants that have popped up in a flower pot in the front of the house. I thing they hitch-hiked from some of the dirt that I brought from the woods at the back of our lot.

I truly think this will be the Year of the Tomato!

All I can say is "bring it on".

Chris

3GT

The Smell of Summer

I love the sounds, sights, and smells of warm weather! The incredible sight of flowers bursting forth in such an array of color is candy to the eyes. Going out in the morning and hearing the various sounds of the birds as they begin their day.

But let me tell you, there's nothing that reminds me of summer than the smell of tomato plants. Today I went out to the garden in the back where I'm growing my tomato plants in large "smart pots". One of my tomato cages had taken a tumble because of one of the early Georgia storms.

When I lifted it up I noticed some suckers (those little branches that start between the main branches) and decided to pinch it off. I pinched off several suckers and that's when I noticed it... the aroma of the tomato vine.

I don't know what it is about the aroma of some things triggering memories, but that aroma made me remember the things of summer. The humidity of the deep south, the sound of the mourning dove's cry, the feel of sweat running down my back and the smell of compost.

Funny how the smell of a simple tomato plant will trigger remembrances of summer! I can't wait for the succulent taste of an acidic tomato on that 'mater sandwich. YUMMMM...

TGT