Summer's Bounty

Finally! Our first tomato came close enough to being ripe for picking last Thursday. Truthfully, it could have used another couple days to get really red, but I think Annalee liked it all the same.








This year is our first real foray into gardening. Usually, I plant, water for the first month and then never make time to continue watering when things get really dry. So, my little plants just shrivel up and croak by about this time of the summer.

This year, with all this new time on my hands, we planted. And planted. Actually, I was still planting on July 21! We have five tomato plants. Two are flourishing; the other three are not so good. The two in the ground have four tomatoes among them and no prospects for more. So you can guess how bad our soil is. The third is in a topsy turvy. I'm not impressed; a couple flower buds but no signs of any output. The two I planted in a pot are going gangbusters. Well, at least they're loaded with tomatoes, green as they are, both big and little cherry tomatoes. That's where our first tomato came from. Annalee will be in tomato heaven when they start coming in!

In case you're wondering, we also have four jalapeño plants, four tomatillos, lots of herbs and strawberries. The strawberries are a bust, as far as I can tell. But, everything else is coming along. Especially the basil and 'tea' herbs. Can't wait to dry and brew them! And, most exciting for me are all the flowers that are still pretty and blooming. I'll have to take some pictures to share. Well, I think it's time to get out and do some watering...