Two bright spots of hope that I can have a garden even with minimal sun and two large water hogging Maples. These two cherry tomatoes were finally ripe today and I'm so happy to see them that I might almost eat them! What? Didn't I tell you I find raw tomatoes disgusting? No matter, now you know. Cherry tomatoes serve one purpose as far as I'm concerned--to look pretty on grilled shish kabobs! I only have one cherry tomato plant and while it looks as though I'm going to get a minimum of 12 cherry tomatoes (based on actual currently growing green tomatoes) that will be enough for me. It does make me appreciate how much work goes into one of those containers of cherry tomatoes you see at the grocery store. My plant only had two ripe at the same time; how many plants it must take to fill up a moderate sized container with ripe tomatoes in order to sell it at the store!
This tomato plant is working on growing some of the more standard sized tomatoes that will be used in various recipes. Now I just need my dozen or so Roma tomato plants to get to work to grow me the tomatoes I really, really want. (for paste making purposes--I'm Italian--these are a necessity!)
This is the garden Rick built for me. It's not overly large but it takes up one whole side of the bottom portion of our yard (the kids' sandbox better look out next year) and it is perfect. Because it is raised up I think that helps it retain moisture from the life sucking Maple Trees that are in the upper yard. Also, notice the shade lurking to either side of the garden. This little garden is determined to grow DESPITE only a small amount of sun.
Rick knew I have always wanted a garden and when he first proposed building one for me I was very negative. I pointed out to him how unsuccessful we were at growing grass in the backyard because of the double death combo of water hogging and sun blocking Maples and that I didn't think it was worth it. Then, Rick pointed out that the one place in our yard that grass did sort of grow was at the bottom of our yard and what was the harm in trying. After a day or two, he convinced me to give it a try and let him build a garden for me. I am so thankful and happy that he did!
What you see above is the reward of his hard work buidling it and my not nearly as hard work of planting it. It's been there for over a month now and everything is doing so well. It's a bit crowded as I thought I'd also experiment with just how-much-I-can-cram-into-a-small-space and still produce vegetables that are healthy and delicious. So far, so good. All organic too!
The soil that was filled into the bed was all organic...and well if you go down 4 feet perhaps that soil isn't certified organic but I've lived here for 3 years and haven't sprayed the back yard with any chemicals and based on what the yard looked like when we moved in nothing had been sprayed there either. If that isn't organic then I don't know what is.
I'm learning a lot. Like cucumber blossoms are yellow.
That pepper blossoms are white. And beautiful!
And that I have no clue when a sweet pepper is ready for picking!
