We have had our share of summer storms this year. Some brought high winds, trees toppled over, their roots loosened by flooding and their branches battered by wind. It wasn't good on the tomatoes either.

I gathered up some of the branches and on a lark put them in water. Perrier bottles work nicely for this. Apolinaris, even better.

Several of the branches produced roots and I planted them and they grew into great tomato plants, even producing a few tomatoes.

This is one of the more recent branches. I pruned this from one of the bigger plants and put it in water. Lo and behold, even though it hasn't grown any roots, it has produced this big red tomato. I keep the cut on the bottom fresh and acutely angled. The water goes directly to the tomato I guess.

I may have one or two more posts on the tomatoes. I don't know. I am happy to have been part of growing something, being part of creation, doing something of value.

16 August 2007

We've had some pretty gusty winds here in Austin these last couple of days and some of the tomato plants have doubled over on themselves. They are so tall that I can't reach up to secure them without a ladder which I have to borrow... I guess I'll be borrowing that from you Elizabeth. Or, Marianne.


That's right tomato friends... that's another red tomato you see peeking through the mighty foliage. I didn't do "color enhance" either. It's really that pretty!

What a great tomato farmer am I!


I thought you might also enjoy a shot of these Cardinal's Caps. Around here we call them Cotton Mallow. I don't know what they really are. I pulled them up from around Town Lake several years ago because I thought they were pretty. They are still growing too!

I hope your own gardens are growing the way you want them to.

Love,

HLindy

PS - If you want to see even more inspiring and amazing garden photos, head on over to Michelle's great blog and check out the pumpkin!

At Last! 8 August 2007

This big red baby came into my kitchen today and went into my pasta sauce this evening.

5 August 2007

I am going to pick it tomorrow!

27 July 2007

I am not a very experienced tomato farmer, this being my very first effort. But, I had hoped to see something red by now.



I am happy that the plants themselves appear to be so healthy and strong. But I had hoped for more actual fruit, and red.

20 July 2007

One of the taller tomato plants was doubled over when I went outside this morning. I tied it up but I think it will have to be pruned.

But, the little Nasturtium is still in full bloom. Well, the one that is blooming.

19 July 2007

In non-tomato news, this Nasturtium poked it's little orange head out today. I do hope we'll have more.


Just look how tall these babies are... way up to the sky!


This is the biggest tomato... so far. The blooms are not making into tomato buds at the rate I would like. So far there are only three actual fruit, and one of them has a big black spot on the bottom. Don't know what that's about. I am going to try a little calcium nitrate. Wish me luck.


Yet, in true tomato farmer fashion, I remain optimistic.

HL

14 July 2007

This morning in the tomato garden.

12 July 2007

Today I noticed one more little greenie tomato. So now there are three.

11 July 2007

This little baby is the biggest tomato -- SO FAR. There are now TWO other little greenies which will be getting bigger and bigger each day.

What hope, what optimism. It only takes the littlest sign of success to send some of us tomato farmers into spasms of agricultural delight.


This, of course, is the group shot. Just look how tall they are!


This is a shot of some Poppies. I think they are Poppies. In any event, they have these nice round leaves which I like to watch the sun shine through. So far, no flowers. But they are pretty.

5 July 2007

OK. Here's the group shot. Look how tall these babies are! I had to tie another line up to help hold them in place. See?



And this is a shot of one of the little flowers. To be honest,I would like to have more flowers. There aren't that many.



And this, of course, is one of the little baby tomatoes.
Cute isn't it?



And here is another group shot!



I made that cross decoration, btw.
I mean, what's the point of being a Christian if you can't accessorize?

5 July 2007

While you are waiting for my tomatoes to ripen, take a look at these beauties! Grown by my friends and clients Ted and Jeanne on their ranch, this is just a small sampling of the tomatoes I picked in about a week's time. These, in fact, are just the left overs from what I couldn't eat myself and, let me tell you, I can put away those little yellow ones. Plus I made two tomato pies and more tomato sandwiches than I can count.

I checked my own tomato plants and I have another little green tomato. It's about the size of a marble... a non-round marble. I'll keep you posted.

KL

4 July 2007

Today I noticed that one of the blooms has fallen off one of the tomato plants and in its place is a tiny little green tomato. Very cool! I’ve been outside three times just to look at it. It’s fine.

3 July 2007

There is a problem with my camera so I am not posting any photos today. I know this will be a big disappointment to you. I need a new cable to go between the camera and the computer --at least that’s what I think -- and it’s just not on the agenda for me to schlep all the way down to South Austin and get one right now. Later. When I have more time.

In the meantime, I am happy to report that the tomato plants are growing even taller and stronger! I don’t want to brag but they really are the nicest tomato plants I’ve seen this summer. There are several blooms which should, if all goes according to plan, produce some nice red tomatoes in due course. I’ll keep you posted.

HL

12 June 2007

I took the group shot from two different angles this morning. I knew that would be interesting for all you followers of The Tomato Blog.

You can see that the plants are continuing to grow tall and strong.

I have moved two more into larger pots and have two more which I feel are ready to be moved this week.

On a somewhat disconcerting note, I did find a worm on one of the plants last week. I washed out a Yoplait Yogurt cup and put the worm in there and transported it out to the country so that it could have a happy life without doing any harm to my fabulous tomato plants.

The problem of this one worm was solved easily enough. But, it's there... the realization that there are bad things out there which could hurt my tomato plants. I am no longer a tomato innocent. For I have seen the worm.


Now I must be on the lookout for other bad things: root rot, fungus, more worms. I'll have to be constantly vigilant, thinking only of what bad things might happen.

How does one continue to farm with joy when there is so much potential for crop failure? How can I continue to be optimistic about my tomatoes when I have seen the worm, and I know the dangers?

These, of course, are hard questions. Ultimately they are questions of theodicy. Bad things really do happen to good tomatoes.

How we humans persevere in this world amazes me. Logically, we would take one look at the holocausts, the wars, the rapes, and the despair and we would give up. Add to that the indignity, the harshness, the discourtesy of every day life, what a friend of mine once called "daily venipunctures," and it is a wonder that we don't bleed out... out of hope, out of optimism, out of any ability to go on.

Yet here we are.

Here we are.

And see how strong those tomatoes are!

11June 2007

I have had an unusually difficult day, challenging but not rewarding at all. Therefore, The Tomato Blog will not be updated today. Check back tomorrow and thank you for your support.

H. Lindy
The Tomato Farmer

1 June 2007

Here are the latest photos of my amazing tomatoes. This snap was taken this morning, the first fabulous day of June 2007.

This is the group shot:



This is the biggest one.


These little babies took the brunt of a spring storm. Instead of just repositioning them I went ahead and put them in larger pots. They seem pretty happy in here.



Oh, and did you notice the gap in the vertical blinds? Well, there's a reason for that:



Finally, as if this post hasn't been fascinating enough already, my little morning glory plant has finally given me some glory. I'm so proud.


Have a great first day of June everybody.

Your favorite tomato farmer,

Lindy

20 May 2007

The next picture I took was on May 20. The tomato plants are really starting to shoot up in this one.


The little leaves down at the end are tomato plant branches which got blown off in spring storm. I think they would have rooted too but the yard men blew the little vase over with their leaf blower. I found the vase in the bushes but the rootlings perished.

7 May 2007

This is the first picture I took of the tomatoes. This was the first week of May. You can see that they are strong but still pretty small.