Home Grown Tomatoes ...and Okra .. and Pears

 
Send “Homegrown Tomatoes” Ringtone to Cell Phone
Ain't nothin' in the world that I like better
Than bacon & lettuce & homegrown tomatoes.
Up in the mornin', out in the garden

Get you a ripe one, don't get a hard one.

Plant `em in the spring, eat `em in the summer,
All winter with out `em's a culinary bummer.
I forget all about the sweatin' & diggin'
Everytime I go out & pick me a big one.

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes,
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes?
Only two things that money can't buy:
That's true love & homegrown tomatoes.

You can go out to eat & that's for sure
But it's nothin' a homegrown tomato won't cure;
Put `em in a salad, put `em in a stew,
You can make your very own tomato juice.

Eat `em with eggs, eat `em with gravy,
Eat `em with beans, pinto or navy.
Put `em on the side, put `em in the middle,
Put a homegrown tomato on a hotcake griddle

If I's to change this life I lead,
I'd be Johnny Tomato Seed
`Cause I know what this country needs:
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see.

When I die don't bury me
In a box in a cemetery;
Out in the garden would be much better
I could be pushin' up homegrown tomatoes.


 

Garden Daze

Monday and Tuesday were a blur of garden activity. I finished planting the little box garden below. . .

And, with John's help, the lower bit of garden was finished -- corn, beans, more lettuce, beets, and nasturtiums sowed, tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers set out -- whew! That orange stuff along two of the tiers is plastic netting to deter the crows from pulling up the corn when it sprouts.

John is my hero. Not only did he put out soaker hose for the tomatoes, the blueberries, and the raspberries -- he also mulched them all.  This, after making scones for breakfast and pizza the night before.  Is that a great fella or what?

 For one brief shining moment, the garden is in good shape -- now I can turn my attention to the rest of the yard -- which is in need of major tidying.

But there's always time to enjoy the flowers . . .

Before and After

Weeding is such a satisfying activity!  My little box beds were full of the weed called devil-in-the-garden and it was crowding out the lettuce that was the rightful occupant.

I planted snow peas along that wire support weeks ago but not a single one did I see. There were, however, quite a few volunteer tomato plants -- I'll take what I can get!

There! That's better. the next step is to thin and spread the lettuce plants out . . . another day.

 It's always pleasant to stagger to the house after a long day in the garden and then look down and gloat over what was accomplished. And lucky me! There are more weeds waiting in the main part of the garden below -- as well as tomatoes, peppers. squash, and cukes to set out, corn and beans to sow . . . 

And, of course, more roses to smell! 

 The yellow rose by the greenhouse door . . .

 

A chorus line in scarlet . . .

And Her Majesty La Reine des Violettes . . .

Do Butterflies Have Knees?

Monday was a perfect day to get out in the garden as rain was forecast for Tuesday. I had a few more potatoes to plant as well as some broccoli and kale and parsley starts to put into my box beds. 

This row of beds above has benefited from the helpful biddies in the chicken tractor which was carefully constructed by John to fit the beds. The girls eat the weeds and weed seeds and bugs and leave behind a bit of high powered fertilizer.

The swallowtail butterflies were knee-deep in the thrift. (Do butterflies have knees? Allegedly, bees do.)

Such beauties --  they seemed almost drunk on all that nectar!

You know I took more pictures...

Late Summer Afternoon Light

Orange Cannas burn . .
Set alight by evening sun . . .
Atop emerald coals.

Tender nasturtiums . . .
Translucent, fragrant, fragile . . .
First frost -- they'll be gone.

Remember -- click on the photos to enlarge for the full effect.

But wait! There's more!

Here's a link to pictures of a gorgeous garden that belongs to my friends Kathy and Richard. Kathy, for those of you who read my Goodweather series, is the inspiration for Sallie Kate, Elizabeth's realtor friend.