Deep, down under the tomato trees grows a secret garden!

  Yep, those tomato plants just keep growing!  They once again tower above my head. Even though the wind bent them at the cages (42 inches) and dropped them to the ground, they started their upward growth from there and are now a good six to seven feet tall.  I feel much like an elf in amongst these towering tomato trees!  While I was out searching for any of the fruit that might be ripening on the plants, I spied a bright reddish pink deep under one section of plants.  This was right next to the purple basil which also has spiraled out of control.  The basil, itself, is a good four feet in height!  But like I said, a glimpse of color gave me hope that I might collect enough tomatoes to make another pot of sauce.  The pantry shelf is beginning to look a bit better stocked since the garden started this wild growth spurt! 

  Well, I decided that the best way to get those elusive red tomatoes was to just dive right into the mess of plants!  When I started pulling the large, lush limbs to the side, Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog, thought it was a great game.  She joined in the search and soon all I saw was a wagging tail!  Help!  I lost my dog in the garden!  I was giggling a bit too hard, I guess, so Ms. Nycto, the (wannabe) Bayou Cat, came to investigate. That egged Ez on and soon she was romping about in the tomatoes like a wild critter!  To my surprise, not one plant was broken!  Those things have grown immensely tough!  As the dog and cat played chase, I continued to forage for the "ripe tomatoes".  Imagine my surprise when I finally reached the source of color only to find that it was not a large ripe fruit but a gorgeous flower!  Hidden well under the branches of the tomato "trees", two Lady Slipper plants had flourished!  Pop always used to call these "Lady Slippers" but I found that they were actually Jewel Weeds or Balsams.   Not that this matters one iota as I still call them Lady Slippers.  Old habits die hard.

  Back a few years ago, I had lost all of my Lady Slipper Plants to Hurricane Katrina.  Mark knew that I really liked those plants, not only for their beauty but because their leaves are a great remedy for poison ivy rash.  He searched and searched for the seeds and finally found a new start for me.  Then a drought took the plants before seeding.  No seeds were saved after that summer and I was without my favorites again.  Now, two plants have surprised me!  I most likely had dropped a few seeds in with other saved seeds a few years ago and unwittingly planted them along side the radishes.  The radishes are long gone and the tomato plants commandeered their garden spot keeping the lovely Lady Slipper plants well hidden. What a happy find!  My search for ripe tomatoes ended as I marveled at the beauty of these two plants.  A secret garden indeed!  Hmmm, I wonder what else is growing under there?