Oh, Those Tomatoes!

 When will I ever learn?  Every year when I start to sow seeds for the garden (early spring), I have dozens of folks claim, "Oh, I would love a few plants for my garden!"  So....I sow.  I plant far too many seeds and, when the time comes, I cannot pawn the plants off on anyone!   Well, two of my sisters-in-law, took a few plants but, other than that, the others made excuses.  I heard..."I cannot dig my garden plot." to "Gardening seemed like fun but now it is too hot."  Yeah, well, what am I to do with a bajillion tomato plants?  I plant...and plant...and plant.  The garden plot has nothing but tomatoes this year.  Then, there are those that are dotted in the flower beds and any other available spot.  Thankfully, Mark made a ton of garden boxes this spring so the cucumbers, squash, peppers and green beans all have their own space...but, oh, those tomatoes.

  The plants grew to unheard of heights and started plopping over onto each other.  Each was crated but they soon outgrew the crates and decided to hug each other.  I hated to try staking simply because each plant was loaded with tiny fruit...seriously...loaded!  For the past week or so, those tomatoes have started ripening.  Usually, they are allowed to fully ripen on the plant as that gives them the sweetest flavor.  Even the cardinals that also occupy the Small Gardens decided that the fruit were delectable.  Before I knew it, five large tomatoes were half pecked to pieces by the male cardinal as he toted tidbits back to his ladylove on the nest.  While this is awfully heartwarming, the critter was ruining my plans of harvesting ALL of the tomatoes.  (I am also positive that he ate his share, as well.)  There was nothing to do but pick the ripest tomatoes. 

  While I understand the cardinal's plight of finding food, I have difficulty seeing the positive side of people's desire for my ripened tomatoes.  Sorry, folks.  If you cannot make the least bit of an effort to care for a plant after it is offered to you, do not assume that you can raid my garden.  Yep, I am that way.  I will give and give to those in need, the elderly and any who lift a helping hand but not those that come across as lazy and greedy.  It appears that the "Little Red Hen Syndrome" is spreading.  (If you are not familiar with the term..look it up.  It is a real thing...just based on a children's book from back in the day.  It says volumes even though it is a short, lighthearted tale.)  Folks, my advice is this...if you wish to reap the rewards, lend a helping hand.  I will give "til the cows come home" but not to those who will not help themselves.  But...in the meantime, oh, those tomatoes!  Those beautiful, ripe tomatoes that will soon be tasty sauce for the pantry shelf!

You Missed One!

  Here it is March and we are still getting fruit from the citrus trees. While this seems delightful for us, it is probably not the best thing for the trees.  A few are already budding.  Those last lingering fruits needed to be picked.  This is far easier said than done.  While picking the satsumas, lemons, kumquats and navel oranges is relatively easy, the picking of the grapefruit presents quite the problem.  Since the trees are a good forty feet tall, getting to the fruit is quite the ordeal.  Son usually has to climb the tree and then use an extension pole rigged with a hook.  The fruit comes tumbling down and often splits when coming in contact with the ground.  This makes for problems.  The fruit then has to be eaten or canned immediately.  I can only do so much.  The two trees bear over 500 huge fruits.

  At the beginning of this month, Mark took the extension pole and just shook the branches.  Fruit was flying everywhere!  Dozens splatted on the hard ground making them unusable but twice as many bounced and never received a single bruise.  Once again, the kitchen was filled with citrus fruit.  I needed no more.  The jars were already filled canned jams, jellies and marmalades.  Gallon jugs were filled to the brim with dehydrated slices.  Quart jars held dehydrated and pulverized peels.  What was I to do with more fruit?  It was given to any unsuspecting visitor to the Little Bayou House.  

  Then, when we were out on our hike, we spied the Evil Grapefruit!  One large fruit still clung to a limb high in the top of the tree!  I cannot rid myself of these things!  There it hung as if mocking me all the while gleaming in the morning sunlight.  When I saw it, I had to start laughing.  "You missed one!" I told Mark.  He just looked at me in disbelief and murmured what I hope was "It seems that way."  

The Happy Harvest

  While I am in the midst of planting seeds for the spring garden, the winter garden is still producing well.  This morning, Darling Daughter and I were discussing our noontime meal as we transplanted tomato plants.  "Lets see what the garden has!" she suggested.  Sounded good to me!  First, we raided the broccoli and plucked two large heads.  That was a good start.  Then she spied the carrots.   I had no idea if there were any large enough to be harvested but told her to pull any that had fat stalks.  She was elated to find that her first pull yielded a nice sized carrot.  From there, she proceeded to search the entire row and came up with a hefty load!  "How about scallions? Do you have any of those?" Yep...scallions, spring onions, red onions, yellow onions, leeks, garlic, chives....you name it and it is probably in the garden somewhere.  Help yourself! (Oh, and by the way, scallions and green onions are the same thing.  Just a tidbit added in there for those who question...and I do get asked a lot.)

  With our arms full, we headed back to the kitchen.  There we washed, chopped, stripped and grated.  While she made a delightful vegan dish (with a name I cannot pronounce much less spell), I fried some fish that Mark and I caught last evening.  She and I ate her dish and the guys added fish to their meal.  Our "fresh" meal was delicious!  Perhaps if more folks planted a garden, they would come to realize the health benefits involved.   Not only do you get exercise and fresh air when working in the garden, you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.  There is just nothing better than a meal like ours today shared with those you love.  Thanks, Elizabeth!