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!

Those tomatoes, though!

   Just a week ago, I was lamenting the fact that the winter garden had mostly quit producing and had to be discarded.  There are a few cabbages left, an occasional beet and perhaps one more picking of the green peas but, other than that, the garden had given up the ghost.  In fact, yesterday, the wheelbarrow was loaded with discards as I cleaned the rows to plant the summer garden. 

  A couple of weeks ago, an experiment took place under the spent cauliflower plants.  About a dozen seedling tomatoes were set in the same row as the cauliflower.  The large leaves of the old plant would serve as a "tent" for the tiny plants.  Perhaps this would give me a jumpstart on the season!  I figured that the tomato plants would have shelter from the frosty nights that we were still having.  It boiled down to either giving the plants a longer growing season or killing off a handful of seedlings.  

  I am happy to say that the plot agreed with the plants!  Those tomato crates are already brimming over with greenery and, lo and behold, BABY TOMATOES!  Yep, today, I found dozens of marble sized tomatoes.  My experiment worked out grandly.  Since it was storming today, the garden chores were put on hold but tomorrow will find me setting out the remaining 30 tomato plants and planting squash and green beans.  With the way prices are rising, the garden may be a sure necessity.  

Goodbye, Winter Garden!

   As well as the winter garden provided, it is time for a good bit of it to say goodbye.  I hate to part with my fresh veggies but the cauliflower, cabbages and broccoli have seen better days.  Most are spent and we are eating the new leaves that form after the head has been cut.  The mustard greens, peas and beets are still flourishing so they shall stay a bit longer.  It is time to make room for the summer garden.

  Most of today was spent harvesting and tearing out old plants.  First on the agenda was to pick the peas as they take the longest and I wanted to get the job done while it was still cool.  Otherwise, the gnats would have eaten me alive!  The rest of the morning was spent picking the other veggies.  The afternoon saw me ripping out the old, spent plants and digging rows for tomato and pepper seedlings from the greenhouse.  Tomorrow, rows will be made for squash, green beans and cucumbers.

  Several folks have pondered why I work so hard in the gardens.  Pricing the peas alone is a good enough answer for me.  At nigh on six dollars a pound my fifty pounds harvested make it worthwhile but it is more the fact that I can share with others.  Gardening makes me feel good physically and emotionally.  Sitting is not for me.

Let's All Garden!

   Growing up on the small farm, I have gardened all of my life.  It was life.  There was no mollycoddling of kids back in the day.  Kids worked.  We worked....and we were all the better for that work.  Look at the mess the nation is in today and you can sure tell who got their butt whupped when they misbehaved as kids and also who did chores.   Now the world is full of a bunch of whiney babies who cannot do anything for themselves and full of adults who raised them that way.  Sorry, folks, but I call it like it is.  Don't like it, move along.  Chores are not bad things.  Being disciplined is not a bad thing.  The state of this nation is a bad thing...and is probably going to get a whole lot worse.

  But...we are not going to dwell on that.  The whole point of this post is to say that, as old as I am, I decided to try something new.  While the garden here is tended year round, I have never tried raising cauliflower until this year.  Yep, you can bet that will be on the agenda again next fall!  Cauliflower has to be one of the simplest things ever to grow!  Just this week, the heads started "showing" and now they are ready to be enjoyed!  The broccoli is the same.  Both rows decided that the cabbages and mustard greens could not be the only ones being flashy so now they are just as gorgeous!

  Speaking of gardens and plants, now might be a fine time for you folks in warmer climates to take up the hobby and you folks still in winter's midst, to start pondering seeds, garden plots and the likes.  Personally, I now have spinach, beets and sweet green peas sprouting and carrots on the way.  Also, the spring garden is already being planned.  Good stuff.  You can never have too many fresh veggies and fruits to suit me.  

Let The Worm Turn

   Yeah, I know the title does not exactly fit the story but, if you really think about it, the worm is turning...or in this case, a caterpillar so maybe it does.  I went to the vegetable section of the Small Gardens this morning to do a bit more clearing of the spent plants.  As I went to pull a ragged tomato plant from the ground, something caught my eye.  Oops.  Can't pull that one!  Right on the tip top of the tallest stalk was a tobacco horn worm.  Yes, I do usually pull the worms off of the plants and get rid of them but, this time, it was different.  The season is gone.  There are no more tiny tomatoes on the plants so why not let the critter have its fill of the last few leaves?  The worm can then change into a moth that will help pollinate plants.  Yes, I know that this caterpillar will change to a moth that will then lay eggs and make more caterpillars....that eat my plants!  Still, that "live and let live" motto started buzzing about the head. Go for it, caterpillar!

  That said, the garden will have to wait a bit before being fully cleared and prepared for a fall planting. One caterpillar just changed the whole plan for the day.  One caterpillar postponed a chore.  One caterpillar will probably come back to haunt me by laying a billion eggs that will eat next year's tomato plants!  One caterpillar...oh, well.  It is what it is.  Chow down in peace, little one.

The Beauty of Squash!

  It is my longstanding habit of rising before the sun and starting the day with a trip to the pier then back to the gardens.  This is a throwback to my childhood when I was either fishing with Pop or hoeing weeds with him during the early morning hours.  He instilled the love of both in me and I carry that with me to this day.  Fishing and farming!

  This morning as I was tending the garden, a thought occurred.  Why are squash plants not considered to be "flower-garden worthy"?  The broad leaves of the plant are just as showy as any hosta and the blooms can top just about any lily.  The plants are beautiful and also produce supper!  What more could you ask?  I knelt in the soft dirt to get a really good look at the squash bloom and was greeted by a number of tiny bumblebees as they gathered the pollen.  It seems that those and the honeybees fully appreciate the squash plants!  

  Squash are separated into two categories...summer squash and winter squash.  Zucchini, yellow crook neck and pattypan are types of summer squash and butternut, acorn and pumpkins are winter squash.  A lot of folks think that "winter" squash are planted in the cooler months but this is not so.  They are called that simply because they have tougher skins and can be stored for a long time during winter.  While it is not that common today, years back, folks harvested the winter squash and stored them for use during the cold months when it was hard to have a garden.  The tough skins kept the squash from rotting or becoming dried.  This provided food when times were lean.  I still overwinter a basket of butternut squash in the back room and pumpkins wherever I find a place to put them!  They last just fine and provide many a meal when the garden is planted with winter crops.  That, my friends, is the beauty of squash...other than their fine leaves and lovely blooms!

Time for a break

  Ok, so it is time to take a break from all of this canning.  The pantry shelves are stocked and three deep freezers are jammed packed.  Tomatoes have been sauced, plums have been jammed, blueberries canned and some made into syrup and figs have been candied.  Butter beans, field peas, corn, okra and shrimp have been added to the freezers to top off what was already there.  Now is time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor...at least, until fall when pears will need to be preserved.

  A lot of people have been asking just why I do all of this. "It is easier to just go to the grocery store and buy beans (tomato sauce, peas..whatever)."  That is true for folks who like to shop.  I do not.  I will zip in to buy milk or eggs but it is not my nature to spend an hour in a store...any store.  Plus, it is nice to be able to pull together a meal without worrying what I have on hand.  Son said we could eat well for about a year with what we have stocked.  Now, add in the promise of knowing just what is in those jars and in that freezer, makes it worthwhile.  Too many "foods" lately have been recalled for whatever reason.  I do not have to fret over that situation.

  Then, there is another reason for the stockpiling of home-canned goods.  Duh!  We live where hurricanes and tropical storms visit occasionally and knock out power.  With a ready supply of foodstuffs, it is easy to fire up the grill and whip out a meal. So, I will continue to do what I grew up doing.  We always "set aside" foodstuffs back on the farm.  When times were lean (money wise), we still ate good!  Same here...nuff said.

Round Two...The Little Red Hen Syndrome

  Back a couple of months ago, I had dozens of small tomato plants in the greenhouse.  These were just the right size to plant out in the garden so I offered several folks a few plants for their home gardens.  I had no takers except for Darling Daughter.  She took 16 plants home to put in planter boxes.  To that, she added a dozen pepper plants and is waiting on a few eggplants.  She is the only one who took the effort of planting a small garden.  Other folks all made the comment that they "did not have the time" or it is a "lot of work for a few tomatoes/peppers/eggplants, that I can get at the store."   That said, I planted...and planted.  My garden plot grew in size just as the plants did.  Soon, the entire east side of the yard became a vegetable garden. Not only did I plant in rows in the ground but I also utilized planter boxes, flower pots, old shrimp baskets and stuck vegetable plants in the flower gardens. The plants did well and soon set all sorts of blooms.  Now, fast forward two months and I am harvesting healthy meals from the back yard.  Darling Daughter is doing the same.  

  Now that I have fresh vegetables and fruits for our meals, folks are coming out of the woodwork to say "Oh, I will take a few tomatoes!  We love fresh squash! You have far too many peppers and onions."  Keep in mind, these are the same folks who turned down my offer of plants just a couple of months ago. While I am all for sharing the wealth, I am not all for those who take advantage of others' hard work.  Nope, I do not have far too many of any vegetables or fruit.  What we do not eat fresh will be canned for later.  Some jars will make it all the way to Georgia (son, daughter-in-law and grandlittles!), some will go to Darling Daughter and her hubby's place. A lot of fruit, berries and vegetables will be doled out to our elderly friends.  Why, I will not even hesitate to give a couple of these or a few of those, if someone asks but do not demand! I will share but not with those who are ablebodied but too lazy!  The "Little Red Hen Syndrome" strikes again.  Some folks just take, take, take and never wish to lift a pinky finger to help.  

  There is a wise saying that folks can only take advantage of you if you let them.  Although it is hard for me to do, I have learned to say no and stick with it.  Only those who shared in the work shall share the bounty. I am willing to share plants and seeds and I am eager to teach folks the art of home-canning, dehydrating and freezing fruit, herbs and vegetables.  Do not, however, expect me to do all of the work then come demanding the fruits of my labor. It ain't happenin', folks, it ain't happenin'!

The "Messy Garden"

  I was told not too long ago that I cannot count my garden area as a "true garden".  Huh?  That seems strange but who am I to question folks with such authority??  I did, anyway.  It seems that my garden is a "mess"!  It seems that I have no rhyme or reason behind my planting.  It seems that to be a garden, things have to be organized.  Hey!  Nothing is organized in my life!  I am probably the most disorganized person in the whole world but that never bothered me.  The words about my garden, on the other hand, sort of did. It confused me.  I thought a garden could be any area that has plants that are tended.  (Yeah, since I have not felt up to par lately, I admit that things are getting a little out of control but that should not count!) To me, things do not have to be in straight rows, weed free nor be strictly for one type plant.  I throw them all together!  It works!

  I think the "expert" that did not care for my type gardening was merely pointing out that I have flowers mingled in with the vegetables.  Yep.  I do.  They are all in there.  It bothers me not since I do know what is edible and what is not.  I will not inadvertently pull up a daffodil bulb instead of an onion.  There is a vast difference in the two and anyone that had ever planted either should know that onions...umm...smell different that daffodils!  So the two might coexist side by side in my garden. The fact is, most of the flowers are volunteer plants.  The seeds have come from who knows where(?) to make a home alongside the squash, chives or potatoes.  It makes them all happy!  Come to think of it, perhaps humans should take a hint from my garden and coexist harmoniously with their neighbors! 

  So before anyone else ridicules my hot mess of a garden, I think they should know that I am just trying to make a statement with my planting!  It is obvious that the theory behind the mix is nothing short of world peace.  Love thy neighbor and show a little kindness....or at least make the effort to play nicely.

What good are a few bees?

  A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my dismay over folks using toxic sprays or powders on flowering plants.  I was quite distraught that the chemicals of choice were ones that would kill honeybees. After I wrote my say on the matter, I came in contact with a few people that read that page.  They were astounded that I would even dare to "attack" their methods of gardening.  "What are a few bees when it means that my plants will be bug-free?"  they queried.  Going even further a few made the comment "What good are honeybees anyway?  I can always buy honey from the grocery store."  Hmmm. Once again, I am saddened.  What good are honeybees?  Oh, my word!

  Well, I will tell you. Those pretty little flowers that you are trying to "de-bug" will no longer exist if you keep killing the bees. Little do some folks realize or little do they care at the moment, but honeybees pollinate about eighty percent of our flowering crops, both ornamental and food crops. This makes up about a third of our diets.  Everything from fruit to veggies are "flowering crops". Without the bees' pollinating habits, the crops cannot reproduce and will eventually die out.  This causes problems even for you folks who eat a ton of meat as without the crops (think grain), there will be little feed for cattle, hogs and poultry.  Pretty soon humans will be reduced to eating a bunch of lab-created junk.  How long will it take before we die out as well?  

   Not only do we depend on the honeybees for their habit of pollinating flowers but, also for their delicious and nutritious honey! (And, sorry folks, without bees, there will be no honey on the shelves of the grocery store!)  I, myself, use probably a two dozen quarts of local honey a year.  There is a kind man not far from the Bayou who sells his honey.  Another benefit of keeping our honeybees healthy is the fact that medical research has proven that a number of diseases and disorders can be treated with honey and/or bee venom.

  So, if you have any doubts about protecting the honeybee, I suggest that you start now to reorganize your ideas on food consumption and medical treatments.  Perhaps a water diet would suit you!  I am quite sure you will do well with that!  (Especially, since the same toxins that are killing our honeybees are also polluting the world's water supply.) In the meantime, do not tell me that honeybees are not important!  If you ask me, right now they are far higher on my list of importance than folks who are too lazy to find a natural method of ridding the garden of pests and insist on poisoning the earth.