Hitting Send

The story of my tomatoes begins with my composting, because without that rich soil, the tomatoes never would have been the same. I began composting because I wanted to cut back on what was going into our landfills, choosing to recycle what I could back into the earth from which it came. As a bonus, I knew that the dirt would contribute to a lovely, healthy garden. Sounds great, right? However a slight problem emerged when, after composting on the sloping hillside behind my house for a little over a year, I decided to move. Ugh! Lose all of that wonderful dirt for which I had so lovingly cared? Unless, there was a way to…take it with me?

I was moving to a new house with my best friend from high school and her husband, who had just arrived in California from South Africa. The night before our move, I said, “I’m taking my compost with me!” You can imagine how this went over. Being the chivalrous type, the South African husband volunteered to assist me. Now, I must mention that I was determined and would have dug up the dirt entirely on my own had he not generously done so for me. So…okay, it’s dark out and I’ve got this poor guy shoveling compost into trash bags. I helped! I held the flashlight and held bags open. We dragged these heavy bags of dirt into a van and drove them across the entire county to their new home. Do I have great friends or what?

With my compost transported, I moved on to the next order of business: preparing the earth for planting. I had two plots with which to work, and it was fortunate that I began in blessed denial of just how much work it was actually going to entail. You see, there were ridiculously large, dead bulbs deep within my new canvas beds. And I, in my overzealous and blissful ignorance, decided to dig them all up. I did, too! Then I happily added the transported compost dirt; which I just knew was going to contribute to the growth of whatever I planted.

But what to plant? I headed for the nursery to have a look around. When I saw the baby tomato plants, I just knew. For some inexplicable reason, I had always wanted to grow tomatoes. Which is really odd…because I didn’t actually like to eat them. And when the nursery attendant told me they would do well in my sunny yard, I was even more convinced that it was meant to be. I was going to grow tomatoes! In true form, I purchased what I would eventually learn was far too many for one gardener and her little garden.

Fortunately, I was careful to follow recommendations on how to space out the plants. At this point, I admittedly had no concept of just how big these little plants could, and would, actually get. I was clued in when told of the size of the metal stands I needed to put around them to provide them with support and protection. But that would not be enough to keep them protected from my beloved Golden Lab/Australian Shepard, Lucy. No. For that I was going to need a fence.

After finding a supply store in the phonebook, I hopped in my red truck and headed off for fencing supplies. Let me tell ya’, they don’t see many women at the building supply store I went to. The looks I got asking for five-foot heavy duty chicken wire fencing and staples with which to secure it! They stood and watched as I dragged it to my truck, and I’m positive I heard chuckles as I drove away. But I wasn’t going to be stopped now! I would do whatever it took for my tomatoes. I drove home, and I put up that fencing.

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All I had to do now was water them, provide them with structural support occasionally by tying up branches, and then stand back and watch them grow. And grow they did! They grew tall, strong, proud and very, very abundantly. I soon had countless, red, vine-ripened, organic tomatoes. WOW! They were spectacular! And so delicious I had never tasted anything like them before. But, OMG, what to do with all of these tomatoes! After all, my freezer could only hold so much homemade sauce. The answer was clear. I was going to share my harvest. First, I gave them to family and friends. When I still had more than I could contend with, I decided to share with my neighbors too! So, all summer long I walked around my cul-de-sac with baskets of my precious gems, handing them out to all who wanted them. They were greatly appreciated and helped solidify my neighborhood connections. A win-win ending to a prosperous bounty.