A photo of some of my tomatoes grown in their own hand-built hot house.
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Gardening is an act of love. It has to be since there is much toil and limited return on the effort, at least for me. Perhaps I don't love it frequently and intensely enough. Mother earth takes my seeds and with proper preparation they burst forth in sprouts or that is usually the way it works. There are some ancient understandings that man has of the process and as long as you follow Mother Nature’s rules you will be generally successful. Unfortunately the devil is in the details. For example the nutrients and ph levels in the soil have to be correct; the sun light and water have to be available at the right levels and the temperatures have to be right over the period of time needed to be bring the plant to fruition. The mixture is slightly different for each seed. Fortunately there are enough plants that grow in the same range of variables that you can have a nice vegetable garden. Be aware that plants grow best in certain proximity to specific other plants. Further complexities include the beneficial insects and the garden pests. How to deal with them: organically or otherwise. I go out at night and pick them off the leaves and scratch around the dirt to remove others and build traps to catch them napping. All for something I can buy cheaply at the grocers - so it must be love. However the tomatoes are definitely special and worth every effort. A photo of some of my tomatoes grown in their own hand-built hot house. |
Garden PoetryYou can tell those who have gardened For their hands are often hardened And the ungloved hand Will have been tanned Except for those who have found it easier To do their gardening with a gardener The vegetables you sow Never sprout in a perfect row Some of us can plant a plant And some of us can’t But you will be happy to know Most of us are happy if they even grow Philip |
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