Tomato Woes

Three guesses why I was so excited when I looked at my cherry tomato plant on Friday.

Yes, I finally got to eat a ripe tomato from my garden on Saturday, July 21. Too bad it was just a cherry. Not that I'm knocking the cherry tomatoes, I love em. But, you know, I want more. I couldn't even wait for it to get really red, I was too scared tragedy would strike.

Gardening article after gardening article mentions tomatoes as one of the easiest veggies to grow. For everyone else, maybe.

Last year, friends brought me two tomato plants in July. I didn't kill them, and I did get some tomatoes, but they were just starting to go crazy when we ot our first frost. I wanted more, much more.

So this year I bought six plants, Early Girl (which is such a misnomer) and Supersonic and one cherry tomato. I bragged to co-workers and family about how I'd be drowning in tomatoes. Yes, surely I'd have plenty to share with them, to make salsa, etc.

All seemed well, even though I now know you're supposed to plant tomato seedlings deeper than the pots they come in as they can sprout more roots (note to self for next year!). But even though I planted them in mid-May, I still haven't gotten a bite of juicy tomato. I have had some big promising looking green tomatoes. But just when they look like they have to be getting ready to turn, this happens. Those bastard squirrels. They always take the biggest one. I've never been so tempted to buy a gun...

My cup almost runneth over Saturday because after checking on the almost ripe cherry tomato I saw one of the Supersonics was turning a lovely shade of orange. Mouth watering, I picked a couple green ones to fry. And that's why I saw it: blossom end rot. Crap. I figured I had better check the one that was ripening. Better to get the bad news over with and sure enough, it had a big, black rotten bottom. Foiled again.

The super dry weather has to be a big factor in this. So maybe it will clear up? Anyone have tips on beating the dreaded BER? I can't face the idea of a tomato-less summer.

Teeny, Tiny Hollyhocks

I didn't expect this minature Hollyhock (Sidalcea malviflora) that I bought from Michigan Bulb Co. to do anything this year, but one of the six is actually blooming. This may be one of the smallest flowers I've ever seen, but at least it proves one of the six plants is doing ok. A couple of the others got fried.

It's so tiny, it's hard to give you a closer look. Here's a bit closer look.








Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Garden Surprises for Green Thumb Sunday

The Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) are in full bloom. I love these flowers. They just keep blooming and blooming all summer long and they don't need a lot of water. Plus, they make great, long-lasting cut flowers. This bunch actually bloomed from seed last year (one of the few things that did actually germinate and grow for me) and they're looking even better last year. I definitely need more Black-eyed Susans in my garden.

And if you gaze carefully into my tomato patch, you'll start to see these, baby tomatoes! Woohoo! I'm up to six so far and just seeing them makes my mouth water. I can practically taste them already.

And just look at this cosmos. I thought the white bit was a piece of something else, but it's really part of the petal. So pretty. I love these little garden surprises.

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

The Kitchen is Stylin' with New Roman Blinds

My kitchen looks sooooo much better now that the roman blinds are up instead of those horrid old venetians. It's amazing how relatively small changes can make such a huge difference. This is yet another project that was beautifully completed by the guy (I wasn't even home, how great is that?!). The list of projects he's completed around here is getting pretty long. I better be baking some brownies or something (except that the idea of me cooking scares him).

Now I just have to figure out some window treatments for the living room. Until I get a new couch and decide on my final colors, I'm thinking about getting some brown bamboo blinds like these. They would still look good under the curtains I will eventually purchase. Thoughts?

Herbs and Flowers for Green Thumb Sunday

Here's a pic of my herb and flower pot. It's doing pretty well, especially since I wasn't finding exactly what I wanted for this pot at the garden center a few weeks ago. I've become obsessed with the idea of combining herbs and flowers after reading Herbs in Pots: Artful and Practical Herbal Containers by Rob Proctor and David Macke. This is the only gardening book I've read so far that I would actually describe as entertaining and inspiring. It really is a fun read.

My pot has lemon balm, pineapple sage, camomile, a pink daisy and a phlox hybrid (Intensia lavender glow).

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Nature Is Such a Tease

So last night, after I finish watering my wilted plants (hey, I've been busy), I'm weeding and the sky gets dark. The cloud rolls in. The wind picks up. The temperature drops like 10 degrees and it actually becomes pleasant outside. "Storm team announcements" pop up during every TV commercial break. I start thinking I had been a little hasty with the watering, but who cares, cause it's finally going to pour and my brown grass needs a drink (cause grass is not worth watering IMO) and even the freshly watered plants are probably still thirsty. So I wait. And wait. But then.....

nothing happens.

*sigh*

Surprise Flowers!

So Monday night I got home at 11:30, exhausted. It was my first day back to work after six days of vacation. I felt absolutely horrible (thanks allergies) and I had just said goodbye to one of my best friends who had been visiting from Finland and was going home. Needless to say, I wasn't in the greatest mood. And then I saw these roses sitting on my kitchen counter along with a note from my guy. My mood instantly did a 180. And the smile on my face lasted through the next day. Everytime I look at them, the smile comes back. They're the perfect shade of pink, which he said he picked because it looked better than the red. Totally the perfect choice. *happy sigh*


Sometimes, he really is the sweetest guy ever.

I just know you're dying to see them up close, aren't you?