the fate of green tomatoes

by the time mr. pike and i decided to start a garden, we thought it was too late in the season. i was at the grocery store just days after our garden discussion when i saw that they were selling tomato plants.

these tomato plants looked pretty sickly, but we're only 77 cents a plant. i felt confident on my ability to revive them, and if i didn't i had only lost a few dollars.

as i looked through the selection, all the tomato plants were of the same variety -- green cherry tomatoes. i had never eaten green tomatoes before, but thought wishfully, "i bet they'll still turn red."

two months have passed since then, and our tomato plants have been flourishing. we have lots of little tomatoes growing -- but not turning red. mr. pike and i are adventurous and don't mind eating green tomatoes. we just don't know when to pick them.

when i water, i give the tomatoes a little squeeze to see if they're softening, but that hasn't given us a clue yet. if you have an idea, let us know. otherwise, we'll keep watching to see what happens.

home grown goodness

mr. and mrs. pike have a garden. we don't have any land of our own - still enjoying apartment living. but, we do have a patio, which is a perfect spot for two pots of tomato and green pepper plants. we also have basil and mint growing in smaller pots of their own.

growing up, both of our families were garden growers. and we like to think of ourselves as having green thumbs.

leaders of our church have asked member to plant their own garden - to help us be more self-reliant. and as produce and food prices rise this summer, mr. pike and i thought this was a good time to become a little more self-reliant.

last week, mr. pike's mother asked me if we had any blossoms yet. i said no. and like a new mother who worries about her baby's development, i started to worry that my plants were too slow or maybe they'd never blossom at all. (there's news that they're aren't as many bees this year. what has happened to them? this is another great worry!)

but, i am so happy to report that this week i found four blossoms on our tomato plants and six buds on our pepper plants. i couldn't have felt more excitement and relief. a harvest is in our future, as long as the bees come.

green thumb tip: i love miracle gro. i give a dose of it every other week to my plants and they have grown quite hardily.