My Garden Summer - Tomatoes Episode I

[Dee & Frank Hughes]

Every year I try to raise an heirloom tomato from seed. This baby, nurtured by me over a long winter becomes the centerpiece of the kitchen garden. This year I picked a variety called Mortgage Lifter. As the story goes an old boy from West Virginia called Radiator Charlie began experimenting in the 1930's with crossing varieties of tomatoes he liked. After a number of years he had a plant that produced huge, delicious pink fruit. He began selling the plants for $1.00 at his garage and in 6 years had made enough to pay off the mortgage on his home. This seemed like a very appros pos tomato for 2009.

I planted my seedling on inauguration day in January. Since planting seedlings is all about hope and optimism this also seemed appropriate. I've been planting seedlings every year for the four years I've had the garden and have never failed to produce at least a couple of viable plants. No such luck this year. All of my seedlings, including the Hope and Promise tomato ended up spindly and weak.

So I did what any Matthews boy would. Showed up at the Matthews Farmers Market on day 1 and made a beeline for Tomato Joe's booth. One of the gardens lessons is that things may not always work out as you intend; but they usually work out.

[Dee & Frank Hughes]

My first blog comment-yea.
Yes- Tomato Joe is the vendor. I'm going to blog all summer and of course, produce for egg bartering will be on.

[Carol Buie-Jackson]

So, did you buy a mortgage lifter seedling at the market? I tried them one year after reading "From the Ground Up" by Amy Stewart in which the Mortgage Lifter figures prominently, but I just don't get enough sun for 'maters. Good luck and I'll trade you eggs for some of your harvest.