Vacations unfortunately interrupt the sense of the garden gradually developing over the course of the summer. I'm not just referring to the practical problems of watering the plants, weeding, and picking ripe vegetables. It's more a question of losing some of the sense of gradual change.
We went away for a week and a half. Fortunately, I was able to deputize somebody for part of the time we were away. When we left, the tomatoes were just beginning to ripen. We came back to a couple dozen ripe tomatoes, with more on the way. Not to mention the cherry tomatoes. There were a couple of perfect zucchini, and some cucumbers had been picked while I was gone. Some of the sunflower plants are now considerably taller than I am, and are starting to flower. And the raspberries look like they are going to be ripe soon.
So now it is tomato season, and it looks like (so far) my goal of having lots of tomatoes is being met. I even gave some away to the neighbors.
From a quick look at the garden tonight, I will have some work to do. The onions are now ready to be dug up and there are tons of weeds, of course. Some of the tomato cages have fallen over from the weight of the fruit on the plants. I never know how to manage this. It happens every year, and, short of getting (or making) super-heavy tomato cages, I suppose I will have to put up with it. The tomatoes keep coming even when the cage is on its side, so I suppose it is mainly a cosmetic problem.
And the birds seem to be leaving the tomatoes alone. Maybe they found somebody else to bother.
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