Misadventures in the garden
The past few days, I swear that when I look at my little tomato plants, I can see them shivering. What’s with the weather lately? First, we’re launched into summer temperatures, and then we’re dropped into days that feel more like early March. We should be going down, maybe, to overnight temperatures in the upper 50s, not spending our days there.
Of course, warm weather will return again. And soon, you might hear me complaining about the heat and humidity. For now, though, while the garden seems stalled, I want to share a story with you to take a bit of the chill off and get us into more of a planting frame of mind.
I think I shared this some years ago, but a good story is worth hearing more than once. Here it is:
An old Italian man lived alone in the country. It was spring and he wanted to dig his tomato garden, as he had done every year, but it had become very hard work for the aging man. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was currently in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:
Dear Vincent,
I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I’m just getting too old to be digging up the plot. If only you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me.
Love, Dad
A few days later the old man received a letter from his son:
Dear Dad,
Not for nothing, but don’t dig up that garden. That’s where I buried the BODIES.
Love, Vinnie
At 4:00 the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived at the old man’s house and dug up the entire garden. However, they didn’t find any bodies, so they apologized to the old man and left.
That same day the old man received another letter from his son:
Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances. Love, Vinnie
Do you have a funny garden story to tell? I’d love to hear it, and potentially share it here.
My silliest story so far in 2021 makes me realize that I need to pay better attention to what I do.
Last year I dug up two Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) plants, wanting to relocate them. I don’t recall what distracted me from finishing the project, but the transplants ended up sitting in the pots I plopped them into, forgotten, and there they overwintered. This spring, I’ve been watering the earth in those pots and waiting to see shoots emerging. Two weeks ago, I finally noticed a plant sprouting up in one pot — yay! But nothing in the other. I kept watering.
Yesterday, I saw that several tiny, three-leaved stems had emerged from a clump of earth in the nothing-happening-yet container. I was surprised to see these little plantings instead of the single large one I was expecting. Then I picked up the clump of earth and turned it over in my hand. There, on the other side, was the plant I was looking for— three inches tall (sideways, actually!), valiantly trying to grow out from under. Somehow, not only had I forgotten the plants to start with, but I’d also turned the clump upsidedown when I placed it in the flowerpot.
Again, if you have a funny garden story, I’d love to hear it. (See addresses below.)
NOTE» Unlike the practice of the man in the story, who planted his tomatoes in the same spot year after year, it’s recommended to rotate vegetables in the nightshade family — tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes — on at least a three-year schedule, to avoid the risk of soilborne diseases.
Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Share your gardening stories on Facebook at “Chester County Roots.” Pam’s book for children and families, Big Life Lessons from Nature’s Little Secrets, is available on Amazon, along with her companion field journal, Explore Outdoors, at Amazon.com/author/pamelabaxter.