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Time to check out the garden and make sure everything is progressing.
Time to check out the garden and make sure everything is progressing.
My reward for making my morning rounds is a handful of Everglades Tomatos. These guys are cherry type and all have grown up by reseeding themselves. I just try to somewhat direct their growth by staking them up with some Bamboo sticks and string. They pretty much take care of themselves after that. They provide plenty of the small bite size tomatoes that I gladly share with my resident Mockingbird. We both like them right off of the bush. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My container tomatos are getting pretty big now and I am keeping my fingers crossed. I have always had bad luck growing main season tomatos but It looks good to maybe producing a few.The plant itself is looking kind of rough but it fell over several times, 5 gallon container and all ,in some strong winds last week.
The Tomato fruit look good and healthy to me. After all this is a educational experience figuring out how to water correctly in the containers to keep the plants healthy. I have yet to develop that gardening eye when it comes to watering them but I am learning slowly. On the skill level of Tomato growing I am still a rookie.
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The American Beautyberry bush is still slowly inching its way upward. This guy is one of two growing from seeds.
The American Beautyberry bush is still slowly inching its way upward. This guy is one of two growing from seeds.
This plant and his sister are for the birds to eat the Berry's when it grows up. They are by my bird feeder and hopefully will be part of the bird habitat one day soon.
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And last but not least is the Desert Rose. It stopped blooming for the past month but is now rested up and blooming again.The way I figure it if my Christmas Cactus blooms don't open by Christmas Day at least this guy will take up the slack .
-----------------------sanddune----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
interesting post on many counts. Tomatoes in winter...I've never had luck with them. Also, I've never heard of an Everglades tomatoe. My mom has a desert rose. It is huge. Is there still a Tomato Festival in Dania? It used to end up as a tomato fight.
ReplyDeleteHow I miss my homegrown tomatoes! Those store bought things are mush. You are fortunate to be able to grow them this time of year.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your update - I also have to start my day just wandering through and checking up on things. Puts the whole world at rights :) I love the desert rose, mine has been dormant for a while now. It is just one long stalk - have you pinched the ends to make it branch? - I am a bit nervous about doing that.
ReplyDeleteMy desert rose is dormant too. She is lovely, one of my favorites. I have no tomatoes left. The freeze fried them. I seldom eat tomatoes in winter. Grocery store tomatoes have the wonderful flavor of cardboard. Not good. Yours look delicious.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteThe Everglades Tomato is a heirloom wild Tomato. It is sweet and very tasty. All of my plants of this are volunteers from last spring.
Don't know about the Dania Festival but now days around here instead of throwing Tomatos they would be pullin out guns.
Deb,
ReplyDeleteI feel fortunate to grow Tomatos at ANY time of year. They are my favorite so of course they are the one plant I seem to have a hard time growing well. And I agree with you the store bought ones just don't taste the same. I think that they grow a type commercially for their long storage attributes not for taste.
Africanaussie,
ReplyDeleteMy Desert Rose I have noticed goes through dormant periods then emerges covered in blooms.I suspect that's just its nature. Once catepillars ate all the leaves off of it and it looked like a stick plant for a long while then it came back blooming better than ever. I have never pinched the branches on this one. I kinda believe the old saying,"If it ain't broke don't try to fix it".
Janie,
ReplyDeleteIm keeping my fingers crossed on the big tomatoes. They are the " Celebrity "type you suggested in your post with all the disease resistant letters.
I figure I can use all the help I can get. The Everglades Tomatos are pretty well idiot proof and do well for me here besides tasting great. Next planting I want to try the "Champion" type to see what happens with them .
Sanddune, garden fresh tomatoes in December, how lucky you are !!! - G.
ReplyDeleteGary,
ReplyDeleteHere in South florida the growing season starts the middle of October. It took several years for me to pound this into my head but now that I have it is paying off. Daytime temps here are still in the 80's T shirt weather.
Glad to see what you're growing here as I shall be leaving for my Florida home after Christmas and need all the inspiration I can get for my sadly neglected garden! Season's greetings to you and I shall enjoy following your blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Galloping Gardener,
ReplyDeleteI don't know it seems like some of the plants I neglect the most look the best here. I really don't care to probe too deeply into that statments implications into my gardening skills. But I am glad you stopped by.