Viva Romas

Early on, I carefully snipped off the bottom leaves of the tomato plants, ensuring stronger growth at the top.

But then, summer intervened in the form of nearby tornadoes (a good excuse to hide inside),or it rained enough to keep the farmers happy or it was to darned hot to do any more than admire the garden.
Oh I admit the garden was a little on the overrun side, but it looked good to me.

this morning I took a bowl out to see if I had enough Romas to whip us some salsa and sure enough, I did. These guys were pretty well hidden in the bottom where I had neglected to snip for quite some time.

They don't look the least bit runty to me.

While I was at it, I found an eggplant growing nicely in the shade of the tomatoes.

This is what I like about gardening; you do as much as you can or as little and there are still rewards.

Wins and Losses

The raised beds were a great idea. This one was intended to hold the oriental rhubarb and a smattering of spinach and lettuce. Instead, the horseradish, planted way back by the fence, crept forward and sneaked into everything this year.
The veggies surrendered and now the rhubarb is holding a shoving match with the intruder.
My kids love my horseradish sauce--it comes with fire extinguishers, so it has to stay. But how to contain it?
From what I've read, it won't be easy. Or possible.

The morning glories are charming as always; I installed a fine netting over the fence and they are winding their way up up from the end of their raised bed.

Then there's the ornamental grass. I thought it would be nice to plant it by the air conditioner so we wouldn't have to stare at the metal box. I guess I got the kind of grass that wants to shield entire houses from view.
that gate isn't mine--it belongs to the next-door neighbor.
I think I'll give the grass a haircut.

Well Hello Fred

the good news is that there is a newcomer to the fishpond. A frog named Fred.
The bad news? Well, I headed out this morning full of resolve to tidy up the filter and hoses so the pond would look, well, natural.
That's when I found Fred and I had to have a picture, mess or no mess.
I guess the mess stays as is for now.

So, Fred, please stick around. Do your own housekeeping if you like.