Heidibella in the Tropics

Harvest Time

I was torn between seeing the pretty red tomatoes on their plant, standing out brightly among the green of the garden and actually picking them to eat before they rotted. I finally caved on Tuesday night, and picked nine ripe cherry tomatoes. I can't explain the feeling of harvesting something that comes from what was only a small seed in your hand a few months ago. It's truly amazing. And oh...the taste. You cannot compare the taste of a home-grown tomato to a store-bought one. It is sweet, yet with a touch of tang...juicy, and wonderful. We enjoyed them sauteed in olive oil and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. Can't wait for the next harvest...I've got a bunch of green ones on their way!

The first born

Today was a happy day in the garden!  Despite the horridly grey, muggy, sunless weather we've been having in Panama, I picked my first ripe tomato from one of my tomato plants today!  The plant that gave me the first born was the same plant that was almost crushed in Saturday's storm. Since there was only one, I sliced it and put one slice on top of each piece of tenderloin steak I made for dinner.  It was sweet, juicy, delicious.  What a great way to turn a yucky day into a bright and shiny one!

Wishing for a sunny weekend!

My first homegrown sunflower would like to wish you a great weekend! Let's hope for some sun.

My first tomato

I promised myself I would not post anything else about my gardening efforts until I saw my first tomato. Well...today is the day!

I have come a long way since I first started a few months ago.

Of course, there have been casualties...

but there have been many more successes!

Here is my gardening table with the fruits of my labor...everything grown from seed.

Sunflower plant

Four O'Clocks two months ago...

Four O'Clocks now!

 

A Garden in the Rough

I have always been a frustrated gardener. I remember buying plants for my New Orleans balcony only to forget about them and come out one day with a watering can in a desperate attempt to save the sad looking stems. I remember buying a gardening kit for that same balcony. Actually I think I ordered it from QVC, a favorite pasttime of mine in those days. It came with seeds, soil, container, and instructions. It was supposed to be full-proof. But the makers of that kit didn't count on my ability to kill even plants of the fake variety. Sure, the seeds sprouted and I thought I had finally been successful, but their life was short-lived poor things.

I've always said I don't have a green thumb, gardening just doesn't come naturally. But a few weeks ago I decided to take another stab at it. I started reading Gardening for Dummies (but the title should actually be Gardening for Experts who Need a Refresher). I did learn some things from the book, but the more time I spend in the garden the more I realize that gardening is really about instinct. You have to be patient, and you have to stick with it, and if you do you will start to learn and realize what conditions work best for each plant. Sure, you can read it in a book, but I still don't know the difference between annuals and perrenials nor would I know acid soil from alkaline soil...but I now realize that I don't care. Some plants will live, some will die. Some will do well, others will just kinda wilt away. Gradually I learn what works and what doesn't, not because of what it says in a book but because of what I myself am experiencing. I read online today that gardening shouldn't be frustrating, after all, plants have the same goal as the one that tends to them...they want to grow.

It's a fulfulling thing, gardening.  You are creating things, allowing them to come into being while making the place in which you live more and more beautiful. I can only hope that my plants feel the love and that they grow strong and healthy. Here are some pictures of my current gardening projects. I'm hoping that in future posts I'll be able to update with pics saying "They survived!!"