How the potager escaped its bounds....

18 years ago

or how I overbought tomato plants.... the saga of plants jumping into my cart at the store continues.

A variety of tomato plants had already gone into the potager beds, but when I found a nursery with some heirloom plants, how could I resist? Fourteen new plants later, it was clear I hadn't resisted. :)

So now, there are tomatoes in the east side flowerbed, the white garden and along the west fence of our acre. My mouth is watering for fresh tomatoes. The west fence is a new planting area. Cosmos, sunflowers and purple coneflowers are also going to be seeded there, too.

So, the 'potager' is surrounding us now. This is not a bad thing. :)

Happy

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Comments (13)

gurley157fs
18 years ago
I have done the same thing. My logic is that if 'something' (drought, bug, rabbit, trampling person) destroys a few plants then I will still have a few plants left.
However, if a miracle should happen and every single plant become a producer, I will have enough veggies to feed the nieghborhood.
happyintexas
Original Author
18 years ago
LOL!

I know how to can and preserve, so that's an option if they alllllll produce. Tomatoes are tricky in this part of the world, so we will see.

The local food bank will take fresh veggies if we bring them in. That's a definite option.

Happy
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zinniamama
18 years ago
I hear you Happy-my poor kids know that no matter what store we go to, if there is a plant section "Mom has to just check" and at least 2-3 jump in to my cart also! I have a lot of family that don't have gardens so we share with them, the freezer gets filled, extras get taken into the Mission...never too large a harvest! Which heirlooms did you get? I have to have Brandywine each year and found a Mr. Stripey, which my neighbor raves over its taste so I am trying it...would love to hear which you have had success with?! Brenda
happyintexas
Original Author
18 years ago
Zinniamama, normally I stick to hybrid tomatoes--Celebrity, Carnival, Heatwave. But after reading about the old-fashioned tastes of heirlooms, I had to try some. I'm trying Brandywine, Porters, Snow Queen, Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple and Hillbilly Bi-color.

I'd love to try an Arkansas Traveler. I have seeds, but didn't get them started soon enough.

Grow 'maters grow!!!!!!

Happy
todancewithwolves
18 years ago
*hee hee* I'm not the only one. Two weeks ago I planted a few tomato seeds. Today I counted 40 sprouts.

Edna
Annie
18 years ago
I have grown many kinds of heirloom tomatoes and nothing beats the Brandywine in taste tests - nothing!

I tried the Cherokee Purple last year (because I am Cherokee) - didn't really like 'em. (boo hoo)
Mortgage Lifter is great. Similiar to Brandywines but no hard green core.
Didn't like the Arkansas Traveler.
Didn't like the taste of Mr. Stripey. Too low in acid to can them and tasted like smashed ants smell like! I am serious.
Lemon Boy makes the best Tomato Preserves. I didn't like them for fresh eating. One plant produced enough for an army!
I would like to try the Aunt Ruby's Green German tomato. I read that it was super delicious - among the best of the yummy heirlooms.

And as for plants that jump into your cart?
I vowed this year to cut back. Make my gardens smaller. Don't overwork myself. I really meant it too. It is just too hard to take on that much. The weeding, the mulching, the watering, the harvesting (oh...the harvesting!). Well, as any person with an addiction will tell you...I lied to myself!!!!! I went to buy just a couple of Beefsteaks tomatoes, just 2 or well, maybe 4 at the most, some Big Bertha bell peppers and a couple of hot Jalapeno peppers. I came home with 6-packs of four different kinds of tomatoes (24+ plants), and 6-packs of the following: Serano hot peppers, Big Bertha Bell peppers, Jalapeno peppers, Yellow Marigolds I didn't have, and some Mixed Coleus. I also bought about 6 packages of seeds. (I have three boot boxes full of seeds, two cat litter boxes full, and 6 one-gallon-sized zip-Loc bags full of seeds! But I bought more. Good Grief!

In the meantime, the tomatoes that I started from seed and had nearly given up on them ever growing??? Well, they are beginning to grow really fast and soon I will have 6-7 more Beefsteaks, Brandywines, Romas, 2 Super Sweet 100s, 4 Juliettes, and 2 Snow White grape tomatoes
- Oh, and I almost forgot! I WS a container of a new tomato that Trudi Davidoff sent to me to try (??? # of plants) - called Hungarian Pink Paste Tomato.

Good Golly Miss Molly! That is more than I ever planted before! So much for cutting back, eh?
todancewithwolves
18 years ago
Annie - have you ever grown Black Krim tomatoes? I'm trying them for the first time this year.

Edna
Annie
18 years ago
Nope, I haven't ever grown Black Krims or tasted them either. Let me know what you think about them, will ya?

I was so disappointed in the Cherokee Purple. I like tomatoes to taste like tomatoes and that tomato didn't. The color was not too palatable either. It looked like slices of bruised liver and the taste was really strange. Caca! Me no eat that! Me only like tomato that taste like tomato!

Good news for me! One of my Okie GW friends is sending me some Aunt Ruby's Green German Tomato seeds. I'm so pleased. I've never tasted them either. Has anyone on here ever eaten the ARGG tomato?

"How the Potager escaped its bounds". Where am I going to plant all these tomatoes???

Alas, so many tomatoes. . .so little space!

~ Annie
soggy6_2006
18 years ago
I want my potager to escape! Mine is an empty 10'x5' box on a hill awaiting planting soil. The soil is on the driveway awaiting my wheelbarrow and I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to muscle a full wheelbarrow up the hill to the planter box! By the time I'm ready to plant it's going to be too late! Arrgghhh. . .
Janna
todancewithwolves
18 years ago
Janna - My topsoil sat in the driveway for 2 months. I ending up hauling dirt in...of all things...a janitors mop bucket. It has wheels and a handle. I did a happy dance with the last load of dirt on Monday. DH can now use the driveway for his car. Who da' man! I'd da' man!

Annie - never heard of those types of tomatoes. I can hardly wait to see what you have to say about them. Last year I grew a yellow type supposably acid-free heirloom. To me it was taste free *YUK!* never again.

Edna
soggy6_2006
18 years ago
OK, I am so excited! ALL of my soil is in the box, my muscles are sore and I have a sunburn! Yeh!!! I think I could have used another yard, but 1 yard will have to do this year.

It's been a busy morning.

Now I need to get my veggies in!

Thermawrap is a-callin' my name!

Janna
todancewithwolves
18 years ago
Well! you are one determined woman! Good for you! I couldn't puch a wheelbarrow on a straight path let alone up a hill. I can't push one without tilting.

Edna
Annie
18 years ago
Janna, you are so cute!

How the potager escaped its bounds....

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