Salsa Garden

Let's set up some raised beds, she said.

I can use one as my salsa garden, she said.

It will be great to grow my own ingredients, she said. 

It will work best to have all the plants in one spot, she said. 

Egads, my friends, those are four tomato plants, one of which - I think - is just a cherry tomato. Because in June, it looked like I had plenty of room for four tomato plants. In June, those plants were small and manageable, full of the promise of producing fruit. 

Actual fruit.

Not limbs and leaves. Which, at the moment, is all I have. Oh, and blossoms. There are blossoms. 

I found one large green tomato lying in the grass last week. It escaped. It flung itself out of the jungle and now it's sitting in solitary confinement on my window sill. Desperately seeking ripeness.

The good news is my peppers - both green and jalapeno (the plants on the left in the picture) are growing just fine. At the moment. But those creepy arms of the tomato plants are reaching...reaching...reaching... 

Plus my cilantro was ready to use about a week after I planted it. 

Fourteen years, people. Fourteen years I have lived on this property and have planted gardens and grown plants. You'd think I'd have some idea by now how to do this successfully. 

But no. 

Every year, I add another notch to my "experimental gardener" belt and simply wait to be surprised at what grows, what thrives and what appears. 

Kale and romaine lettuce. That's what thrives. The leafy stuff.

I get salad when all I want is salsa.