I must confess to having a few hangups...or...compulsions. I do love my vegetable garden and it gives me great pleasure to tend it, watch it develop...and win the battle of the weeds. This year I bought and planted 36 tomato plants. Most are doing well...healthy and strong...producung green tomatoes at present. You might think that 36 tomato plants would be enough to feed the neighborhood...and you would be correct...but I have a certain compulsion.
Every summer a number of tomato seeds from previous years actually germinate and grow. A few always survive the tilling process and apparently get just enough water to thrive. It is really a small miracle. Each little "volunteer" tomato plant competes with whatever is in its space...and almost shouts to the world..."look at me". Of course I have no idea what sort of tomatoes they might produce, or even if they will produce before the winter chill hits them, but somehow I feel great affection for each survivor. So each year I carefully transplant them into locations where they will receive regular TLC. I notice that they always survive the transplanting process...they immediately droop, but they bounce back over night...they are tough...they are survivors. This year there are 22 survivors.
Each of them deserves a chance at life...I can give it to them...so I do. I know...it's a little weird....but there are life lessons to be learned from nature...and tough little "volunteer" tomato plants...like... Never Give Up...and... Always Trust the Master Gardner.
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