Sunshine, Water, Soil, Fertilizer and....

As I prepared to plant my young tomato, I pondered how this little green plant had not long ago been a tiny little seed. Generations of gardeners had felt this variety good enough to keep saving the seeds, year after year. This tomato tasted amazing, and would give me a bumper crop starting mid summer.

I had been dreaming of this moment since sometime in early February. The grocery store tomatoes take on that strange pink color with the flavor of cardboard. Dreaming of fresh, ripe, juicy, tomatoes. Still warm from the sun. Mmmm.

It was time to plant the tomatoes.

I prepared the soil, mixing Bumper Crop into my already worm laden garden. I thanked them for all their hard work.

I carefully pulled the sprout from its pot, and scruffed the roots a bit. The fragrance of the tomato foliage drifted up and made my nose tingle. Oooh, soon, soon....

A big drink of liquid seaweed followed. (For the plant, not me, silly...) The organic fertilizer makes the soil better, thus growing stronger roots, thus resulting in totally fabulous, yummy, TOMATOES!!

I was getting giddy just imagining it so.

I put a huge tomato cage over her. Kind of a challenge, I suppose. But I was hoping, dreaming, wanting.

I stood and admired her. I just knew she wouldn't let me down.

The fifth element? Love. From the gardeners who first saved the seeds, all through all the people who grew and saved again. All the gardeners who dream about it being so. All the gardeners who delight in the first and last ripe tomato from their garden. All the gardeners who share their crops. All the gardeners who thank their worms.

All gardeners who grow love.

:)

Erica