Cherry tomatoes picked and eaten in the garden are the warm-up act and early tomatoes like ‘Oregon Spring’ are teasers of the main attraction, the star of the vegetable garden, the first BIG tomato of the season.
The star of the garden was ready this morning, all reddish-orange and ripe for picking. The variety was ‘Indy’, a new hybrid tomato, that according to the garden center ad I read, “everyone was talking about”. I was reading the ad when I was vulnerable and needed a few new tomato plants because the rabbits had eaten off some of my grown-from-seed tomato plants. If everyone was talking about it, I should have one. So I bought one to try and it turned out to be the first big tomato in my garden this year.
I went out early in this morning and lovingly picked my ‘Indy’ tomato after taking one more picture of it on the vine. Then I carefully carried it inside, where I sliced it and ate it as part of my breakfast.
How was it, you ask?
I did an Internet search earlier this morning to find out more about this variety, ‘Indy’, which beat out my beloved heirloom ‘German Johnson’ as the first tomato of the season. When I found out that it was originally bred for the commercial industry, my expectations of what this tomato would taste like were immediately lowered. And my opinion of the garden center who advertised it and sold it to me was lowered as well.
It is an average tasting tomato. Actually, ‘Oregon Spring’ tasted a lot better, more like a real home grown tomato. I’m just glad I didn’t go through an entire first tomato ritual for ‘Indy’. I’ll save that for my first ‘German Johnson’ tomato. Hopefully one of those will ripen soon!
Now, don’t feel all sad for me and my average first big tomato. There are still a lot of good things happening here at May Dreams Gardens.
Look at this harvest from yesterday. All those beans! And cucumbers! And peppers and squash!
Did I mention all the green beans?
And I won a contest on another garden blog and was “interviewed” afterwards, check it out here at Leave Me Alone, I’m Digging. Thanks, David, for the contest and interview.
And I have a lot of green tomatoes that will ripen before you know it!
Hey Carol! That is quite the harvest you have there! I’m so jealous! I read your interview with David early this morning. It was great! That was such a good idea he had. I hope he continues it. It’s fun learning more about bloggers.
Carol, great interview. I hope your old high school teacher who was so disappointed that you didn’t go into journalism knows about your blogs and are in fact, still writing along with gardening and keeping a very full time job (in computers). (After all, I am allowed some bragging rights, aren’t I?)
Your harvest looks so wonderful, Carol. What are you going to do with all those green beans?! I pulled similar things from my garden yesterday, but my harvest was only a fraction of what you have. Enjoy the bounty!
I enjoyed reading this post and hope you enjoy your tomatoes.
Sara from farmingfriends
An interesting and informative post. I checked out the interview and now I’ve found another garden blog to read. Enjoy your harvest!
The tomato may have disappointed, Carol, but the gardener and her interview are always top of the crop.
I was surprised about the burial plans …. figured you’d prefer composting, instead.
May the ‘German Johnson’ be pillow-worthy!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I’m all with you on the tomato. Anything that turns out tasting “average” are not worth growing. Especially not tomatoes.
Congrats on your harvest! Brace yourself for the avalance later on 🙂
Carol,
Can you save me some of those green tomatoes before they ripen ? Just kidding. I’m so envious of your vegetable garden, it’s just amazing.
Mom’s never forget someone who’s “disappointed ” in their children do they ? Love your Mother’s comments!
Congrats on the contest and the interview. I enjoyed reading it.
Your tomato may have been disappointing in the taste department, but it sure was pretty.
Carol: Always a pleasure to hear what is happening over at ‘May Dreams’! I am waiting patiently for beans but I do have squash! No tomatoes on the horizon yet so I will enjoy yours!
Carol, you are simply amazing! I had an email from a garden group friend giving me a link to an interesting photo on the Horticulture blog site…I’m scrolling down…and there you are, commenting and recommending a book! You are such a credit to the garden blogging community! You do us proud!
I’m sorry the tomato disappointed, but soon you’ll have plenty of the good kind. Impatient for some of mine to ripen (soon! two are in the window and will probably be ready tomorrow…I hope!), I bought some from a farmers’ market…and they were certainly better than ones from the store…but not the same as your own homegrown! We still made BLTs, however!
Enjoyed the interview also! You’re a horticulturist!!! I should have known! Your garden looks like it is producing well…isn’t this time of year fun! I think I say that through most of the gardening seasons!
What a luxury! Veggies picked from your own vine!! hugs NG
Great harvest- I’m so impressed about the beans. I’m having problems with my melons and cucumbers, something is really taking them down.
Mine are starting to roll in more quickly – I should be able to start canning soon – I’ve never grown beans but plan to next year just so I can have a good nitrogen fix in my soil.
Gina… Thanks, I know someday you’ll have a harvest like this from your own garden.
Eleanor… Yes, I suppose you get some bragging rights. 🙂
Christa… I am enjoying the bounty, giving some of it away, and eating a lot of green beans!
Farmingfriends… Thank you for the kind comment.
No Rain… We all need new blogs to read, right?
Annie in Austin… Thank you for the kind words, I’m looking for that pillow so I’ll have it ready for a worthy tomato! Or maybe I’ll come up with a different ritual for this year?
Rosengeranium… I won’t grow ‘Indy’ again, and I hope I do get a big tomato harvest, soon.
Carolyn Gail… You should find a small place in your Chicago garden to grow a tomato or two or three!
Chigiy… It was a pretty tomato, but not much substance (like a lot of celebrities). I’m happy to read you liked the interview, too.
Layanee… You’ll have beans and ‘maters soon enough, no doubt, with with your big garden.
Gotta Garden… Yes, this is a fun time of year, as one by one the vegetables in the garden are ready to harvest. Thanks for the wonderful comment.
Nature Girl… It is a luxury to grow one’s own vegetables, you are right about that.
Bonnie… Sorry about your troubles in the vegetable garden… I’ve had my share. This is my best bean harvest in many years.
Me… Yes, the nitrogen fixing is a nice benefit to the beans. Next year, where the beans are now, I’ll plant tomatoes. Crop rotation is important in the vegetable garden.
Thanks all for the wonderful comments and kind words
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
What a lovely summer harvest you got Carol, very yummy!
Never mind about the Indy tomato, you tried it and now you know that it’s not for you. We garden and learn. 😉