You Say Hot Potato, I Say Hot Tomato

This summer has been one of the hottest on record. I happen to know this well, because over the last week I have been moving from my apartment into a house. In the past I thought that moving in the rain was the most unpleasant, but I happen to believe that 100+ degree heat is probably worse. I've done the math: One hour of labor in this heat warrants 10 minutes worth of napping. Needless to say, I've been napping a lot during the course of this move.

However, if there's one thing on this planet that loves the heat, it's the tomato plant. Call it a hunch, but when I envisioned my container garden for the summer, I knew that the tomato plant would be the star of the show. It took some careful planning, a gentle touch, and lots of good luck to get anything to grow this year. You see, my thumb isn't really green, but it wants to be. Last summer my plants took to the wind and fell off my balcony to the earth 20 feet below. Ouch. This year, I decided to start my plants from a seed all the way back in February, and just last week that hard work paid off as I plucked my first tomato. About 10 seconds after I took the picture, this little fella found his way under a salt shaker and into my tummy. Now his buddies are following suit.

Despite their awful effect on the working human body, the sun and heat have been gracious in allowing my 'mater plants to thrive.