We’re finishing the end of the harvest with a bang. I think I’m turning into a tomato!

The worlds smallest ripe tomato? Not even 1/2 inch across.

I eat at least 4 tomatoes every day and give at least 4 away. I cut them up in my salads, salt them and eat them over the sink, put them in soups, sauces, dip them in hummus and cook and can them. The deep red color is indicative of the deep, complex flavor. I will be sad in a few weeks when the Florida tomato growing season is over. But the good news is that I will plant the seeds for next season on September 1 – not that far away!

This year I planted my organic tomatoes in growing bags I sewed from landscape fabric. It’s been interesting to note the difference between these plants and those I planted in plastic pots all the years before. First of all, the plants this year are so much healthier. I have not had all the diseases caused by trapped moisture like I had last year. However, my first harvest had very small plants and small fruit. Now the plants are taller, fuller and the fruit is larger. This is rather odd, since the first harvest usually bears the largest fruit. I’m not complaining though. These tomatoes are out of this world!

If you haven’t seen my organic tomato video yet, what are you waiting for? Click here.

Bushy, vibrant green = healthy organic tomatoes

Big Zac tomatoes

Lots of big, healthy flowers this year

Lots of pesky hornworms this year. Gotta search for them and remove them or they will eat every tomato and leaf in sight.

Chicago Peace Hybrid Tea Rose with long stems. Beautiful!

Impatiens, the prolific South Florida winter bloomer

Tiny chocolate mint leaves make the best iced tea!

My favorite way to use this abundant rosemary is to marinate a turkey breast in buttermilk, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper

A banana tree that planted itself over the fence into my yard from the neighbor’s yard. Don’t let that sap get on your clothes, because it never washes out!

Darwin enjoys hunting lizards in the rose bush, not seeming to mind all those thorns.

I haven’t been blogging all that much about my tomato garden. But it’s in full swing, and we are enjoying the varieties do much. The best tomato I’ve ever eaten is the Black Tula. You’ve got to grow that variety! It’s a dark reddish greenish tomato that is bursting with sweet flavor.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Variety is the spice of life

My organic tomato garden in homemade growing bags made from landscape fabric

Nasty horn worm ate 4 tomatoes off one plant!

Chicken salad stuffed tomato (that my husband drenched in hot sauce)

Does anyone else out there wonder just how many pounds of coffee grounds Starbucks® tosses every year? Well, today I used 36 lbs. of used grounds in my tomato pots. How awesome is that?

http://www.clipartguide.com

In 1995 Starbucks® started a Grounds for Your Garden program, passing along used grounds to those who want to enrich their garden soil. Coffee is rich in nitrogen, making it an ideal soil enhancer.

Thank you, Starbucks® for many things, including handing me a Hefty full of gold for my garden. I just hope the plants don’t get all strung out from the caffeine.

After experiencing so many diseases with last year’s crop of tomatoes, this year I sewed my own growing bags out of landscape fabric. It drains so much better than plastic or terra cotta pots. Poor drainage = tomato disease, particularly in humid Miami. I was a bit nervous about the change in containers, but so far so good. We had several massive bouts of rain, and the landscape fabric drains beautifully.

If you have yet to see my stop-motion tomato video, check it out here!

Check out what appears to be a net-casting spider living on my back patio! Is this an elaborate pad for a spider, or what?!

It all starts with choosing the seeds, planting them in a tiny greenhouse and then transplanting them into cups. When they’re a bit larger and have strong stems, it will be time to plant them into pots.

I am growing a variety of other veggies as well from seeds I have yet to plant. Hold onto your hats,

5 days after planting seeds

Transplanting the seedlings into cups allow them to expand before finally planting.

Fairchild Tropical Gardens