I ordered my seed catalog this week and I will be running down the street to the mail box every afternoon until it shows up. Tomatoes are on the top of my list of things I'm going to attempt to grow this summer. Last year I tried growing them from seeds. When that didn't work, I tried seedlings from the nursery. When those died, my sweet husband brought home a full grown plant in a pot. It grew one piece of fruit. One. So, this year I'm doing my research first. I found some varieties that are specifically for the northwest climate (that is, a short growing season). (See: http://www.territorialseed.com) It can't be that difficult to grow a little vegetable garden in my back yard, can it? It sounds like such a wonderful idea. I think I'm ready for this. Or am I?I know that if the whole thing dies and doesn't produce anything edible, it will be difficult for me to try again the following year. But that's life...or death. Sure, I want to save money by growing some of our own food. But I also want to experience the joy of it: of being creative, of watching my daughters be involved in something creative, of tasting the difference of the flavor of store bought vs. homegrown goodness! The tomatoes in the grocery store usually make me think, "No wonder I never liked tomatoes growing up! And no wonder my 3 year old makes that face..." Even Marcella Hazan (of whom I've become a disciple, to put it lightly) tells us to use canned tomatoes for homemade pasta sauce if the fresh ones in the store are unbearable. So, bring on 2010 and all of the sunshine the Pacific Northwest have to offer (which isn't always much). This spring, I will be the crazy neighbor lady praying over my seedlings after I put my kids to bed at night. I can hear myself now, "God bless the moon, and God bless me, God bless my garden and my tomato seedlings!"
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