Ripening Tomatoes

Good news! The cherry tomatoes in my yard are starting to ripen. I plucked one off the vine today and tasted it. Yum-O!! The red ‘Sweet 100’ stands up to its name – crisp, sweet and juicy. The ‘Yellow Pear’ looks gorgeous. It has a milder taste and is a little soft on the inside. I am waiting for more tomatoes to ripen so I can make this Cherry Tomato Orzo Salad with my own harvest.

Deadheading Roses

Summer days are here, albeit masquerading as ‘fall’ every other day. Roses are in full bloom, in gardens, in parks, along sidewalks. In my own garden, I have some fabulous blooms. The licorice smell of the yellow ‘Sunsprite’ always brings a smile to my face while the beautiful multi-color blooms of the ‘Chihuly’ add a sense of awe. As I walk along my rose bed, I reach out to remove the spent blooms. By doing do, I am cheating nature and tricking the plant to produce more blooms.