Yes. A faker. There was a faker in one of the garden beds. Remember this photo?

Well, the plant with the yellow flowers is within the tomatillo family, but it’s showy-ness belied its intentions: to crowd everything else out, look like a producer and offer nothing in return to fellow plants, pollinators, birds or humans. Whether morning, mid-day, or evening I never saw one pollinator of any size at any of it plenitude of yellow flowers. Not one little tomatillo husk formed. But, boy, did it drink a lot of water! Upon examining this plant’s effect on the others in the bed (per observation-assessment), the facts shone like the sun. I thought “faker” and pondered the bait and switch going on everywhere these days. The plant got uprooted, cut and torn up, and used for mulch in the same bed (with no hostility, just matter of factness.)

The next day … it seemed that the remaining plants grew significantly overnight, spreading out and up. Photos in a week when the results will be obvious.

The smaller tomatoes are coming in. Just enough a adorn a meal with tomato esteem and yum! All seeds were harvested from last season’s tomatoes, as done each year. Three new were tried as well. From the looks of what’s ripening, I gave away all the Gardeners’ Delight large red cherry, but my neighbor is someone who got one; and she has shared. They are a credit to there name. I’ll keep seeds from her plant. Displayed here are: pink cherries (last year they were a shade of deep pink), chocolate cherries (the plants and fruit are bigger this season – acclimated), and pear tom accompanied by rattlesnake and green string beans.

Want to share about the most successful experiment this year: lettuce mix grown in an old refrigerator basket. Lined with coconut coir (which I had), then filled with fresh soil from the compost bin, then put in a plant tray. It needs bottom and top watering daily and can easily be kept out of direct sun. Thinning the greens provides plenty for a side salad, but as all the remaining plants continue growing to fuller size, salad will be available for probably a month more. Two days ago, I started two more.

And, of course, there is the hummingbird moth!