Wordless Wednesday (tulips)

Tomato Plant or Squirrel Feeder?

Back in May, we planted a tomato plant in one of the Upside-Down Hanging planters. I was so excited about this idea and was really looking forward to enjoying some delicious home-grown tomatoes this summer. After a month, the plant was growing well and had some blossoms. Every day, we have watered the plant and watched it grow. After all the effort, I was a bit disappointed that there were only three tomatoes - but at least they were growing.

Look what we found on the deck this week ...

One of the many squirrels that frequent our deck had picked the tomato off the plant and placed it on the deck railing for his personal little buffet! Evidently, he picked the tomato, ate some of it, and then left it on the railing so he could come back later to enjoy some more. After a couple of days, the first tomato was completely eaten - and so Mr. Squirrel picked the other big tomato and placed it on his personal buffet. It was a definitely a squirrel because one day I saw one jump from the railing and cling to the tomato plant.

Just today, we noticed a couple more small tomatoes on the plant, but I am so discouraged that I'm not sure that I will continue to water the plant. What a disappointment!

Tomato plant update

A quick update on our hanging tomato plant. It has gotten so BIG, and it was just a scrawny little thing when we planted it. It's amazing how much it has grown in just four weeks.

The most exciting news is that there are now some blossoms! It was difficult to get a close-up picture, but there really are two blossoms right in the center of the photo.

Looking forward to some great tomatoes this summer!

Clematis

The Clematis flowering vine clinging to our mailbox post is really full of blossoms this year! This must be thanks to our excessive rain earlier in the spring. :)

Upside-Down Hanging Tomato Plant

Finally decided to try out one of those new funky upside-down planters, hoping that I'll be able to grow some great tomatoes right on the deck outside the kitchen. According to the package, the composition of the container helps trap heat and acts as a greenhouse to encourage good root growth.

The tomato plant is not very big yet - if you look closely, you can see it hanging out the bottom of the planter. Unfortunately, I didn't buy enough soil to fill the container - it is only about two-thirds full. But, it is very heavy! And of course, adding water just makes it heavier. We have it hanging from the cross beam using a strong bungee cord. Just hope it lasts through the summer. Aaron helped me assemble and hang the planter. It is definitely a two-person job because of the awkardness of having the plant hanging out of the bottom, and because of the weight.

Also, I placed some marigolds nearby. Marigolds have a strange, musky scent and the smell deters some insects - so it is a great companion plant for tomatoes. Hopefully this organic method of pest control will keep some of the bugs away.