Love and Tomatoes: A Natural Combination

Love and Tomatoes: A Natural Combination

In August 2011, we were fortunate to experience the inspiration of Jeremy N. Smith when he came to speak and share his story of community building in Missoula – as part of our ongoing Authors Live Series at The City Library.  His book “Growing a Garden City” inspired our library staff and our community to strengthen and build community through urban gardening.

I recently reconnected with Jeremy (who continues to live and write in Missoula, Montana) and he shared this article in High Country News with me about two of our favorite things: love and tomatoes.  Love and Tomatoes: A Natural Combination

Enjoy! ~DLR

Real Gardeners Bust Out

…of their gardening gloves.

Or, as Darrah put it: “You know you’ve had a great summer in the garden if you have two pairs of gardening gloves with holes in the fingertips!”
-SC

Real Gardeners Snack Dirty

Real gardeners eat unwashed cherry tomatoes out of unwashed hands. Really, isn’t that why we plant cherry tomatoes in our gardens? For mid-morning snacks as we rake and hoe?
-SC

Addendum

Today was truly our last day in the garden–pulling tomato plants, salvaging the very last of what there was to salvage.

Mostly tomatoes, but also a small handful of onions. We pulled up the cages and stakes, stored them in the loft above the tool shed. Rolled up the hoses. Talked about what a good time we’d had, and how we’d miss this.

We said, “See you at the library!”

We said, “Goodbye, garden!”

We said, “Thank you.”

 

-SC

Last Big Harvest

So much work, so much produce, so many happy memories, so much sweat, so much dirt, so many smiles, and new friends and new knowledge.

Yes, we got a lot out of this garden. A good harvest, indeed.

 

-SC

Friend or Foe?

Lately there have been grasshoppers. Everywhere. In the garden.

(Copulating, even!)

Bryant chucks them over the fence, but I just can’t bring myself to do so. I think they’re precious.

As precious as the quail who eat our freshly-planted seeds.

Nature may be brutal, but I leave the pest removal up to my fellow librarians/gardeners and charge myself with documentation.

-SC

Razing Hell

We are putting the garden to bed, Folks, which means, essentially–pulling up every single thing. Gracelessly, I might add.

Color Shift

Fall is officially here, meaning new colors and crops…

Pears! Pears! Everywheres!

Sunday we picked 2 large boxes & 1 bag of beautiful organic pears from the tree at the Library Community Garden!

We delivered the largest box to the Crossroads Urban Center today and they were extremely thrilled! – the 3rd bag went to one of our branches with Derek.

We’ve been talking about these pears all summer, waiting and waiting until they were finally ripe enough for a climb up the ladder. Who knew we’d get so many?
-Darrah and SC

Eggplant Basil Summer Salad

Aside from myriad salsas, this salad is a great way to make use of September’s produce, and it is easy as can be.