That First One

 Well, Ladies and Gentlemen,

you now stand here and see before your very eyes the first tomato of the 2017 gardening season, right before your very eyes.

At least the first from OUR garden.
Did I mention that it's right before your very eyes?
Yes... your very eyes.
How magnificent.

 This is a Black Krim tomato, and let me tell ya.... the thing is HUGE.

So huge in fact that it nearly split in two.

 He carefully plucked it from it's vine,

sliced it up ever so neatly

stirred it into a cucumber and onion salad

and savored it bit by bit by bit.

"So much better than those cardboard tasting pretend tomatoes from the grocery store".

he said.

Here's a toast to many more such juicy home grown tomatoes.

No Cucumbers This Year

 My husband went to the garden yesterday morning before the sun was too high in the sky, and began picking tomatoes and bell peppers.

 So far it's been a good season for the garden when it comes to growing tomatoes and bell peppers.

 but he has planted cucumbers from three different times, from three different seed packets

 

and they have refused to grow, which is a first for our garden.

We have cucumbers every year since starting our garden in 2013.

It's disappointing, but this has been an extremely hot summer with vast amounts of rain during June and July...

possibly too much rain, and the cucumbers seeds could not take root or simply washed away.

He built a drainage system around the garden so that heavy rains will now drain around or under the garden, I guess next year will be another chapter in our garden's history.

Hoping for cucumbers!!

 We can tomatoes each summer.  This year he has been busy with doing coding work for a client, so his hands are full.

So this morning I had a neighbor over who's husband is out of town a lot, but will return tomorrow.

 

 We sent her home with some of these red, round beauties after a lovely visit on the screened porch.

With the harvest we have had thus far, my husband will soon be filling the picking basket once again.

Summer bounty is a good thing and we enjoy sharing it with those around us.

German Johnson

 This is just one of the tomatoes my husband has grown this year in his bumper crop.

 I believe most of these are German Johnson Heirlooms.

 He's also had great results with Purple Cherokees this year, of which I don't have any pictured in this post,

 but they are all beefsteak type tomatoes and as you can see,

 they certainly slice up thick, like a slice of beef.

He's canned a lot of tomatoes and tomato relish this month and more coming off the vine soon!

Enjoy the mouth watering photos for those of you who are tomato lovers.

XOX

Bumper Crop

 So hows about a sweet simple game of challenge?

Bobbing for Tomatoes anyone?

 Most are heirloom, so don't even ask me their names,

but they were all planted from seeds I believe.... that is if I know my husband as well as I think I do.

The man is in love with tomatoes, and this year.....

 well, let's just say it's been a bumper crop kind of year and the sink has been filled repeatedly with the harvesting of our little garden in the backyard.

This is our third year of having a garden here in Virginia, and so far it's been the BEST YEAR for tomatoes.

Last year we had cucumbers coming out our ever loving' noses, but this year the weather has been different causing the tomato vines to burst forth with their fruit.

And so, Saturday, after choosing a few select tomatoes to give to a neighbor, my husband and I made a tomato relish that's yummy over meats OR as a salsa for chips.

WE love it!

And by next week we will most likely be harvesting more and hopefully putting up tomatoes for some great pots of chili or goulash on those cold February winter days.

There's always something happening at the Hakey house!