Clare Teal: Welcome relief from stress for a tomato-growing novice

As a tomato-growing novice, it was with some surprise that, after planting a packet of seeds entitled The Italian Collection, we ended up with 47 sturdy little plants. Add in another five that were birthday presents,
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Jun 2013, 10:57 BST

I have been attempting to look after and nurture 52 tomato plants (TPs). The stress of this was becoming acute. However our predicament is now over, having successfully re-homed 43 of them. Indeed some have become very well travelled, three are in the north east of England, two on the south coast, five or six in London, but the vast majority have moved to Bath or stayed in Glastonbury. We’re very lucky in that our new neighbours are all lovely people, with beautiful gardens. Many a time I’ve opened the door to find a bucket of irises or a fig tree, or a clump of gladioli, so our garden has benefited greatly from their kindness. Although Muddy won’t allow anything to be planted that isn’t blue, pink or white, thankfully the irises (my favourite) have made it through despite their yellow bibs. It felt good therefore to be able to offer some of our TPs to said neighbours. Unfortunately Miss Valerie can’t eat them, Number 88, however, took five off our hands. A few minutes later the doorbell rang and there was Matthew, well all I could see were his legs – the rest of him was covered by an enormous prickly shrub. Round our way five TPs can get you a four-year-old loganberry bush. As I have now learned the loganberry, a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry, was accidentally created in Santa Cruz, California, by American lawyer James Harvey in 1883. This quote from Santa Cruz County 1896 sums up nicely: “It is excellent for the table, eaten raw or cooked, and for jelly or jam is without an equal. The seeds are very small, soft and not abundant, being greatly different from both its parents in this respect. The vines are enormous bearers, and the fruit is very firm and carries well.”

The loganberry, being super high in vitamin C, was fed to sailors of the British Navy in 1900s to prevent them getting scurvy. I’m not sure how much of this delicious fruit Muddy and I will get to enjoy but it’s good to know that none of our badgers will have to worry about scurvy!

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