Gardening Surprises

What is the #2 son up to?

Thanks to the torrential rain we had Friday night and most of Saturday (could’ve sworn I saw animals lining up two by two), our vegetable garden was filled with tall plants and an overgrowth of weeds. The Mister had yet to cage the tomato plants; he made that mistake last year, resulting in our harvesting only a couple pitiful tomatoes. But this time we were somewhat smarter, buying the cages at the same time we purchased the plants. Us ahead of the game? Rarely happens, unfortunately. We really have no track record to refer to.

the cagey Mister

So Sunday morning we headed out to the garden to weed and cage. Well, for the Mister to cage, the boys to weed, and me to snap a few pix before helping with the weeding.

The #1 son is NOT a happy camper!

#1 son: “Why do we have to do all this work when we don’t eat the veggies?”

Mean Mom: “Because you live under our roof, that’s why. And it’s your choice to not eat the great food we may be growing (which might only be cucumbers, if we get the same results this year as last). Now keep pulling!”

budding tomatoes

It was a lot of work, but soon we had most of the weeds pulled, and all the tomato plants caged. It was heartening to see some buds even forming. Could we actually be successful gardeners this year? Meanwhile, in the midst of all the working and the griping (does that ever end while they’re still in the house?), something strange happened. Remember Friday’s post about how the #2 son has turned from my sweet, willing photo model into a crazed celebrity type, shooing away the momarazzo? Suddenly in the middle of the veggie garden, he was transformed—he actually smiled for the camera! Of course, it could have just been an “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” moment, as a plant-based pod took over his body. Either way, it was heartwarming and welcome! Will this be a trend or just an aberration? Stay tuned, photo fans!