First Harvest

My tomatoes got a slow start this spring, so I’m only just now getting some ripe fruits to harvest.

These are a mystery variety of Roma that I got from a fellow student of Krav Maga last fall. Mike had a bumper crop of tomatoes and peppers, so he brought in several bags to share. When I asked him what variety of tomatoes these were, he told me they were “romaine” tomatoes. So, when I saved the seeds from the tomatoes he shared, I labeled them as “Mike’s Romaine” Roma tomatoes.

Alas, the bell peppers he shared with the dojo must have been a hybrid variety, because the seeds I saved from those failed to germinate. I historically haven’t had good luck with peppers overall, though, so I can’t be sure…

Cat vs. Plants

I spent at least an hour yesterday repotting aloes and kalanchoes that Baxter had knocked over. I was proud of the arrangement of heavier pots in stands and supports, and was sure they’d be safe from kitty shenanigans.

As happens so often, I was completely wrong.

After I took the above photo, I went and had a good cry — because, seriously, how the hell am I supposed to make any headway on my general clutter if I keep having to rescue my plants? And not that I’m wishing kitty destruction on my family’s belongings, but I’m feeling a little singled-out here.

(I should note that he also gets up on the bathroom counter where I keep my bookbinding supplies and knocks my brushes onto the floor.)

Baxter doesn’t even spend time in this window; he specifically targeted my aloe plant. I only have so many windows, especially during the winter when the sunroom is too cold for most plants, and this shell game of moving plants from window to window to avoid destruction is getting old quick. He’s already eaten my purple shamrock THREE TIMES, and I’m running out of window options.

(BTW, remind me to tell you all about what happens when one accidentally leaves succulents in an unheated sunroom in February. The aftermath alleviated some of my plant overcrowding issues.)

So, as part of Laundry & Chores Sunday, I get to once again repot my aloe, AND rescue all my baby jade starts that got scattered across the kitchen floor.

EDIT: My Google research tells me that aloe is toxic to cats. Well, that’s just great. Hopefully Baxter just gnawed on the leaves and didn’t actually eat any of it. I’ll feel like a real ass if eating my cherished plants makes my cat barf.