I’m not a gardener, but decided a patio tomato in a container should be easy. I’m continually struggling with enough sunlight, enough water without being too much, how often to fertilize, gauging the outdoor temperature, keeping pests away, when and how much to prune, when to harvest the fruit, and the list goes on. Who knew that this seemingly easy task would cause so much obsessive behavior? I’ve become an anxious, over-protective parent … of a plant.

Despite all of my shortcomings as a tomato parent, there are many tiny blossoms. Hopefully, they’ll all be tomatoes some day. 

We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough? ~ Wendell Berry