Season's End

Sarah (this is not her real name, Sarah's real name is European In my talk to text would never get the name right and would take forever to spill over and over so be happy with Sarah), like many other residents, at my apartment complex is a senior. To be honest with you I really met Sarah when I asked her how to cook tamales. She looked at me like I had three heads and said “How should I know?” I thought for sure Sarah was Hispanic boy was I way off. Sarah's European somewhat dark complected with dark hair trying to whiten but losing the battle. I had only been a complex a couple weeks when I asked Sarah the tamale question. I'm sure Sarah is in her mid to late 70s. There are of course still drives and is totally dependent and works around the building under the projects.

I got to know several later in the year when I started preparing my section of the garden area. Sarah had a portion of the box that I had and she was planting also. We didn't visit per se just acknowledged each other as he went about growing their specific items through the summer. I'm not sure what Sarah planted Or how her little garden grew. I was focused on my tomato plants, peppers, a purple Sage and a squash. Sometime during the summer Sarah started bringing me food items. A holiday plate over Fourth of July weekend with great potato salad, Banana bread, and over the weekend (this last weekend) a pitcher of chicken noodle soup– – actually Sarah brought the entire pot of chicken noodle soup down to my apartment perched on the seat of her walker. I had a pitcher left over from my hospital days, While most plastic mugs that holds about 1000 milliliters of liquid. I got about 800 and it's great soup. I'm thinking about freezing at the top when I'm sick this winter. It's the kind of stuff that would heal you instantly and sure.

Couple weeks ago maybe three weeks I pretty much ended my garden. I had loved my garden this season and enjoyed watching my plants grow and even to produce. Granted I probably harvested in tomatoes, one green pepper and the squash dine somewhere being choked out by the tomatoes once they covered everything at my end of the box. I forgot that I had a squash which is kind of sad. Needless to say I think I spent at least $20 on the plants from the little green house across the street from my apartment's. It was actually more like $30 now I think about it. I try not to think about it. In all honesty I have to admit I was glad when I finally yanked the tomatoes up and this was well before the killer frost. My little plants adjust petered out. They turned yellow and died from too much water or too much sun or too much life they were just done in the ground now wanted to sleep. I pulled the plants tucked in the dirt and said good night. There was still three huge healthy looking plants which were not mine There is also a number of marigolds that I planted just because you can't marigolds tomatoes at least to keep away bugs that's what I've been told and I believe. There has been too or three killer frosts in the past couple of weeks. Even the hardy tomatoes died The marigolds held on but even they left this weekend. All that was left was the dead husks of one's healthy plants it was time to let everything go.

This morning on the way out to take some garbage to the dumpster (I passed the planting boxes getting garbage in the dumpster) And passed Sarah was headed towards the manager's office to get the communal garden tools. She was going to pull the remaining plants from the garden boxes. I quickly returned my garbage can to the kitchen and return to the garden boxes thinking I can pull the tomatoes before Sarah got back was I surprised Sarah was completely right we're going to have to have little tools to finish this job. Whatever planted these tomatoes (there is already a legend that the person who had planted tomatoes died during the summer leaving the plants and the fruit to whoever harvested). I don't know if that's true I certainly harvested a number of small cherry tomatoes and pear tomatoes as they ripen during the summer's heat. Nobody complained that I was stealing choose one that were not mine. I know I felt violated and someone got one of my tomatoes that I watched grow green and day by day Begin to blush as the fruit ripened then have my fairly large tomato vanish just before I was going to harvest the fruit.

Sarah returned with a small handbrake and guarding hand shovel. I had the end of the stick I broke last night. The hook had loosed and I have neglected to glue the hook like I should. The wobbling hook Finally split the end of the stick which was the end of the hook. Together we dug out these tomatoes. Tomatoes are buried deep and I was shocked at how much energy we had to expand the pull them free of the ground. We talked little, we just worked and finally got the job done. Sarah had gotten a large plastic bag for the maintenance guy which was totally full when we were finished and we threw the remains in the dumpster and that is that. Sarah says she will probably not use the garden boxes next summer – – just too much work and too much apartment politics. I will probably try again next summer if I'm granted another summer. I like the process of growing my little garden. I like the garden nursery across the street even though his way expensive and I like getting my hands a little dirty and planting my expensive starts. Sarah says I should buy some seeds and start my garden Late winter or early spring and growing garden from those. I told Sarah I might But I doubt I will do that and go across the street to the overpriced nursery get some healthy looking starts And spend my summer fretting and worrying about my little family in the dirt.