Let there be tomatoes!

     I have made several attempts to grow things in pots on the balcony, with mixed results. Sunflowers grow quite well - some made it to well over five feet tall - as do zinnias. Marigolds never germinated, which I can't figure out at all - any self-respecting American five-year-old can grow marigolds in a paper cup in time for Mother's Day, for crying out loud! Nasturtiums won't germinate either, which I do understand, as they can be stubborn anywhere even after you rough up the hard shell of the seed and soak them for a while.

     Tomatoes have been a mixed bag. Twice I have started cherry tomatoes that grew to a couple of feet tall and even started to blossom, but then one by one, they wilted and died. There have been many theories - too much water, not enough water; too much fertilizer, not enough fertilizer. Ask any local for their opinion about why my tomato plants died and they will be quick and confident with their response, though not consistent with each other. So who knows?

     This week, I seem to have reached a new level of success. I have a large pot with three sturdy beefsteak tomato plants. They're not quite as dark green as I would like, and there are some light spots on some of the lower leaves, but they've blossomed, and this morning I noticed the first actual tomato has appeared. I will be looking at it obsessively all day, I'm sure.

     It's not like I can't buy tomatoes here - the markets are full of fresh, cheap produce - it's just that I've been craving something tastier than the run-of-the-mill standard Cambodian tomato. Many Cambodian dishes include green tomatoes, which I just don't care for, and even the ripe tomatoes are often barely so. I want red, juicy, still-warm-from-the-sun tomatoes, and I want to pick them myself. I want meaty plum tomatoes, bite-sized sweet cherry tomatoes, and funky-shaped and odd-colored heirloom tomatoes. But I'd settle for some good old beefsteak tomatoes if I can grow them myself.

     I'll keep you posted.

     And while I'm home in May, I'll be happy to take any leftover tomato or pepper seeds that anyone has lying around. Steve and I grew some amazing hot peppers during one particularly hot Vermont summer a few years ago, and we'd love to do it again in what appears to be the perfect climate for such an endeavor.

     Happy gardening, everyone.