Operation: pollination

I've been diligently checking on garden developments a few times a day for the past few weeks: when I water in the morning, as I head out for a meeting or errand and again when I return from said meeting or errand, sometimes even on my way back from dinner or a beer with a friend in the evening. For the past month, in spite of an abundance of lush, leafy foliage and a proliferation of bright yellow, inviting blossoms and the presence of a variety of winged, pollen-spreading insects, I've seen nary a sign of fertilization. Come on, plants, it's mid-June already! (If one more person reminds me that patience is a virtue....)

But I've exciting news, faithful readers: I came home two days ago to discover a few of my multitude of hopeful blossoms had been successfully pollinated! Exactly one tomato and two squash buds had the early telltale bulges forming beneath wilted flowers. The fruits of these labors should be ready for harvest in a couple of months. (I'm guessing sometime in mid-August, right around the time my friend Meghan is due with her first child. We'll both be proud moms! Of course my progeny will probably end up in a salad.) Incidentally, all three of these successful plant sexual encounters occurred in the unplanned section of the garden -- volunteer seeds sprouted from my compost.

Seems my garden has become a hotbed for illicit plant activity. Now if only my timid cucumbers could learn a few things from their lascivious cucurbit relatives....

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry