Two days ago I went out to visit my vines and discovered that someone had manhandled my tomato vines, killing off dozens of blossoms, which means my tomato basket will not overflow in weeks to come. I realized right away what had happened.

Heirloom tomatoes are not prim and proper. Instead of growing in an orderly fashion, they send their long arms this way and that, arching up and down, over and under, creating a tangle of tomato-bearing branches that are best left alone.

The person in question did not understand this little fact, and went to great lengths to grapple with the vines; pressing, pulling and chopping them to get them to behave like plants grown from mass-produced, store-bought seedlings.

Thankfully, the tomato-mangler only managed to maul half of my garden. The twine — his weapon of choice — has mysteriously disappeared.

SAD TOMATO

 No matter how much I water the tomato, it’s leaves are weary and limp, the blossoms and under-leaves are turning yellow and brown.

HAPPY TOMATO

The tomatoes that were allowed to be their own tangly selves are bright green, perky and hiding lots of nearly ripe tomatoes; and have lots of yellow blossoms bursting out all over.