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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Cleavage and a Volunteer on Outdoor Wednesday!

Today's Blog Headlines:

Brazen Tomatoes Flaunt Their Cleavage!
or
The Real Tomatoes of New Jersey!
or
????
C'mon, help me out. What would your headline be?



It's Outdoor Wednesday at That Old House -- click here to visit other posts about the Great Outdoors; there are always amazing photographs to marvel over, and lots of entries.

Thanks to Susan of A Southern Daydreamer for hosting
one of the most popular blog parties!

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I never got a proper vegetable patch planted this summer; instead I just tucked in herbs and a few tomato plants here and there. The tomatoes did surprisingly well, as you can tell in this photo from earlier in the summer:


This morning I plucked three ripe fruits off one plant. Like many homegrown tomatoes that aren't sprayed,
and that suffer brutal neglect on the part of the gardener, they are not exactly gorgeous:


History tells us that they will taste wonderful, despite their plug-ugly faces.

But. . . I think my tomatoes have tried to beautify themselves. Take a look at this:


My tomatoes went and got silicone implants.

My, how perky!


Yes, even the third tomato off this plant looks like ....

Three of them. This tomato plant was particularly well-endowed.
I'm going to feel like a plastic surgeon cutting these babies up. Scalpel!

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Sigh . . . it is coming on autumn. The wax begonias, bless their little hearts, are still pumping out the blooms along the conservatory foundation.
They will probably last till nearly Thanksgiving.


Black eyed Susans are still in bloom, although not quite as exuberantly as in August:

Near them, in the border, the phlox is fast pooping out:


Back in late spring, in front of the ferns in the border, I found a small plant hanging over the low stone retaining wall; I thought it was a weed and nearly yanked it, but then I looked closer at its foliage. Very small mum-like leaves, so I left it and watched it slowly grow larger and larger, all summer. This is our mystery plant now:


Yeah, it grew pretty big.


And has lots of buds.

Clearly it is some sort of mum. The flowers are dinky -- maybe only an inch across.
But they are a lovely spot of color in a border that's mostly fading flowers now:


Meanwhile, across from this Mystery Mum, the rose bush behind the house which hasn't bloomed since June,
and whose blooms were eaten by deer anyway, popped out this little rose:


One rose. Talk about a late bloomer! I hope the deer don't find it.

We had enough rain this summer that we never had the usual brown August lawn. (We don't water our lawn; I believe in survival of the fittest, and tough love.) But, sadly, it's beginning to play host to falling leaves. Just a few so far, but I know they are there:

Those are footsteps in the grass, not brown spots. :-)


Thanks for visiting That Old House on Outdoor Wednesday. Now go check out what others are looking out in the Great Outdoors, for there is no better decorator anywhere than Mother Nature.

Please leave a comment if you have time, on any blog you visit;
it's lovely to know someone came by and it is especially encouraging to new bloggers.

Happy Mid-Week! --- Cass

38 comments:

  1. I giggled. Like a schoolgirl. You are so funny.

    My Mums keep coming back and they are huge like yours. I love it!

    Becky K.

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  2. What a great headline, I couldn't stop laughing.
    Oh how I love tomatoes, they are my summer favorite.
    Your mums look great, my are just now opening up.
    Happy OW!

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  3. what a beautiful suprise, and just in time for fall.

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  4. Funny! I always plant several pots of wax begonias every Spring, and that way I will something in bloom clear thru til the first hard frost.

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  5. Oh, you are wickedly funny today, Cass! I would suggest those tomatoes should be named after the "Jersey Girls". Wow, they are vicious, knocking tables over and all...

    I too, did not have a proper tomato bed and I have nothing to show for it yet. Now that you have provided us with the August "spread" of yours, I won't bother! (you do have some nice fruit there).

    Love all of your flowers, wax begonias are tough, aren't they? And I love those surprise plants. A great reason not to pull weeds...

    Happy OW!!!

    xoxo
    Janie

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  6. Oh how you make me laugh! Love your tomato implants! Begonias here in the desert are fall/winter/spring plants. I have gotten a few to grow year round in the shade of an old tree.

    What a delightful blog you keep!

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  7. Ahhh Cass! I have nothing to show for the beautiful HOT Wednesday! But just look at you! Soooo lovely. Oh..wait..I do have some mums..but they aren't giving us a show yet. Just little tight buds trying to avoid the terrible heat.
    Something to look forward to. Next year will be better!

    Everything is just lovely...and those yummy tomatoes! Should I feed my mums??? I forget to feed my plants...and I know they need it. I need to read up on things I think!

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  8. Well I guess they could be called Ta ta tamatas. Tomatoes gone wild.
    You started it.
    That sure does look like a mum. Did you buy one last fall? Maybe it survived so close to the house.

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  9. Just can't help wondering what you were feeding those tomato's this summer! Flowers look so good.
    Pam

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  10. That is too funny. I never thought of tomatoes that way before.

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  11. I love love love tomatoes. Your pictures are all so lovely. I especially love your big yellow house. I remember back in the 60s (or it could have been 70s) there was a restaurant chain in California called The Big Yellow House. There were different rooms in the house where food was served. I loved going there. The restaurants looked a lot like your yellow house. Unfortunately they all went out of business.
    Happy O.W.
    Charlotte

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  12. I didn't just giggle...I LAUGHED! What a find those tomatoes are!!!

    I envy your beautiful garden and all your flowers. This summer every flowering plant I tried to grow was drowned by the excessive rainfall. But then, we needed this rain. Oh well...vegetable growing season is just around the corner for us. Maybe I will have success with herbs and spinach...

    Smiles,
    Jane (Artfully Graced)

    ps I have never eaten better tasting cantalope, corn and tomatoes than those we used to buy in NJ...it truly is the "garden state".

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  13. Cass, what a delightful post! You had me giggling there about the tomatoes. :)

    I love your volunteer mum! Sometimes they pop up here and there in my garden but they are white with yellow centers.

    I hope you're having a wonderful day!

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  14. Funny tomato post! And what a gorgeous house. You are one lucky lady. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  15. I'd go with the cleavage line - - - who CARES if they're real or not!?!

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  16. Thanks so much for stopping by my place. I love your old house -- beautiful. I could live there too!

    Great outdoor photos......

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  17. How funny you are! I love the mum pics.
    Thanks for the little reminder about commenting. I'm a little flusterd because I know I have more readers than commneters I
    guess I need to be more patient.

    Melinda

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  18. Hi Cass! You are cracking me up with your perky tomatoes. Love your flowers that are still blooming. Very pretty. Have a great week and enjoy those red beauties.

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  19. oh I am still laughing at the comedy you gave with the produce!!! lol
    you have a great sense of humor!
    Your flowers are lovely...you should consider accepting my invite to join in my Fertilizer Friday/Flaunt your flowers meme....and share it with more!

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  20. Hi there! Thanks for stopping by for a visit. I love your black eyed susans and mums. You don't see those out here. Your tomatoes look yummy, btw. I'll have to try the blueberries and sugar idea. Sounds SO GOOD!
    Karen B.

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  21. Your garden looks much better than mine. My garden this year is suffering from severe neglect ~ too much blogging not enough watering.

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  22. Those are interesting tomatoes all right.

    Thanks for coming by, and saying hi.

    Figured the alpaca yarn was soft, although those animals don't look that great.

    blessings,
    barbara jean

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  23. You are one funny gal!

    Thanks for sharing!

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  24. Thanks for following. I hope you come by often and leave losts of comments. I love to get to know my gals better.
    That is so funny about your tomatoes getting a little busty.
    Cheri

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  25. Yours was the most interesting headline of the day :-). Your photos of the tomatoes and flowers are terrific. I hope you are enjoying these last few days of summer.

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  26. Cass, amazing photos! I don't eat tomatoes, but if I did, these look like they would be delicious! You must have a Kelly GREEN thumb! Thanks for stopping by at both the QCI and Hyacinths. I appreciated your comments. Yes, I started this blog thing in August. I'm really, really enjoying it. I've learned a great deal about my computer through the process. My husband is so proud. He is a computer whiz!
    Hope to exchange visits again. I know I'll be back here. Thanks, Sarah

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  27. Hi Cass--
    It's me again-Thanks for coming by and signing on as a follower!

    Melinda

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  28. Love the tomatoes:).
    Nice blooms and garden.

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  29. Cass, I love your post today. Some good laughs out of your tomatoes. I think stick with the 'cleavage' I think the one tomato tried to shape itself into a heart shape. Awww how sweet. The tomatoes we grow get just like that, but they taste sooooo good. Slice and dice is all it takes.
    Today I was up to my eyeballs in tomatoes. My sister had four big boxes of them and she called me up to help her can them. LOl. What a job. From there I went to play bridge in the afternoon and even wearing an apron my clothes suffered. Check my blog on Friday. I TOOK PHOTOS!!!

    Love your outdoor photos. The flowers are holding up and your lawn too. Our front lawn is an acre. Needless to say, it is survival of the fittest here too. Here in the mountains our lawn stays pretty green. Heat is not a problem most of the time.

    This book is ending. SMILING!!!

    Hugs...Jeanne

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  30. Well, I am not aware of any female who doesnt want "them" to be perky!!

    What a delightful post.

    If you have a moment I would love you to stop by!

    TTFN~~Claudia ♥ ♥

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  31. Your flowering plants are so pretty and you are so funny with your tomatoes! LOL!....Christine

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  32. Hi,
    I grow tomatoes, but mine aren't as racy as yours.lol Your garden is still looking lovely.Thanks for stopping by my blog and sharing the funny memories. I would have liked those trees ,also.8-)
    ~Myrna

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  33. Hi Cass

    I don't think that I ever mentioned how beautiful your home is. It looks so warm and welcoming!!

    You're too funny, those tomatoes sure are something. I'll bet they're wonderful!

    Thanks for stopping by The Old Parsonage and your sweet comment!

    Enjoy
    Leann

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  34. Loving those tomatoes!Did they taste good?
    I have plants similar to your mystery Mum but the flowers are purple.
    Thanks for visiting Normandy.
    a bientot
    Maggie

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  35. I love your old house! I had to look down through older posts to get an idea of what your "old" house looks like. It is truly lovely! I love your garden and your little mums are so very nice, don't you love that? Nice surprise for you. Thanks for visiting my blog for OW and leaving a sweet comment. Hugs, Cindy S.

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  36. Hi Cass
    I loved this post about the tomoatoes. It made me smile! What a lovely volunteer you got in your garden! It grew huge too.
    Have a happy day!
    ((hugs)) Rhondi

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  37. Hi Cass,
    lol....I loved your post today. Those sure are some amazing tomatoes :)

    You have a wonderful garden and your flowers are just beautiful!

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Thank you for visiting That Old House; it's always exciting to find new comments -- they are treasured! Because of increasing spam, I have reluctantly eliminated "Anonymous" commenting. Legitimate anonymous commenters, please forgive me! You might try using "Open ID" instead. Blogger's spam software worked for a good long time, but, sadly, no longer.