Jason's Tomatoes

🍅🥒
I came home last night to this on my porch.

The afternoon before Jason died, he and his aide Jarom, planted the garden.🌱

I’m not a gardener.
That was Jason’s thing.
I’m the eater of the fresh garden tomatoes.😍

Over the years, Jason tried a few plants, learned some things, tried new stuff.
Each year he had a plan of how this year was going to be even better than last.

And he was usually right (except for the pesky red peppers that eluded him).

We had garden boxes built along the south side of the house for easy wheelchair access along his cobblestone path.

Coleman and the aide became his partners as they watered daily, tied vines to cages, nurtured and coaxed along each little plant.

He tried sweet peas and cantaloupe.
Cucumbers and jalapeños and red peppers.
His babies, though, were always his beloved tomatoes.

He figured out that a plant combo of Early Girls and Best Boys gave us the flavor we wanted over the longest harvest time.

And that Sunsweets were our favorite-tasting cherry tomato. We eat those, sprinkled liberally with salt, by the bowlful.🧂🍅

Bacon and tomato sandwiches four times a week? Yes, please!

With plenty of tomatoes to share with neighbors, too.

He always connected with the workers at the garden shops.
Asked for advice.
Got good tips on what bug was causing a certain black spot or what to do for the tomatoes that had dry brown places on them.

Jason couldn’t find the Sunsweets this year.
I got a message on his phone two weeks after he died from Patty at J&J Nursery:

“Jason, it’s Patty from J&J. I was just at the Cal Ranch and they had six Sunsweets in! I thought you would want to know.”

I called Patty back.
Told her the news.
And thanked her for caring for Jason.
She cried a little bit with me because Jason was her friend.
The guy in the wheelchair who loved his garden.

I had my first bacon and tomato sandwich of the summer last night.🍞🍅🥓

With Jason’s tomato.
Deep red.
That flavor!
Juicy.
Seriously. You just can’t find that at the store.

Thanks, Amber. 💙✊🏻
For your tireless service in tending to Jason’s garden this year.
I just couldn’t do it myself.
Couldn’t even walk out to his garden, really.
You’re my neighbor but you have gone beyond being “neighborly” this summer.

And thanks for the gorgeous gift on my doorstep.
I hope you took some home for yourself!😋

What about you, friends?
Are you a Jason or a Kolette when it comes to gardening?
Grower or Eater?
Tell me I’m not alone in my “Eater Only” status!!!