the pollen count

So I mentioned I was a school garden teacher and gardener.  I think, with a name like Pollen, gardening was in my genes.  My mother and both my grandmothers were amazing gardeners, so I grew up with green-thumbed women.  Going back even further, I have discovered that many of my relatives came to California from the East coast, where they were farmers.  While gold lured them westward, they ended up returning to their farming roots in the foothills of California, so growing things is in our blood.

Living in California with our limited water and 4 year drought, I have been really experimenting with growing vegetables, herbs and flowers with much less water.  I am currently trying a bit of “dry” farming with tomatoes, squash and other vegetables.  The plants don’t look as lush as I am used to but I have heard that the fruits have more intense flavor, so am looking forward to tasting my first crop of these tomatoes in the next weeks.  Here’s a photo of the “dry-farmed” tomatoes (right) and another photo of a “three-times-weekly” watered tomato (left).  Big difference in plant size, for sure, but the tomato’s taste will be the important thing for me.  Can’t wait for the tomato test!