Comments on: Stony Ground

By: Staying Power - Asymptotia

Staying Power - Asymptotia — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 07:43:29 +0000

[…] Here’s some remarkable news from the garden. You may remember that last April I noticed a tiny tomato plant growing out of a crack in some steps, and that I promised to keep an eye on it? (Picture, left.) […]

By: Open Heart Surgery at Asymptotia

Open Heart Surgery at Asymptotia — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 19:16:54 +0000

[…] In other news, you might recall (from an earlier post) my wondering what would happen to a surprise tomato plant that started growing out of a crack in the steps. I could not get it out without colling it and was sure that it would eventually just die due to lack of space, water, and nutrition. I was wrong! Here it is (picture right). I ate those very tasty cherry tomatoes for lunch the other day. […]

By: Arun

Arun — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 19:49:19 +0000

It is good to know that tomatoes will probably survive our upcoming nuclear war with Iran.

By: scouser

scouser — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 15:06:23 +0000

Tomatoes are hardy and adventurous fellows, and spring up in all sorts of places, where ever their seeds happen to fall. A most spectacualr demonstration of this was seen in sewage plants some forty or fifty years ago here in the UK. The finest tomato plants used to spring up everywhere in these places. In those more relaxed times, these were allowed to run their full course, yielding splendid fruits, much larger and more varied in shape than those allowed to make it to the supermarket shelves of today. Quite as remarkable in their way as the fully functioning shoal of piranhas that established itself in a factory side canal in St. Helens, Lancashire; the thermal effluent kept them quite cheerful throughout the year.

By: Arun

Arun — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 12:04:49 +0000

Yes, the exuberance of life, even in a stony, hostile universe.

By: JoAnne

JoAnne — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 21:47:03 +0000

Ha! I just now finished planting tomato seeds (4 different varieties) in a little box gardening set I picked up at the hardware store. The set is sitting on my kitchen table, where it will get plenty of sun, and I am eagering watching for germination. Wanna bet my tomatoes don’t do as well as the hardy plant growing in the bricks on Clifford’s front steps?!

By: Uncle Al

Uncle Al — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 20:49:20 +0000

Would you like some Datura metel seeds? It’s the same family (Solanaceae , deadly nighthshade - tomato, potato, eggplant, chile, tobacco). If you give it decent soil and lots of sun it flowers insanely. Fantastic evening scent for its flowers. Don’t eat it.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 19:16:08 +0000

Hahaha… crazy! The ability of plants to grow everywhere never ceases to amaze me. I’m also with f.; if a tree’s roots can grow into my cousins’ metal pipes, I’m sure even a mere tomato could deal with some measly mortar. Hope you get some tomatoes out of it!

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 18:38:07 +0000

Enjoy the short life of thie annual plant trapped between the confines of mortared brick. If this plant is able to bear fruit, then cultivate its seeds in your garden. In turn, enjoy the short lives of its offspring. Without sounding too spooky, let the life of this tomato continue to cycle on… Best Wishes on Growing Tomatoes.

By: spyder

spyder — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 17:56:44 +0000

I am with “f.” on the future of the plant. Unless careless foot traffic destroys its stalk and branches it will probably continue to grow, assuming that the root system finds soil, water, and nutrients. As for the “first cause?” It could be a host of things from animal and bird poop to spilled, fresh made salsa, from wind-born detritus to the usual crud on the sidewalks picked up by our shoes.