Lanny – Berkeley/Ohlone, Muwekma, Confederated Villages of Lisjan, and Miwok

Tomatoes and Peppers (summer 2025)

The peppers suffered and produced very little and my tomato plants were eaten by squirrels who just took one bite of each. (Apparently, they were never admonished to “finish what you have” before moving on to another), BUT what was a small cherry tomato plant from 2024 seeds turned into a ‘volunteer tomato’ by summer 2025. I was out of town intermittently throughout the summer and watched it grow up from a corner, gradually flowing out and out and out upon each return home.

I have a photo taken in August I think, but it does not do full justice to the lovely monster it turned into by late fall. I went outside and counted with my own feet remembering how far the plant spread across the patio, and am relying on your imagination to fill in the blanks. Think of a briar of green tomato branches so thick it was hard to find a tomato. Picture a plant that extended almost 3 meters onto a brick patio and 5 feet up the wall of a house. For a plant its size, it didn’t actually produce that many tomatoes, but it was a pleasure to see – and have for a season.