The Law of Unintended Consequences strikes my garden

Because I find it easier to post photos on my Facebook page than on my blog, photos of this Unintended Consequence will be at kaylaytonsiskauthor on Facebook.

I always wanted a real vegetable garden, not something in a large flower pot. When we moved here many years ago, I got my wish. A portion of the side yard was tilled and for over a decade I grew a variety of veggies, from potatoes to broccoli to spinach, lettuce and the perennial favorite of the world: tomatoes. I had some success and learned to can and freeze my produce and won ribbons at the Texas State Fair. 

For a few years we didn’t have a garden and then we halfway had a garden and then last year, we went all in again. Things were fine, including the okra I grew on the property we own behind our house. Lots of okra. 

So, if we had success last year, why not go again? The main yard is filled with tomatoes and jalapenos and cucumbers planted in stages. Not so sure that was a good idea because I may be pickling until fall if they don’t stop production. Or, and this is more likely, I’ll tear them up when I’ve put by enough pickles for the year. 

But the property behind us, the land with the okra last year, beckoned to be more than that. It wanted to grow tomatoes and cucumbers as well. I just knew it did. So my husband put up three large metal poles and I strung them with burlap and garden string. I’d been given some extra tomato plants and I put seven of them out, spaced neatly. On the other side of the string, I planted cucumbers. I thought they would nicely climb the string and the cucumbers wouldn’t be on the ground, but hanging cleanly from the string. 

Alas. Cucumbers do love to climb, given the chance. They’ll climb anything, including my precious tomato plants. Eventually, they’ll break the string and bring the tomato plants down to their level: the ground. 

Unintended consequences have struck again. I wish I’d made a photo when this part of my garden was in its glory–last week. Unfortunately, all I have is one of the impending carnage, cucumbers overtaking tomatoes. 

And the okra: Oh, I pre-germinated all seeds this year. Two-thirds of them didn’t come up. And I’ve replanted three times. Okra will be sketchy at table this year, but next I’ll know that tomatoes and cucumbers don’t make good companions.