Everyone must know Georgia’s other trick for helping tomato plants along in the garden. As you tomato farmers know, tomato plants are susceptible to “cut worms” and other pests that will just eat the plant off at the ground. Georgia has a collection of 3-pound, metal coffee cans that are open at both ends. She places one can over each tomato plant which keeps the pests away. Then she covers the top of the can with the top half of a plastic milk jug, thereby creating a “mini-cold frame” for each plant. She removes the milk jug tops on sunny days. She gets her tomatoes out at least 2 weeks earlier in the garden than anyone else with this method. She keeps the handle of the milk jugs intact so when she is finished with them, she strings them by the handles on a piece of baling twine and hangs the whole bunch of them from a nail on the outside/backside of her garden shed. She also runs a string through the coffee cans and saves them for re-use. That’s our Georgia – - THRIFTY is her middle name.
Mark is talking about growing potatoes in old tires this year. Supposedly, you start the potato in one tire and then you add another tire and more dirt as the potato grows upward. Then when you are ready to harvest, you just remove the tire stack and all the potatoes fall down to be picked up. I’ll keep you posted on this one.
As the beneficiary of Carl and Ruby’s man side/woman side thing, I can tell you that it works great! I am so glad that I don’t have to walk around Mark’s “collectibles” to get in my front door!

Wait until I tell Mark that you described his hand as a “giant meaty fist.” I love that one. But, as you know, Mark’s hand is a gentle as a lamb, , helpful and kind.

I Luv my guy, Mark! (Especially since he keeps his JUNK on HIS SIDE of the road! )

Best wishes to all! Happy gardening!