Tomatoes, for all their propensity towards blight, fungus, premature death, can be the most incredible, sprawling, productive plants. Somehow, through some weird alchemy of skill and sheer luck, we ended up with the sort of tomato greenhouse you dream about while seeding in the spring – a verdant green tunnel, floor to ceiling tomato land. It is my favorite place on the farm right now. Here’s how it all went down:

April 16, 2009. We have cleaned up in the greenhouse and are now using it to house flats of spring stuff – turnips, spinach, flowers.

June 2, 2009. The plants have been put in, irrigated, heavily mulched, pruned down to two leaders, and given strings for support.

August 12, 2009. Just over two months later, the plants have grown to about twelve feet tall, and we have the tomato tunnel, in all it’s glory.