The Not So Simple Life

Yesterday our Little Garden Helpers had a friend to visit and they wanted to go out into the garden so they all put on their wellies and headed outdoors. They played basketball for a little bit but then decided to pick tomatoes. I handed over a bowl and settled down with a cup of tea while they got to work. A short while later Garden Girl returned with a bowl containing one red tomato. Garden Friend had a handful of green tomatoes but Garen Girl kept throwing them back out of the bowl. 'Not the green ones' she told her friend with a small hint of exasperation. I have taught her well. Except that it is that time of year when the green ones will never turn red. 'It's OK to pick the green ones today,' I told her, which was met with a frown and look of confusion. 'Tomatoes need sun to turn red and now it is autumn there is not enough sun and it is not warm enough for them to turn red. You can pick every tomato in the garden and we will make Green Tomato Chutney with them. You can help.'

That is all it took to undo the frequently repeated mantra of summer; 'Pick the red ones only'. And I fear that next summer I will be told by Garden Girl that it is OK to pick the green ones for making Green Tomato Chutney. She has a surprisingly long memory. The world is complicated. Not even tomato picking can be reduced to one simple rule.