Amy's tomatoes are in growing strong and beginning to ripen. She got a bit overzealous, as you can see, and brought home more than she should from our spring tomato workshop. She also had one plant survive through last summer and into the winter. When it got nipped with a bit of frost she waiting until early spring and pruned it lightly. It, too, is bearing fruit.

She tried something different this year, adding a Garden Peach variety to her collection. This tomato is a native South American fruit mainly from Peru, where they are known as Coconas. (Thanks, Wikipedia for that bit of info.) The small, bright yellow fruit is the standard globe shape of a tomato. So far, her plant is prolific. It is similar to a peach in color and is supposed to have a mild, sweet flavor. The most interesting characteristic so far is that the skins are soft and fuzzy, like suede and the stems feel moist all the time.

As you can see, this is an overcrowded raised garden bed. There are 4 tomato plants, about 2 dozen zinnias (because you have to have color during a Phoenix summer!), a basil plant and 3 cucumber vines (started from seed) . She's hoping those cucumbers pollinate well. That has been a challenge in the past.

We'll keep you posted.