Tomatoes where? Well I'll be darned...

Yep, just when you least expect it, just when you'd given up all but the most fleeting moments of hope...

I'd brought this plant in from my balcony at the beginning of the winter since it was still fairly young (was basically a cutting from another plant that had taken root too late in the season). I didn't really know what I had in mind to do with it, but I found this little perch for it by the balcony door and kept watering it all winter (albeit from time to time quite sparingly).

Half of it even got attacked by aphids (as you can see, I need to pinch off those dead leaves), but it stayed green all winter, surprisingly! I didn't think it would get enough sun sitting here to live.

But maybe tomatoes have a hibernation phase?

Low and behold, a few weeks ago, the little sucker sprouted some blooms! Once again hopeful and a bit surprised, I gently shook and rattled the branches in a pollination attempt. Guess it worked because....

Now I have this!

indoor tomato, about 2 in. diameter

 I really didn't expect that! And then, more blooms! And this (just noticed today!):

another tomato, about half an inch wide

Am I gonna get an indoor tomato crop? Wow! What a pleasant waiting-for-spring surprise! Not only did I not think the cutting would bloom at all, but it has produced fruit....indoors? I mean, it is at least protected from wind here, and I guess it didn't need quite as much sun as I'd thought.

Inspires me to try some other experiments!

Hope dies last - a new year, a new season

Are you already planning your garden for this year?

I hope so! I am a bit late getting things going, but here's to a (hopefully) much less meager harvest than last year:

my radish harvest from late-July 2013

While this is an exaggeration of how small my harvest from last year was, it is only a slight one. After all, I did get a few more radishes, some herbs, some green onions, about a handful of beans and peas, and 2 tiny jalapenos...or, as one would say on Skype:

(Skype (facepalm), i.e. hand to stern, shake head)

IF you will remember - last year's garden went very far awry thanks to the construction on my building which lasted ALL summer, leaving not only dust and rubble in my planters but blocked off any sunlight I could have gotten! Am hoping for the best - as they say here, "hope is the last thing to die", which I find very applicable!

In the next post you will see how I got a head start on this season!

A trip into the deserts of Africa (+ pics)

This post's title, and the fact that I am actually posting here, are NOT a joke. Happy April (Fool's Day), everyone! :)

I once again had lots to do this year so far, and winter is admittedly a slow-ish season for the gardening community (I know, still no reason not to post!) - but I hope you all have survived the bitter temperatures and piles of snow!

Over here I only saw snow once this winter, a very light dusting, for about 4 days - otherwise it has been above freezing! I know, I know. So mild. This explains why I am already seeing local asparagus in the supermarkets (albeit for 20€/kilo)!

Nevertheless, I managed to get away for a week to much warmer and milder (and more exotic) climates - I took a trip to Tunisia, which was pretty interesting and fun!

I'm only including some gardening/nature-related pictures from my trip here, otherwise there would be too much for this post (although I may post more if anyone requests). Not that there was a whole lot on this topic thanks to the desert climate - enjoy a few highlights of traveling around northern Africa!

some fresh artichokes at the market in downtown Sousse

an indoor vegetable market downtown

driving through the desert, headed south - still some green at this point

the most important agricultural crop - olive trees!

we visited a mountain oasis in the desert

mountain desert oasis waterfall!

you see some interesting sights driving through the countryside, like this main (resting under the olive tree) selling is beans on a roadside stand

heading back up north there was a bit more vegetation

an olive tree near downtown at the archaeological museum

a close-up of olives