Unexpected

Out doing my usual evening walk of the garden yesterday after dinner, weeding and pruning as I go, and something caught my eye…

A friend gave us loads of new tomato varieties to try out in the garden this year.  I’ve never tasted or grown Rambling Stripe Gold before, but it was amongst the collection.

And lo and behold!  In the first half of June, in Oregon – there’s a ripe one!  I was totally taken aback.  Tomatoes don’t hit their stride until late August and early September, so to find a ripe on in early June is just unheard of.  Most are flowering and only just beginning to set tiny green fruit.  This plant is absolutely packed with green fruit, as well, and still covered in blooms (which the bumblebees are enjoying very much.)

I’m going to give it another couple of days on the vine just to make sure it’s fully ripe (although, it feels ripe), and I can’t wait to see if the flavor of Rambling Stripe Gold is on par with its productivity and early maturation.