Last Chance: The Glorious Tomato Collection is Here for You Now!

Check out this Collection today! [GreenPrints]( February 21, 2024   [GET The Glorious Tomato Collection Right Now—Yours FREE to access, read, and print!]( [Sunflower Kit](  The Glorious Tomato Collection is ready for you to access and read right now. When you read this printable volume, you get joy, laughter, and inspiration—start reading right now! Dear Gardener, Great news! Your FREE printable copy of [The Glorious Tomato Collection]( is ready for you to access, print, and read right now. But first let me tell you how I initially became interested in tomatoes … and, thus, the inspiration for this Collection. I grew up on the North side of Sacramento, which—to the best of my knowledge—was then, and still is, the tomato capital of the United States. Back then, my suburban neighborhood was still surrounded by family farms ranging from 10-50 acres, and it was in this close-knit community that I had my paper route. Every morning at around 6 a.m., I would deliver the Sacramento Union to about 80 people, one of whom was Mr. Joe Kelly. Mr. Kelly was known for being a generous tipper, and I always looked forward to collecting my monthly fee from him. One sunny Spring afternoon, I knocked on Mr. Kelly’s door as I usually did. He greeted me warmly, paid me promptly, and then paused, looking thoughtful. He asked if I would be interested in doing some work on the weekend, helping him with his Spring tomato patch. I was taken aback by the offer, as I had never done any commercial gardening work before, let alone with tomatoes. I had helped my father out with our small home garden and had done a lot of landscaping work, mostly mowing yards, including mine, and some of the neighbors. I voiced my inexperience to Mr. Kelly, but he assured me that he had plenty of knowledge and experience to share. With that promise and a bit of curiosity, I agreed to give it a try. The following Saturday morning, after completing my paper route, I arrived at Mr. Kelly’s doorstep bright and early at 8 a.m., ready to tackle the tomato patch. To my surprise, Mr. Kelly had already prepared the ground. He had created 12 neat rows about 5 feet apart, each row stretching for about 60 feet. Mr. Kelly explained our task for the day: we would plant the tomato seedlings about 5 feet apart, inserting each small plant between wooden stakes with heavy duty metal stakes at the end of each row. Eventually, twine would stretch between the stakes to support the plants as they grew. It was hard, physical labor, and it took us about four hours to hammer in all of the metal and wooden stakes. By midday, I was thankful when Mrs. Kelly arrived with bologna sandwiches and cool lemonade for our lunch break. In the afternoon, we began planting. Mr. Kelly handed me the young indeterminate tomato plants, each about 6 inches tall, and instructed me on how to place them in the soil properly. We surrounded each tiny seedling with mulch, which Mr. Kelly explained would keep the weeds at bay and help the ground retain moisture. As the day came to a close, I couldn’t help but marvel at the peculiar sight of massive metal and wooden stakes surrounding the fragile, green seedlings. It was a stark contrast, but Mr. Kelly assured me that in a few months, those seedlings would grow into a lush tomato patch. Over the following weeks, I dropped by the tomato patch now and then to watch the plants grow and to see how Mr. Kelly used twine to support the rapidly growing tomato vines. By mid-summer, the plants were nearly as tall as me and laden with tomatoes of all shapes and sizes. On a few Saturday mornings, I lent a hand in harvesting the tomatoes, working alongside Mr. Kelly and his wife. After the harvest, Mr. Kelly would always give me a small bag of ripe tomatoes to take home. It was a gesture that never failed to make my parents ecstatic, as they immediately incorporated the fresh tomatoes into our dinner plans. Even with our own backyard garden, my parents were always happy to have more tomatoes. Years later, I can still flip back and forth between the image of that field filled with tiny seedlings and the end result: a vibrant jungle of green tomato plants bursting with bright red fruit. The tomatoes were undeniably fantastic, and it was during those days that my father introduced me to the simple yet delicious pleasure of a beefsteak tomato sandwich, made with two slices of San Francisco sourdough bread, a thick tomato slice sprinkled with salt and pepper, and a generous helping of mayonnaise. Mr. Kelly’s tomato patch not only served as a source of inspiration for my gardening journey and a memorable part of my Sacramento Valley upbringing, but also symbolizes the enduring love affair many of us have with these vibrant, versatile fruits. As we cultivate our own tomato gardens and savor the delicious creations they yield, let us remember the roots of this passion and the shared joy of growing and enjoying tomatoes. So, dive into [The Glorious Tomato Collection]( and may your tomato gardening and eating adventures be filled with boundless happiness and flavor. Here is a sample of just one of the 9 stories in [The Glorious Tomato Collection](  [The Last Two]( A pair of leftover seedlings find a very special home. By Barbara Josephine Adams  [IMAGE](  My favorite Spring garden ritual is starting my tomato seeds. In late March, I fill ten little pots with a mixture of peat and earth-scented compost. Then I press down the spongy stuff and poke a hole in the middle of each pot, loving the feel of the dark fluff, even the bits that stay under my fingernails. Knowing I need exactly ten tomato plants, I always drop two or three little seeds into each hole, adding extra seeds in case some don’t sprout. Any extras that come up will need to be thinned out and tossed. Oh, but how I dread snipping out the extra starts. Please , I think, no extras . I don’t want to thin them. All the sprouts are newborns, just coming to life and reaching for the sun. I’m their caretaker. I don’t want to choose which ones can live and which ones have to die. Yes, I know. I rip chickweed and shepherd’s purse out of my garden beds without feeling a bit guilty. Indeed—I admit it—I feel a goodly portion of delight. But that’s their fault! I hadn’t planted them there. They could have grown anywhere but dared to squat in my garden. The tomato seedlings, on the other hand, sprouted just to please me. How could I now grab their little stems—and snip? This year, something inside me snapped. I just couldn’t do it. So I gently repotted every single sprout. None of them died. Soon I had close to 27 healthy tomato plant starts, 10 to keep and a surplus of 17. It wouldn’t be easy, but I had to find good homes for them all. I felt sure I could do it. I’d found loving homes for orphaned kittens and for gigantic zucchini. Once I even found a good home for a revoltingly ugly old easy chair by putting it outside with a “FREE” sign on it. Admittedly, after three days, no one had taken it. In fact, some sneak put an equally ugly throw pillow on it and drove off before I could catch him to give him his pillow—and my easy chair. But by the fourth day, even it had been taken to a new home. [Read More...]( Illustration By Heather Graham  What a delightful and heartwarming story that brings me back to my childhood days of growing tomatoes! You must read the rest of it. And the [The Glorious Tomato Collection]( has other stories for you—more content to touch your soul, lift your spirits, and make you laugh! Including this featured story—“The Last Two"—you get all 9 stories in this [The Glorious Tomato Collection]( with these gems: - “The Last Two: A pair of leftover seedlings find a very special home.”—A very touching tomato story! - “My Row of 2,000: Far, far better than manicured nails.”—What could be better for your nails than getting them done in a professional salon? Try the garden! - “Salmon and Tomatoes: One feeds the garden. Both feed me.”—How fish can nourish the plants. - “The Great Tomato Fight of 1957: The day Grandma and I had it out.”—A battle in the garden turns out sweetly. - “A Bag of Unwashed Heirloom Tomatoes: Now that says love.”—Tomatoes are special, but there’s really nothing quite like the heirloom varieties. - “My Sprawling Cherry Tomato Plants: Take one. Please!”—The age-old dilemma of what to do with an overabundance of tomatoes. - “The Tomato Cage Caper: The day my prized tomato plant—and more—got stolen!”—A very funny account of a deer gone awry among the caged tomato plants. - “Chicken Tomatoes: Two things you don’t want to put together!”—how a flock of chickens enjoyed a harvest of tomatoes! - “The Last Tomato Story: I can’t remember the year … but the tomato? Unforgettable!”—Hilarious account of one man’s tomato-growing experiences. The only way to get full access to the digital and printable [The Glorious Tomato Collection]( is to get a [GreenPrints Garden Club All-Access Membership]( with a whole year’s worth of stories in a full subscription to GreenPrints Magazine, hundreds and hundreds of captivating stories in all the Collections, and benefits galore for only $10 for an entire year! [$10 SPECIAL! GET AN 83% DISCOUNT WHEN YOU CLAIM YOUR BENEFITS TODAY!]( [Claim your GreenPrints Garden Club All-Access Membership now, and you get all the gardening stories to delight you, make you laugh, and fill you with heartwarming inspiration and motivation. Plus, practical information and advice about gardening skills & techniques; insightful histories of plants and gardens; and printable crafting kits for ArtPrints, greeting cards, and seasonal calendars! Claim all your benefits now!]( [ONLY $10 FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!]( Right now, you’re eligible for this limited-time invitation—to claim a premium [GreenPrints Garden Club All-Access Membership]( with this Special Offer. You get a full year of membership in a club that provides you all the gardening stories to warm your heart, inspire you, and make you laugh. Plus, tons of practical advice and information about gardening skills, specific plants, and printable crafting kits for ArtPrints, greeting cards, and seasonal calendars. And for only $10 right now, that’s 83% off the regular $59 price! [Introducing GreenPrints Garden Club All-Access Membership—Only $10 for an Entire Year!]( [GreenPrints all access]( Your [GreenPrints Garden Club All-Access Membership]( has privileges and benefits that are reserved exclusively for premium members like you. Join like-minded garden lovers in this community-focused club that is unlike any other club you know—it’s sort of like your garden club and book club all in one, plus lots of other benefits awaiting you! [Claim Your $10 Membership Now]( SUMMARY OF GREENPRINTS GARDEN CLUB ALL-ACCESS MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS 01 A full year of GreenPrints Garden Club All-Access Membership, an exclusive club for those who want to enjoy the greatest gardening stories ever and get tons of practical gardening advice, too—save $49 off the annual membership price, an 83% discount! $59/year Now Only: $10/year! 02 NEW magazine sections & expanded content in 2024! 1-year subscription to GreenPrints Magazine, printable monthly issues filled with: - Top-quality heartwarming stories—just like GreenPrints has published for nearly 35 years— including audio versions of all stories, so you can listen to them while you garden or while you’re on-the-go. - Monthly “Gardening Life” column by GreenPrints Founding Editor Pat Stone. - Practical gardening advice to help you improve your skills—in every issue. - New regular departments on gardening wisdom, humor, seasonal perspectives, and food plants that heal. - Three featured “Plants We Love” in every monthly issue! - Monthly recipes to help you use your food garden’s harvest. - Printable books, kits, and seasonal calendars to serve the crafter in you (or a family member or friend). All sent to you by email and available for you digitally as soon as issues are published every month! INCLUDED 03 Full and immediate access to the GreenPrints Digital Library—your membership includes access to the current digital magazine issue and back issues, a digital version of The Weeder's Reader plus the library is constantly growing with new content regularly added! INCLUDED 04 Instant and unlimited access to all GreenPrints Collections—curated collections of stories from the heart, organized around specific topics such as humor, joy, romance, mystical and healing gardens, and gardening mishaps. And audio collections for your listening enjoyment! INCLUDED 05 GreenPrints Insider—You get our exclusive email newsletter, for premium members only, to guide you through the GreenPrints Library by highlighting articles, magazine issues, guidebooks, story collections, printable crafting kits, and audio collections that you won't want to miss—delivered regularly to your email inbox! INCLUDED 06 NEW in 2024! Gardening in America Guidebook Series—12 monthly guides that focus on plant-specific tips & advice, plus improving your gardening techniques. INCLUDED 07 NEW in 2024! Printable StoryBook Kits—you’ll get specially curated story content to delight and enchant you! INCLUDED 08 NEW in 2024! Printable Greeting Card Crafting Kits—you’ll get beautifully illustrated greeting cards to use for any occasion … birthdays, anniversaries, milestone lifetime events, and more! INCLUDED 09 NEW in 2024! Printable ArtPrints Crafting Kits—you get beautiful GreenPrints artwork for printing and framing! INCLUDED 10 NEW in 2024! Printable Seasonal Calendars—you get, every season of the year, a practical and beautiful calendar to help you keep on top of your gardening tasks. INCLUDED 11 SPECIAL ISSUE: The Weeder’s Reader—a compilation of the sixteen greatest stories ever published by GreenPrints. You get unlimited FREE access to the printable digital version in the library! FREE [Claim Your $10 Membership Now]( Become a [GreenPrints Garden Club All-Access Member]( today—while this special $10 offer lasts! Sincerely, [Don signature] Don Nicholas Executive Publisher GreenPrints Garden Club P.S. Claim your benefits with a spot in [GreenPrints Garden Club All-Access Membership]( today—only $10 for an entire year with this Special Offer, an 83% discount off the annual membership price! P.P.S. You deserve to be entertained and delighted by all the stories in [The Glorious Tomato Collection](. Please act now to claim your [GreenPrints Garden Club All-Access Membership]( and get FREE and instant access to this printable Collection now! [GREENPRINTS Garden Club ALL-ACCESS MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL OFFER—ONLY $10]( 83% Off the Annual Membership Price Now! [GreenPrints all access](  Claim your GreenPrints Garden Club All-Access Membership today and get all the greatest gardening stories ever—heartwarming and funny, for you now! [YES, SIGN ME UP FOR JUST $10 FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!]( About GreenPrints Magazine: GreenPrints brings you joy, humor, inspiration, projects, artwork, and advice from our worldwide community of gardening writers, humorists, and illustrators. Our stories, artwork, and kits will touch your heart, lift your spirits, and provide you hours of entertainment about all things gardening. Our interactive projects will help you build your community, beautify your home, and be a more successful gardener and happier human being. More than 250,000 gardening enthusiasts share the joy, laughter, and camaraderie that can only be found with GreenPrints. You are receiving this email as part of your free subscription to email updates from GreenPrints Magazine. If you no longer wish to receive this update as part of your free subscription, please click the unsubscribe link below. [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [Unsubscribe]( Help us be sure your email update isn't filtered as spam. Adding our return address CustomerCare@GreenPrints.com to your address book may 'whitelist' us with your filter, helping future email updates get to your inbox. [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Send us a message]( Copyright © 2024 Mequoda Systems, LLC GreenPrints Magazine P.O. Box 1537, Attleboro, MA 02703 Email: CustomerCare@GreenPrints.com [Our Privacy Policy]( Having trouble viewing this email? [View online](.