Okay, the easy answer is…because they taste better. Store bought tomatoes pale in comparison to the truly “homegrown”-“vine-ripened” version. (But if it were that simple, this tiny bit of literary genius would not be necessary.)
In truth, there are many reasons why we feel an innate need to have, even just a couple, tomato plants in our yards. Nothing compares to the smell of a tomato plant. You certainly will not get a whiff of that lovely fragrance while walking the aisle of your local produce section.
And isn’t it part of our nurturing natures to care for things? Give the little plants (or with you really green-thumbed folks-- seeds) a bit of attention, loving care and then watch them respond. They show their appreciation for our efforts, thanking us with lovely vines and fruit (yep, the tomato is a fruit!). They are a parent’s dream… they don’t talk back or cause your car insurance to soar!
As the tomatoes ripen and you have the luxury of enjoying the fruits of your labor there is a sense of satisfaction that this lovely, freshly picked bit of mouth-watering goodness is, in some part, a product of your care. And of course, there may also be just a smidgen of smugness, as you consider the poor unfortunate souls who have only the store bought version in their diets.
The drive to “grow our own” may also be part of a part of our primal natures, dating back to our long gone ancestors, the hunter/gatherers. Maybe it is linked to a gene, who can tell? I just know that come Springtime I just can’t seem to control myself, the compulsion is too great. I must plant tomatoes! Are you with me???
D.E.W.
thanks for the article. It was very ineresting for me.
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Posted by: Jayla | February 02, 2010 at 04:46 PM