Cherry blossom

If you delve deep into the pages of this blog you’ll find numerous references to those moments of wonder as new flowers, new fruit and I guess new life appears.

I bet you feel the same every time the following happens… you'll be thinking ‘hmmm, I’ll just see how the beans/courgettes/raspberries are doing, probably need a water, feeling lazy, no one will mind if I’m in my sandles, dressing gown, oh, have socks on too never mind, socks, sandles, urban chic and all that, oh can’t find my dressing gown, no one will mind, let it all hang out eh, ooo i say a bit chilly, hmmm, that bush needs a prune, looking all untidy at the back of the garden, oh, cat’s brought a ‘present’, ah still moving, mustn’t forget to buy some milk now, though none for Mr Mouse Mauler for that gift. Where are the beans, oh yes behind me, do de do, oh god last night, oh no did I really say that how embarrassing oh bloody hell, I'm such an idiot, I, ooo love the red flowers on the beans but yeah, need time before I see the goods, hmmm, no-one wanted to see my goods after saying that last night, nevermind I have my garden, and the beans, no, no beans still just leaves and flowers and, wait, is that? Yes, yes, oh wow a bean, that wasn't there a second ago, my first bean of the year, what a buzz, brilliant, oh I can't wait to cook them, are there any more hidden, oh yes fantastic, oh no the neighbour is looking, and not at the beans, wierdo...'

There it is, that thrill of happy surprise. As if the bean materialised from nothing as you blinked. And this buzz is just as powerful every time. Every year, every veg, every fruit. Magic.

Now, cast your mind back to my tomato post. Ignore the joke. Actually don't, I'm still proud of it.

Ok, so you know how I feel about tomatoes. My support structure for them failed and they went a wandering. No tomatoes just lots of exploration. I had pretty much given up on them, no tomato juice to feed them with, my priorities lay elsewhere. Throughout summer there has been the odd flower  and certainly no fruit, but in the last few days I've noticed, rather ominously that a lot more flowers have appeared

And I can assure you that in no way did my heart leap, no visible signs of pleasure when on my usual ramble through the undergrowth suddenly saw...

I am probably the only gardener to have experienced nothing but pure terror at new fruit. The day of cherry tomato dread looms...