Made in America? I hope so.

Since I can't go too long without getting in the dirt, I've been cleaning up my mom's backyard during my stay. There's no love lost between my mother and her flower beds ("I only garden because I like the results," she always says) so her assortment of gardening tools are ragtag at best.

Lucky for us, we have a generous extended family in


Bowie who willingly shares their stuff. When I mentioned to Uncle Bobby that I needed to prune the shrubs, he showed up the next day with Aunt Barbara's vintage pruning shears. They belonged to her dad, Richard Ennis, who was an enthusiastic gardener at her girlhood home on Hemlock Street in Washington, D.C. Aunt Barbara guesses the shears are at least 70 years old.

"He used them to prune the rose bushes in our yard," she remembers. "We had lots of roses, hydrangeas, and snowball bushes."

I've been junking for decades and never thought to keep an eye out for vintage hand tools. These shears are made of steel by a company called Durex. (Could it be the same company that makes condoms? Doubtful!) I love the details on the shears, especially the lock on the handle.

I see BLT's in my future.

I've been worried about my tomato plants, as they've been growing like gangbusters, but, when I left for Maryland, they still had no fruit.

Surprise! Tony sent me these photos, and the plants are covered with green tomatoes. The tomatillo plant also has babies. I am beside myself with joy.

PS: More pole beans too!

We call it mellow yellow.

I thought I planted two cucumber plants in May. Now, I'm wondering if I planted three. To date, we've picked a Japanese variety, and several traditional cukes, and all have been shades of green. The other day, Tony spotted this monster cucumber, and, in addition to it's size, it's yellow.

I agreed to a taste test without me (difficult, believe me) and here's Tony's report: "It tastes like a regular cucumber."

Tony snapped these photos, and I love his comparison shot with the other veggies.

Beans: Who needs Jack when I've got Tony?

I'm in Maryland taking care of my mom, and so I've left my garden to Tony's care. Admittedly, I've been more than nervous about this arrangement. Tony knows less about growing vegetables than I do (which isn't much). Happily, he sent me this photo of our first pole bean: a beautiful first born, don't you think?

Also, he's ready to pluck the second Japanese eggplant, and the hot Thai peppers are ripening nicely.

Name that herb.

I'm having more luck this summer planting herb seeds in pots than in the ground. These seeds sprouted in three days. No need to label the seedlings, because the first leaves to grow after the seed leaves look exactly like the mature herb I buy at Superlo. Can you guess the herb? Clue: It's a favorite in Asian cooking.

Good timing, for once.

Earlier this week, we had two days and nights of intense rain. Our courtyard flooded, and the crape myrtles, loaded with mid-summer blooms, were so heavy they almost kissed the ground.

Luckily, before the rain started, I hauled home a bale of pine needles from Dan West and made a cushion for my canteloup vine. The vine knows no

boundaries. I was worried it would disappear into the grass and some sun-stroked gardener (that would be me) would step on it. Now the pine needles accentuate the blossoms and will help safeguard the canteloups when they eventually grow.

Meet Forrest: My neighborhood helper.

My young neighbor Forrest has been more than willing to help with the vegetable garden. He and his little brother Davis planted the beans from seed in May, and since then, they have been curious and enthusiastic. These days, their favorite job is watering.

On Sunday, when Forrest got back from vacation, he couldn't wait to pick his first cucumber. Does this fellow look happy or what? His mom says the cuke will fit right in with the family's new favorite snack: a Ritz cracker, topped with a dollop of whipped cream cheese, a slice of cucumber, and a sprinkle of garlic salt with parsley. Yum!