The Great Tomato Caper

Took the kids to Woy Woy for fishnchips yesterday, its a beautiful trip on the train from here, through Brisbane Water and past all the oyster farms.  Highlight of the day was when we found the children lurking on the farside of the playground we had lunch near, begging for food from complete strangers.  Sigh.  I relayed this tale to my mother when we got home, and she immediately launched into the story of how, at around Miss 5s age, she used to go door to door in her neighborhood, asking for biscuits for 'her sick mother.' 

Hubs is thrilled we have evidence its from My side of the family.

So, Tomatoes.

In the front garden I've got self-seeded plants coming up all over the place.  Which I love.

Heaps of coriander seedlings coming up amongst the strawberries

Chrysanthemum

Slightly nibbled basil - please excuse the blood and bone everywhere

Amongst these self-seeders we've had loads of tomato seedlings.  I was going to pull them out, but then I was reading in Diggers that the best time for planting tomatoes in a sub-tropical climate is March - June.
Because we hover in between sub-tropical and temperate here, I usually get my tomato seeds going around the end of July. 
But, in a moment of dizzying realisation, I wondered WHAT IF I planted out the self-seeded tomatoes, and had a go at getting them through the winter - if they survive, we might get more tomatoes early on, especially if we lose them all to mid-summer wilt like we did last year.
I was so thrilled by this idea I woke hubs up to tell him.
He was not quite as impressed.
So, to start with, I've moved the self-seeders from the front garden and put them temporarily in one of the raised vege beds (to see who survives, and to give me time to clear the current occupants out of the Tomato beds).

A few of my self-seeded tomatoes - this was the only shot I could get with no weeds in it :)

Who knows what will happen next???
Its exciting times here at Chez Nicholas, exciting times indeed.