Three of the tomato plants died. I was surprised at first, because tomatoes are pretty hardy. I took them back to the garden store where I bought them (Orchard Supply Hardware) because they have a replace-them-no-questions-asked guarantee. When I stepped over to the place where the tomato plants reside, I saw that a broad swathe of them were dead in the store, too, almost as if someone had sprayed them with Weed 'n Feed, thinking they were lawn plants.

Orchard Supply Hardware gave me a hard time. They wanted not only the receipt (which I had clutched in my grubby hand) but all of the dead plants as well, and the container they had been sold in to boot. Now who plants tomatoes in the garden and keeps the flimsy pot? Not I. I showed him one dead plant I had brought in (neatly packaged in a baggie) as a sample and said the rest were dead, dead as a shriveled tomato plant can be. He refused to replace them, saying I needed more proof that I had bought the plants at OSH--I needed the pot and all of the plants.

Yes, indeedy, I was sorely tempted to dig them all up, stems, roots, dirt and all. Then find the discarded planter in the smelly nasty household garbage can. And deliver the whole mess -- unwrapped -- to his nice, clean store counter. But it sounded too much like work and I really didn't want any more of his poor little moribund tomatoes in my garden, anyway. Plus I'm uncomfortable with confrontation (a little honesty peeks through the bravado--however, I did write to the headquarters of OSH.)

So I went to Green Thumb and for 75 cents each, bought three gorgeous Celebrity tomato plants. Came home, popped them in the ground, watered them and waited for the fruits to appear. None yet, but I am hopeful.

This year I've also planted some Early Girls and a couple of heirloom tomatoes as well. Again, I've probably overdone it, but I am of the philosophy that if it's worth doing enough, it's worth doing too much. I remember one year planting two dozen tomatoes -- the neighbors shut their blinds and didn't answer the doorbell until tomato season was over.

This year I've planted nine plus beans, zucchini and other stuff. If I have to overdo it, at least it is more distributed. I love gardening; it gives me balance for my tendency to live in my head.