Four Tomato Plants On A Balcony Gave Robert A Reason To Go Outside
He had never grown anything. The pots were a gift from his granddaughter, and he felt he had to keep them alive.
Robert is 71 and spent his working life indoors, in offices and then in front of the television. When his granddaughter left four tomato seedlings on his balcony, he assumed they would be dead within a month.
Instead he found himself checking on them every morning. Then twice a day. Watering, turning the pots toward the sun, pinching off the small shoots a neighbor told him to remove.
He does not describe it as a hobby. He describes it as an appointment he keeps with four plants.
What his mornings look like now
- Coffee on the balcony before anything else, next to the pots.
- Water from a jug he fills the night before.
- A quick look under the leaves for anything that should not be there.
- A note on the calendar when the first flower or the first fruit shows up.
- Ten minutes outside even on the days nothing needs doing.
What he noticed
Robert says the tomatoes themselves were not very good the first year. What changed was the shape of his morning: he was outside, in daylight, moving a little, before the day had a chance to get away from him.
His granddaughter has since given him a book on small-space gardening, which he now lends to anyone on his floor who asks.
The book Robert keeps on the balcony table: a gentle guide to growing food in pots and small spaces.
See the book on Amazon →The content on this page is for general information and personal reading only. It is not medical advice and does not replace a conversation with a qualified professional. Names have been changed for privacy.