Unexpected Delights - Day 118 of 365

Yes, it's a tomato getting ready to flower in one of the colder parts of Melbourne in July.

In an unusual set of circumstances this plant got potted up as a seedling in either April or May.  It was intended to help out a permie friend of mine was planning to do a "tomatoes all year" experiment with one of her inner city clients.  

As these things go for one reason or another it stayed here, in the hot house.  When I remembered I watered it, once it proved that it had a hope of surviving I even threw some organic fertiliser it's way.   

Thankfully, the worst thing I could have done to this tomato growing over Autumn and Winter was try and "force growth" with rich nutrients and heaps of water.  Even in the hot house it still gets cold enough, overnight, to burn the weak sappy foliage that those regimes create.  This tough little cherry tomato has so far had a couple of mature leaves brown after a couple of pretty severe overnight frosts but otherwise it's plodding along like a trooper.  

We'll see if it survives until September and has the opportunity to set fruit in October but either way.. 

Seeing it in there gives me hope that the circle is turning and brings to mind yet again that plants have a monumental will to survive.