Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary...Help!

This has not been the year of the garden. Last year I had lots of help, and lots of time...two things in short supply this summer. I always have this grand idea of what my garden should look like, and how much time I will spend photographing gorgeous blooms. But first it's heat and drought, then it's heat and humidity, and add in a vacation...well, a few things are doing okay. For instance, my new planting - cone flowers. I'm waiting for the butterflies to find them so I can get some of those fabulous photos.

And last year I planted these vivacious beauties...which are attracting ants, and bees, and haven't had their close-ups this year either. But I'm so excited to have something bright and eye-catching at my entry walk.

But here's the real story. In June we were working at a hanger/garage sale fundraiser at the airport and a gentleman stopped by to look. We all got to chatting and he said he had some tomato plants in the back of his truck if we were interested. Sure, says my husband, and he purchased a few plants.

Of course, we didn't have a garden tilled, and we were leaving on vacation, so I just stuck them in the ground on the sidewalk side of my front fence and left them to fend for themselves. When we got back from our trip we were surprised to see the plants surviving, and there were even a few little tomatoes to harvest. Yellow ones, which was new to me. They're sweet, and less acidic.
The plants looked a little peaked, but I watered them with the few other flowers and didn't think much about it. However, this last week we've gotten a lot of rain, and here is the result:
So now our visitors have something to talk about right as they enter the walkway! Unruly...massive...spreading everywhere....the plants are growing through the fence and threaten to overtake my cheery little flowers!

When I open the front door in the morning I just have to laugh. Other than the handful of tomatoes we found in July, we haven't seen any more fruit. There are little flowers...so we'll see what happens. Oh yes...if you look carefully to the right of this massive growth, you'll see the Iris trying to come up. Iris. In August. I'm pretty sure nothing will come of it, but with my luck you never know!