The $64 Tomato

Recently I reviewed Barbara Kingsolver's new book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. While I enjoyed this book, I found it really hard to see myself being able to create and sustain a garden like she does. Even though it is clear that it was a lot of work, she makes it seem easy. William Alexander paints a more realistic picture (in my opinion) of what maintaining a garden would really be like in The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden. When Alexander decides to turn a portion of his yard into a kitchen garden, he anticipates growing and eating fresh organic fruits and vegetables. The reality, however is the $64 tomato. Alexander finds out there is "No Such Thing As Organic Apples" and battles with weeds, fungus, bugs, deer and groundhogs. My favorite part is the description of his war with "Superchuck," the feisty groundhog that resists even a 10,000 volt shock just to get at his prized tomatoes. He ends up spending thousands on building and maintaining this garden, and finds that the cost of his beautiful Brandywine tomatoes average about $64 each! This book was hilarious and I found myself snorting with laughter-a sure sign of a good book! On the serious side though, he also presents an interesting discussion of the organic versus pesticide argument. Alexander's tales are exactly what I envision would happen to me, if I were to ever try my hand at gardening.