We arrived a bit early and were invited to join them in a buffet dinner - which was generous and delicious. After that, I spent an hour speaking to the group about tomatoes - focusing on heirlooms and some histories, as well as some tips and tricks for successful tomato growing. The group of about 35 enthusiastic gardeners asked great questions and the evening was just an absolute pleasure. Sue and I wish them a spring and summer filled with spectacular Daylilies, and hope to see the attendees at the Farmers Market in Raleigh, seeking out our tomato plants, or at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden at noon on April 21, which is my next tomato talk.
Based on a talk we attended at Rock Hill SC in February, as well as suggestions from Sue, I decided to strip all of the text out of my presentation, and just fill it with pictures of tomatoes and our garden. It worked much better for two reasons - it made it feel fresh and new, and created better flow and engagement.
So tomorrow it is back to transplanting!