Five years ago, I posted a story about Lazarus, the cherry tomato plant, affectionately known as “the comeback kid.”
In 2012 I wrote: “The first year I planted the small cherry tomato plant was very disappointing. It bore very few tomatoes and most were unappetizing hard red lumps. When it withered and turned brown at the end of the growing season, I was tempted to pull it out and toss it in the compost heap, but I didn’t. I left it in the pot, neglected it and watched it survive a rainy and very cold winter. The next April, to my astonishment, it sprouted green leaves and started to show early signs of fruiting. It looked weak but showed a warrior spirit so I gave it an unceremonious dose of plant food and watched it go berserk.
That summer my former struggling tomato plant produced 2″ and 3″ spheres of ruby-red fruit. The taste was sweet and garden fresh. I made delicious Greek salads all summer long. Every year thereafter it has continued to grow bigger and better. Given its remarkable history and talent for revivification, we nick-named it Lazarus.” He was originally planted in 2008.
I thought for sure last summer that he had finally given up his ghost after four years of remarkable production and moved on to tomato-plant heaven. By the end of the hot summer season there was no sign of life in him. He was a dry, crispy critter. Since I was in the process of moving from Central California to Ventura, I left his corpse behind in a compost pile at the old house. Buh- bye sweet Lazarus. You were fabulous while you lasted.
In the fall I moved about a dozen potted plants with me and hoped they would adapt to the new southern location.
At my new house, I envisioned a chorus of potted purple bougainvillea outlining the decks. I recycled some pots and soil from the former house and planted six new bougainvillea babies. They began to flourish immediately and brighten up my landscape just as I hoped they would. One day I noticed that one of the pots sported an intrusive extra green sprout. I suspected a weed and headed over to it thinking to remove it from spoiling the plan. To my astonishment, I recognized it as the start of a young tomato plant. As I looked closer I realized this had been Lazarus’ pot when I found the buried tag with his name on it. I suddenly realized that what I was seeing must have been produced from the seeds of his offspring.
There was Lazarus, growing right next to the bougainvillea and also flourishing. Hooray and Halleluiah! Lazarus is alive and well and living in Ventura in the same pot as his sister Bougainvillea.
I don’t have the heart to move him into his own pot. He seems so happy. His fruit is once again delicious and popping fresh. I can’t wait to see what he does in the spring when I actually feed him. Say hello to the wonderful Lazarus, now famous for coming back yet again. He’s quite the comeback kid.
Update: Lazarus actually took over the post this summer and last. He kicked out his sister Bougainvillea and is now the only child in a pot all his own. He is now 9 years old, going on ten. Go Lazarus!
When he turn ten next year I think he has to have his own blog. 