Hansheng Lee

         Art                 Food                 Garden               ACI

Meandering  Garden

photographer's portfolio

I have no intention of glamorizing gardening—or anything else I ever talk about. Gardening is hard work. It’s a constant dance between effort and adaptation, and I use what I have, what I can get my hands on, and what I can afford. Some parts of my garden are still in progress, wild and unpolished, while other areas have found their rhythm and calm. You’ll see black tubs with holes cut out, soy sauce buckets reused for fermenting fertilizer, and makeshift setups that lean more practical than pretty—but they get the job done. For me, it’s also about recycling, reusing, and respecting what already exists. This space isn’t curated for perfection—it’s lived in, worked in, and deeply loved.

 

This garden grew out of memories: growing vegetables with my grandmother, learning flowers from my mother, and finding peace in soil when the world feels too loud. It’s a place where I nurture life, beauty, and food with my own two hands. You’ll find native plants mingling with heirloom vegetables, roses blooming beside medicinal herbs, and an ever-evolving balance of permaculture and personal experimentation. I also want to give credit to my husband, Chris, who shares in the care and design—especially the ever-growing rose collection that we’ve built together with love and patience.

 

There’s always something changing, something blooming, and something learning to grow again—just like me.

The garden is one of my oldest and truest places of connection—a space where memory, nature, and nourishment come together in bloom and root. It’s never perfect, and that’s exactly the point. Here you’ll find seasonal updates, snapshots of what’s growing, what’s fading, and what’s feeding us—visually and literally. From heirloom vegetables to pollinator havens, roses to reused soy sauce buckets, this space reflects my belief that beauty and function can (and should) coexist. Gardening, for me, is about reclaiming time, healing through rhythm, and working with what’s available. It’s slow art, in soil.

A flavorful journey from seed to sauce—growing, tending, and savoring homegrown tomatoes
 

There’s nothing quite like the taste of a sun-warmed, vine-ripened tomato fresh from your own garden. Whether you're growing them for slicing, saucing, or snacking, tomatoes are a rewarding—and occasionally challenging—crop for gardeners of all levels. In this post, I’ll walk you through the ins and outs of growing tomatoes, from choosing the right variety to troubleshooting common problems, and of course, what to do with your harvest once it's bursting off the vine.
 

1. Choosing the Right Tomato for You

Types of Tomatoes:

Determinate vs. Indeterminate:

Determinate varieties (like 'Roma') grow to a fixed height and produce a single crop, making them great for small spaces or batch harvesting.

Indeterminate varieties (like 'Cherokee Purple' or 'Sungold') grow and fruit continuously until frost.

Flavor Profiles & Use Cases:

Heirlooms for flavor (but fussier with disease)

Hybrids for yield and resistance

Cherry and grape tomatoes for snacking

Paste tomatoes for sauces and canning

Beefsteaks for slicing and sandwiches
 

2. Starting Tomatoes from Seed (or Not)

From Seed:
Start indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost. Use seed-starting mix and provide plenty of light (grow lights if needed). Harden off before transplanting. This means slowly acclimating them to the outside world so they don't fry in the sun. 

From Starts:
If you’re short on time or space, nursery-grown starts are a perfectly fine shortcut. Just look for healthy, stocky plants with no yellowing or wilting.

 

3. Soil Prep & Planting

Soil Needs:

Rich, well-draining soil

pH between 6.0–6.8

Add compost, aged manure, or tomato fertilizer before planting, I also throw in some baked and powdered eggshells for an added calcium boost. 

Deep Planting Method:
Tomatoes root along their stems. Bury ⅔ of the plant to encourage strong root systems. I typically remove the first set of leaves and plant them to that depth. 

Spacing:

Indeterminate: 18–24 inches apart

Determinate: 12–18 inches
Give plenty of airflow to prevent disease.

 

4. Ongoing Care

Watering:

Deep, consistent watering (1–2 inches per week)

Morning watering is ideal

Avoid overhead watering—wet leaves = disease

Support Systems:

Cages, stakes, or trellises—especially for indeterminate types

Feeding:

Side-dress with compost midseason

Use low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus fertilizer once fruit sets

Pruning:

Remove suckers from indeterminate plants for better airflow and bigger fruit

Don’t prune determinate types heavily—they need all the foliage they can get

 

5. Troubleshooting Problems

Common Issues:

Blossom End Rot: Caused by calcium imbalance (often from inconsistent watering)

Tomato Hornworms: Hand-pick or use BT

Fungal Diseases: Use neem oil or copper fungicide, and rotate crops annually

Cracking: Often from inconsistent watering or sudden heavy rains

 

6. Harvesting Tips

Pick when fruit is fully colored and gives slightly to the touch

Store at room temperature (NEVER refrigerate!)

For late season: ripen green tomatoes in a paper bag with a banana

 

7. What to Do With a Tomato Harvest

Fresh: Caprese salad, bruschetta, tomato sandwiches with mayo and salt (you know the vibe)

Cooked: Sauce, soup, shakshuka, jam, roasted

Preserved: Canned sauce, dehydrated slices, frozen whole

Shared: Give to neighbors, trade with garden friends, or barter at your local swap


Tomatoes can be a labor of love, but once you've tasted your own garden-grown fruit, store-bought will never quite measure up. Each season teaches you something new about your soil, your space, and your own patience. Whether you grow one cherry tomato in a pot or a dozen heirlooms sprawling through raised beds, you’re growing more than food—you’re cultivating joy, resilience, and flavor. 

The image is my daily harvest of just cherry tomatoes, its been a bit crazy this year as I planted several plants. But they have been fantastic for quick pan sauces or to throw into pesto for some sweetness and acidity.