Slathered in mayonnaise and sprinkled with salt, there is nothing better than a tomato sandwich. White bread makes it the best, and of course, it is an absolute must to use homegrown tomatoes.

There have been some beautiful looking tomatoes in the grocery store, and I have even bought a few now and again thinking I could recreate the summer delicacy, but even though the sandwich did not taste horrible, it just wasn’t the same.

A few years ago, hubby and I decided it was time for us to try our hand at growing tomatoes, so we built some box gardens in the backyard.

I admit, I did not do much of the building, but I did watch my man labor away as he hammered together three boxes and filled them with soil and sand.

Now, when it came to picking out the plants, I was very involved.

It amazed me looking at all the varieties of tomato plants to chose from — Big Boy or Better Boy, hybrid this and hybrid that, and so on. Of course, you want large fat juicy tomatoes, but is big as good as better?

Obviously, the only sensible thing to do was buy a few of each and see which one won out.

Once back at home, it was exciting to put the small plants into the ground with the thought of growing our own food for the table — an added bonus.

At first, we babied those tomatoes as if they were children and got excited when they began to grow, but as the summer lagged on and the temperatures began to soar, it just was not as much fun dragging the hose out to the garden to give them a drink of water. Thankfully, there were days it rained, and the plants did not die.

Toward the end of July, we began to see the fruit ripen, and unfortunately so did the worms and birds!

However, we did manage to salvage a few tomatoes, but they sure weren’t the “Big Boys.”

Thankfully, my dad is a better gardener than hubby and I. Every year, he plants a big garden, and in it grows enough tomatoes to keep us, along with my brothers and their families, supplied with plenty for sandwiches.

Summer is here, and you would think after several attempts of a not so stellar gardening experience that hubby and I would give up, but nope.

This week I sent him to Home Depot to buy some tomato plants. It just did not seem right not to plant something we both enjoy eating.

Hopefully, this year we will be more active in tending the plants, but if not, at least the worms and birds will enjoy.