--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ever since, two summers ago, Joe Marino…" description: "\"“Ever since, two summers ago, Joe Marino had begun to come into her bed, a preposterous fecundity had overtaken the staked plans, out in the side garde..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/john-updike-396_gardening_ever-since-two-summers-ago-joe-marino-ha_933252.png" --- # Ever since, two summers ago, Joe Marino had begun to come… ![“Ever since, two summers ago, Joe Marino had begun to come into her bed, a preposterous fecundity had overtaken the staked plans, out in the side garden where the southwestern sun slanted in through the line of willows each long afternoon. The crooked little tomato branches, pulpy and pale as if…” quote by John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/john-updike-396_gardening_ever-since-two-summers-ago-joe-marino-ha_933252.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/john-updike-396_gardening_ever-since-two-summers-ago-joe-marino-ha_933252.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/john-updike-396_gardening_ever-since-two-summers-ago-joe-marino-ha_933252.png) > ““Ever since, two summers ago, Joe Marino had begun to come into her bed, a preposterous fecundity had overtaken the staked plans, out in the side garden where the southwestern sun slanted in through the line of willows each long afternoon. The crooked little tomato branches, pulpy and pale as if made of cheap green paper, broke under the weight of so much fruit; there was something frantic in such fertility, a crying-out like that of children frantic to please. Of plants, tomatoes seemed the most human, eager and fragile and prone to rot. Picking the watery orange-red orbs, Alexandra felt she was cupping a giant lover’s testicles in her hand.”” [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid description of overwhelming fertility and sensuality, using tomatoes as a metaphor for desire and vulnerability. **In simple terms:** Intense sensuality and fertility. Key Takeaway Embrace desire, accept fragility. Themes desire fertility vulnerability nature sensuality Mood passionate intimate reflective Type literary descriptive When to use this quote - garden harvest - intimate moments - creative inspiration Key Concepts Metaphor symbolism bodily imagery Questions to Reflect On - How does nature reflect human longing? - What does the tomato symbolize? A Different Perspective The metaphor may obscure the literal meaning for some readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Summers Ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summers-ago-885835/) [Tomato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomato/) [Tomato Branches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomato-branches-713116/) [Tomatoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomatoes/) [Tomatoes Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomatoes-human-1537022/) ## Related quotes > [The crooked little tomato branches, pulpy and pale as if made of cheap green paper, broke under the weight of so much fruit; there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-crooked-little-tomato-branches-pulpy-and-pale-as-if-made-of-cheap/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Of plants tomatoes seemed the most human, eager and fragile and prone to rot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/of-plants-tomatoes-seemed-the-most-human-eager-and-fragile-and-prone/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [His eyes were rolling in their sockets, and his face had taken on the colour and expression of a devout tomato. I could see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/his-eyes-were-rolling-in-their-sockets-and-his-face-had-taken-on-the/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [“I don't know how long I spent wandering about the supermarket creating meals in my mind. Hot roast chicken and mayonnaise sandwiches. Pizzas on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-tunnicliffe/i-don-t-know-how-long-i-spent-wandering-about-the-supermarket/) [Hannah Tunnicliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-tunnicliffe/) > [He says I'm beautiful as a red tomato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-duprau/he-says-i-m-beautiful-as-a-red-tomato/) [Jeanne DuPrau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-duprau/) > [The time will come when this luscious golden tomato, rich in nutrition, a delight to the eye, a joy to the palate whether fried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-johnson/the-time-will-come-when-this-luscious-golden-tomato-rich-in-nutrition/) [Robert Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-johnson/) > [“The raw tomato, devoured in the garden when freshly picked, is a horn of abundance of simple sensations, a radiating rush in one's mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/the-raw-tomato-devoured-in-the-garden-when-freshly-picked-is-a-horn/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [“Her smile was somehow a little too bright, but I watched as she showed me how she had scored the puff pastry and brushed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-tunnicliffe/her-smile-was-somehow-a-little-too-bright-but-i-watched-as-she-showed/) [Hannah Tunnicliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-tunnicliffe/) > [Many of the things the slow food people honor were innovations within historical times. Somebody had to be the first European to eat a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/many-of-the-things-the-slow-food-people-honor-were-innovations-within/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [Grilled cheese and tomato soup is the ultimate comfort meal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ina-garten/grilled-cheese-and-tomato-soup-is-the-ultimate-comfort-meal/) [Ina Garten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ina-garten/) > [Don't give me no rotten tomato, 'cause all I ever wanted was your sweet potato.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/don-t-give-me-no-rotten-tomato-cause-all-i-ever-wanted-was-your-sweet/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [When I eat a tomato I look at it the way anyone else would. But when I paint a tomato, then I see it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/when-i-eat-a-tomato-i-look-at-it-the-way-anyone-else-would-but-when-i/) [Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/) > [Tomato and lettuce-especially lettuce-is an abomination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mimi-sheraton/tomato-and-lettuce-especially-lettuce-is-an-abomination/) [Mimi Sheraton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mimi-sheraton/) > [If you don't like tomato soup, you don't buy tomato soup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-parker/if-you-don-t-like-tomato-soup-you-don-t-buy-tomato-soup/) [Kathleen Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-parker/) > [In Spain, we mainly use red plum tomatoes, but it is always fun to experiment. Try using a mix of colors or substitute green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-spain-we-mainly-use-red-plum-tomatoes-but-it-is-always-fun-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by John Updike > [Life is a roller coaster, you have your ups and downs unless you fall off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/life-is-a-roller-coaster-you-have-your-ups-and-downs-unless-you-fall/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Children are not a zoo of entertainingly exotic creatures, but an array of mirrors in which the human predicament leaps out at us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/children-are-not-a-zoo-of-entertainingly-exotic-creatures-but-an/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I assume my stance, and take back the club, low, slowly; at the top, my eyes fog over, and my joints dip and swirl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-assume-my-stance-and-take-back-the-club-low-slowly-at-the-top-my/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The New England spirit does not seek solutions in a crowd; raw light and solitariness are less dreaded than welcomed as enhancers of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-new-england-spirit-does-not-seek-solutions-in-a-crowd-raw-light/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I imagine most of that stuff on the information highway is roadkill anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-imagine-most-of-that-stuff-on-the-information-highway-is-roadkill/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Families, doing everything for each other out of imagined obligation and always getting in each other's way, what a tangle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/families-doing-everything-for-each-other-out-of-imagined-obligation/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The fucking world is running out of gas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-fucking-world-is-running-out-of-gas/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The theme of old age doesn't seem to fascinate Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-theme-of-old-age-doesn-t-seem-to-fascinate-hollywood/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The mind cannot fall asleep as long as it watches itself. Only when the mind moves unwatched and becomes absorbed in images that tug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-mind-cannot-fall-asleep-as-long-as-it-watches-itself-only-when/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“it was somehow wonderful of her to be, in every detail, herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/it-was-somehow-wonderful-of-her-to-be-in-every-detail-herself/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [In fiction, imaginary people become realer to us than any named celebrity glimpsed in a series of rumored events, whose causes and subtler ramifications…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/in-fiction-imaginary-people-become-realer-to-us-than-any-named/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Her hair had been going gray as long as he could remember; she bundled it behind in a bun held with hairpins that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/her-hair-had-been-going-gray-as-long-as-he-could-remember-she-bundled/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Possession diminishes perception of value, immediately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/possession-diminishes-perception-of-value-immediately/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I can't bear to finish things, beyond a certain point they get heavy. There's something so dead about a finished painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-can-t-bear-to-finish-things-beyond-a-certain-point-they-get-heavy/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Some people find fall depressing, others hate spring. I've always been a spring person myself. All that growth, you can feel Nature groaning, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/some-people-find-fall-depressing-others-hate-spring-i-ve-always-been/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Explore all 592 John Updike quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## More Gardening quotes > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [A garden has a curious innocent way of consuming cash while all the time you are under the illusion that you are spending nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-meynell/a-garden-has-a-curious-innocent-way-of-consuming-cash-while-all-the/) [Esther Meynell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-meynell/) > [My days – the blossom of my youth and the flower of my manhood – have been darkened by the dreariness of servitude. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-o-connell/my-days-the-blossom-of-my-youth-and-the-flower-of-my-manhood-have/) [Daniel O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-o-connell/) > [“In the same way that the picturesque designers were always careful to include some reminder of our mortality in their gardens -- a ruin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-same-way-that-the-picturesque-designers-were-always-careful-to/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [There was a product on late night TV that you could attach to your garden hose - "You can water your hard-to-reach plants with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/there-was-a-product-on-late-night-tv-that-you-could-attach-to-your/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Plant flowers in others' gardens and your life becomes a bouquet! Submitted by Lisa Letto, Coordinator, Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre, College of Pharmacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/plant-flowers-in-others-gardens-and-your-life-becomes-a-bouquet/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Love and work are to people what water and sunshine are to plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/love-and-work-are-to-people-what-water-and-sunshine-are-to-plants/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“A flower needs the rain to grow just as much as it needs the sunshine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-mummert/a-flower-needs-the-rain-to-grow-just-as-much-as-it-needs-the-sunshine/) [Teresa Mummert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-mummert/) > [“Mr. Grote shows me how he grows wild rice in the stream and collects the seeds. The rice is nutty and brown. 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The crooked little tomato branches, pulpy and pale as if made of cheap green paper, broke under the weight of so much fruit; there was something frantic in such fertility, a crying-out like that of children frantic to please. Of plants, tomatoes seemed the most human, eager and fragile and prone to rot. 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