Grow a Beautiful
Basketful of Heirloom Tomatoes In Your Garden
These heirloom tomatoes were picked during the summer from some of the
140 varieties of
tomato plants in our home garden.
They
include: Aunt Gertie's Gold, Black Zebra, Jaune Flammé, Paul Robeson, Opalka, Green Zebra,
Hillbilly, Black Plum, Black Zebra, Sun Gold, Green Grape, Purple Russian, Tangella,
Azoychka, Costoluto Genovese,
Anna Russian, Marianna's Peace, Caspian Pink, Brandywine OTV, Kellogg's Breakfast, Julia Child, and Eva Purple
Ball.
Two of the Black
Zebras we put in the display were mysteriously eaten before this shot was taken.
These wonderful heirlooms are as easy to grow as
the common hybrid
varieties and need no special care other than healthy soil, clean garden
practices and sturdy support. Many of these
plants get really big and when fruit starts to set, the vines get heavy.
There are about 3,000 varieties of heirloom or
heritage tomatoes now in cultivation worldwide and more than 10,000 known
varieties.
We have narrowed it down to 150
for you in The Big List, below. Each carefully selected variety has been taste-tested by
Laurel.
Plants for shipping to gardeners in Florida, Texas,
Arizona, The Gulf Coast and other warm-winter climates are available year round.
Our plants make welcome gifts for your favorite
gardener, from novice to expert. Information and photographs of our gift
certificates are at the
bottom of this page.
Please
Join Us for Carmel TomatoFest this year! Sunday, September 14th at Quail
Lodge Resort.
About
Our Plants
All of our plants are grown organically
and shipped in their large, individual 3½" wide x 4" deep pots, in
top-quality organic potting mix, healthy, lush and full-sized,
from about 6" to 20" tall, hardened off and ready to plant out. They are shipped
when they have strong stems and fully-developed root systems.
A detailed 5-page step
by step planting and growing guide, including container growing tips is included with your order.
All seeds are started by Laurel personally from fresh
organically grown TomatoFest® seeds and your seedlings are tended carefully by
nursery experts throughout their growth period.
Laurel holding a Paul Robeson plant, ready to package and ship. Photo By Gary Ibsen
Each plant comes to you individually packaged and carefully
protected in a sturdy container, with a
permanent name label for your garden. Our unique custom packaging technique,
designed by Laurel,
protects your plants from shifting or movement in transit, assuring safe arrival
from here in Los Angeles to your door.
Your heirloom tomato plants will have several
different types of foliage; some very wispy, fern-like, and delicate like Anna Russian,
Sunset's Red Horizon and Bull's Heart, some
thick and hearty like Blue Ridge Mountain, Earl's Faux, Boondocks, Stupice and Aunt Gertie's Gold, and everywhere
in-between, in varying shades of green. Some plants can reach 7 to 8 feet, even
up to 15 feet or
taller, some are small and compact. These are their natural and
extraordinary genetic traits which were familiar and
beloved to generations of our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and
beyond.
About Feedback:
If you are happy with your plants when they
arrive and can take a moment, please leave feedback at
The Garden Watchdog
We would really
appreciate it!
If for any reason you are not completely happy
with your order, please call or email us right away and we will do everything we
can to make you happy!
Here's How To
Order
Shipping is now closed for the weeks of:
March 24th
March 31st
April 7th
April 14th
April 21st
April 28th
May 5th
May 12th
May 19th
May 26th
June 2nd
June 9th
June 16th
Shipping is still available for all of July, August, and throughout the entire year!
Our Fall List has been posted below.
To Order By
Telephone
Click on the 'Our
Tomato Varieties and How to Order' link below in the Site Map, make
a list of the plants you need.
Go to the Growing Tips &
Garden Products link below to choose your fertilizers and garden products.
Choose your 14 day shipping window beginning on
Monday of the week you want us to ship, and call us, please note that call
volume is extremely heavy during April and May so please keep calling until
you get through.
Telephone:
(310) 534-8611
Hablamos Español.
FAX #
(310) 602-6338 Fax line
is secure for credit card orders.
To Order By Email or FAX
Emailed orders will take 2 to 3 days to answer.
Make a list of your plants alphabetically, along with fertilizers, books,
etc. and:
Your name
Your
address
Your telephone number where we can reach you quickly, Mon. through Sat.
Your email address
Your preferred shipping window
Some alternate choices if your first is not available.
1.
Laurel can personally choose an appropriate alternate for me.
2. Another plant of one on your list.
3.
Store credit.
Email this information to:
Tomatoplants@pacbell.net
Within 2 to 3 days we will email your invoice; you call with payment information.
We cannot process emailed orders without your address to determine
shipping cost and your phone number if we have
questions about your order.
Telephone
hours are Monday through Friday from 9 am
to 5 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm.
(To order seeds, click here:
www.TomatoFest.com This will take
you to TomatoFest®
for 500 varieties of heirloom tomato seeds!)
VERY IMPORTANT:
Shortly after you place your plant order you will get a copy of your receipt by email
with your address and all pertinent information. Please check to be sure
the information is accurate. If there is an error and you have not noted it and
informed us, we may not have your correct name or delivery address. If you
do not receive a copy of your order within 2 days, please us call right away to
be sure we have your correct email address. Thank you ~ Laurel
Email:
tomatoplants@pacbell.net
Telephone 310
534-8611
FAX
310 602 6338
Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, and
Saturday 9 am to 12 pm, Pacific Time.
Shipping begins about March
24th or as soon as the plants are big enough to travel and continues throughout the spring, summer, fall
and winter.
Please have some alternate choices in
mind in case your first choice is out of stock. If no alternates are noted, Laurel will
select for you at shipping time.
Your delivery will be scheduled during a
14 day window to suit your desired planting
time in spring or summer, or during fall and winter for zones 9b, 10 and 11. For
instance, if you choose May 5th as your shipping window your plants will
ship between May 5th and May 17th.
Before you order, please be sure to read our
Payment and Shipping Costs page to familiarize yourself with shipping and
packaging costs.
Payment Information &
Shipping Costs
Know just what you want? Placing your order
will take about 5 to 10 minutes by phone. You can also order by email and then
call us with credit card information when we confirm you order.
If you need advice or consultation about your
order, Laurel is available for telephone consultation with customers.
If she cannot take your
call right away, leave
a number where you can be reached easily; Laurel will call you back as soon as
possible for
help and advice with your garden needs.
When To Plant 
Your plants
should go into the garden during the
best time for
your USDA planting zone, when nighttime and soil temperatures remain steadily above
50º. If
you choose earlier shipment, you risk the chance of cold soil and cool air
triggering dormancy, undermining the health of your plants and setting back their
growth progress, reducing and delaying your harvest.
Two to three weeks after your last
frost date is usually the best time to plant. Wait for the warm weather;
tomatoes are warm
weather crops and will grow much faster and healthier in warm soil.
Great News for Gardeners
in Zones 10, 10b and 11!
You can continue to plant out
tomato seedlings into earliest September in the warm fall-winter zones. Choose
varieties that are less than 70 days to maturity.
Plants for gardeners in
Florida, Texas, Arizona, the Gulf Coast and other warm-winter climates in zones 10,
10b and 11
are available during the fall and winter from late August through February. Custom orders are
welcome;
please see information below for custom grown plants.
To find your zone,
click here:
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/
If the map does not show enough detail for
you, Click
Here
to look up your hardiness zone by zip code.
How Many Plants?
Smart Spacing
Tomato plants, especially these heirloom
varieties, get really big, from 5 to 10 feet tall and taller, 3 to 4 feet wide, and need
to be spaced about 32 - 36 inches apart in rows about 4 feet apart.
For example, a
garden bed 6' by 15' will comfortably accommodate 10 - 12 plants depending on
plant size at maturity, while providing plenty of root
space, airflow, and room for lots of foliage and fruit. Some of our
small varieties get only 4 feet tall, our dwarf varieties
remain quite small and compact, from 18" to 3 feet tall and can be spaced closer.
See the
Growing Tips page
for more detailed information.
Plant Prices, Minimum
Order
Our organically grown tomato plants are from
$4.95
to $5.95; some of our very rare plants are higher priced. Prices are next to their names on The Big List. Shipping
is not included in the plant price.
Minimum order for PayPal, check, cash or
money order purchase is 1 plant.
Minimum credit card order is 4 plants.
Substitutions,
Very Important Information
Sometimes we must substitute a similar plant variety if your first choice is not
available. If you do not list alternate choices, Laurel will personally choose a
very similar and delicious variety which will do well in your climate.
If you do not
want us to substitute a variety, be sure to mention this when you order and we
will credit you for that plant if it is not available or send another plant of a
variety on your list.
Please note that during
April and May we will
not be able to consult with you regarding the variety we substitute. During this
period of extremely high shipping volume, if you have not listed some alternates
and if we cannot locate you immediately to
confer about an alternate, your shipment will have to be held back until the
next open
shipping window which can mean a crucial delay in getting your plants to you. This is why you
must have a few alternates in mind.
Hey...Where's the Shopping Cart?
Can I Order Online?
No, we do not have an online shopping cart
due to variable plant sizes, from 6" to 20" tall. Plants can weigh
from 1 to 1½ lbs each, thus variable shipping
weights and costs, so your order is taken by telephone or email so we can determine accurate
shipping costs for you.
Payment Information Click
for very important shipping
and packaging cost information. Please read this page before ordering to
familiarize yourself with our prices, shipping method, packaging costs and our
guarantee. Shipping and packaging costs are not included in the plant price.
Your
personal information is secure and never shared with anyone, ever.
Laurel Garza
Telephone 310 534-8611 NOTE:
We are in California and telephone
hours are for Pacific
Time.
Hablamos Español
FAX # 310 602 6338
Monday
- Friday 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday 9 am to 12 pm.
When
To Order
Please order early.
Our shipping schedule fills up early and
quickly for the shipping windows during April, May and June delivery.
Although we will always have a huge selection of plants, you may not get
your desired shipping window if you wait until late March, April or May to place your
order. Please order early.
Your delivery will be scheduled during a 14 day window beginning each Monday (if that window is not
yet filled) to suit your desired spring or summer planting time or fall and
winter for zones 10, 10b and 11. For instance, if you choose May 5th as
your shipping window your plants will ship between May 5th and May 17th.
Tomato plants
should be planted about 2 to 3 weeks after your last frost date, when soil and air temperatures stay reliably above
50º. Earlier than that, the cold soil will cause your plants to go dormant. Not good.
To find your zone,
click here:
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/
If the map
does not show enough detail for you Click
Here
to
look up your hardiness zone by zip code.
Shipping begins approximately March 24 - 26th, or as
soon as the plants are big enough to travel, and continues throughout the
entire year. Your
plants will be shipped during the week you select --as long as it is still available. The
ordering rush begins in March with many thousands of plants being ordered and shipped; please order as early as possible for
April and May delivery to avoid a delay in your desired shipping date.
Custom
Orders-Our Specialty
We
specialize in custom-grown plants for gardeners, growers, chefs, gourmets and gourmands
nationwide.
Would you like to grow one
that's not on
the list? Perhaps you have an old favorite or you've heard about an intriguing variety which you don't see
here or loved a variety which is not on our 2008 list.
Let us grow it for you! Custom orders are
our specialty.
You may send us seeds, we may have seeds, or will
find the seeds and grow plants for
you with 9 to 10 weeks notice; just ask for Laurel. Certain seeds are somewhat difficult to
obtain or costly, and may require an additional fee of $2.00-$5.00 per variety.
The list of seeds we currently have in stock for
custom grown plants is on this page toward the bottom, below The Big List. We
need 9 to 10 weeks notice to grow custom plants for you.
Picking Up Your Plants
Do you
live
or work in Southern California? We do not have a retail store but plant pick-up is available
at our nursery by
appointment only.
Plants will be ready in late March.
Please call ahead for an appointment. 310 534 8611. Pick-up
hours are arranged for Fridays from 1 pm to 3 pm or Sundays from 11 a.m. to 1 pm.
From April through September we have Plant Sales
here at our nursery on Sundays.
Click to see
Our 2008 Plant Sale Dates
(Laurel is very allergic to manufactured perfumes, please
avoid perfuming before you set out. Thank you!)
We are in the
South Bay/Torrance area of Los Angeles County near Western and Pacific Coast
Highway, 30 minutes south of LAX, 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean and ½ mile west of the 110 freeway in
Lomita.
Updated:
Thursday, July 3rd
2008
New Varieties for 2008
In
September 2007 we attended my friends' Gary Ibsen and Dagma Lacey's TomatoFest®
in Carmel, California, had a fabulous time tasting more than 400 tomato
varieties along with a sublime barbecue feast, a bounty of fine wines, olive oils, a salsa showcase and more than 100 knock-out tomato dishes prepared by some of the great chefs of California. It
was heavenly... a golden day.
We brought back seeds of some
wonderful tomatoes including Blue Fruit, Gramma Climenhaga, Mirabell, Green Grape, Painted Ukrainian,
Yellow Submarine, Heart of Compassion, New Big Dwarf, Cindy's
West Virginia, Camp Joy, Florida Pink, Cherokee Chocolate, Purple Russian,
Ildi, Carbon, Orange Strawberry, Mrs. Houseworth, Elfin, Chocolate Stripes, Roman
Candle, Kennington's Big Red,
Orange Russian 117, Sweet Israeli, Gold Medal Yellow, Italian Tree, Carbon, Sweet
Pea Currant, New Yorker, Big Orange Stripe and other new selections along with
the old
favorites. Our new selections will be designated 'New for 2008'.
Photos and descriptions are in The Big List below.
Big Zac is back
for 2008. Big
Zac will be the
biggest tomato of all in your garden, averaging 4 lbs. and up to 7 lbs.--prize
winning size and great big old-time tomatoey flavor.
Our premier varieties, Purple Haze
and Goose Creek are also back in stock for 2008, along with my all time
favorite, Paul Robeson, and a big hit from last year,
Black Ruffles, a magnificent black tomato which is a cross of Black Krim and
Zapotec Pleated.
We will also have our 2 new
delicious and beautiful introductions from last season,
Laurel's California Gold and Gary
Ibsen's Gold along with a superbly flavored variety
called Yellow Submarine.
We will be at TomatoFest this
September (2008), Sunday the 14th, where Laurel will be near the bandstand from 2:30 to
3:00 giving out certificates for free tomato plants for 2009. See you then!
Spring and summer shipping
begins approximately March 24th and continues
throughout the spring and summer, extending into mid October through
February with fall and winter plants for our South Florida, portions of
Arizona and Nevada, areas of The Gulf Coast and greenhouse growers.
Please
order early to reserve your plants and shipping window.
Shipping is now closed for the weeks
of:
March 24th
March 31st
April 7th
April 14th
April 21
April 28th
May 5th
May 12th
May 19th
May 26th
June 2nd
June 9th
June 16th
Shipping is still available for June 23rd and
all of July, August and the rest of the year.
Don't see the one you want? The list of
seeds we currently have in stock for custom-grown plants is on this
page, below The Big List. You may also send us seeds and we will
custom-grow plants for you, or ask us to find seeds to grow special
plants just for you.
Part
of Our Home Garden Harvest
A Guide
to the Symbols
(H)
Hybrid. The few hybrids we list were developed with great flavor as the main criterion. These are delicious varieties
which
we have grown and taste-tested to ensure superior flavor.
(D)
Determinate. Also known as 'bush' varieties, these plants are great for container
growing or for your small garden. They reach a certain predetermined height and then
stop growing. Most of the fruit is borne over a 4 to 6 week period.
Our
Sunshine Symbol means this variety grows beautifully in all climates, and does especially well in sustained high heat
but not hotter than 95º. Pollen normally becomes sterile above 95º
Extra
heat tolerant.
A specialty plant, developed to
produce consistently in very hot weather, up to 97º- 98º.
Our Penguin Symbol means this variety grows beautifully in
all climates,
and does especially
well in cooler temperatures and produces late into the cool season.
Grows beautifully in most climates and is extra cold tolerant.
However, this does not mean North Dakota in winter. Your tomato plants need
night temperatures consistently above 48º F.
(E) Early
ripening
variety, with 78 days or less to ripe tomatoes.
(VE) Very early varieties, usually
less than 68 days from plant-out to ripe fruit.
(EE) Extremely
early ripening varieties, ready to pick in only 45-60 days from planting.
A good choice for growing in
pots, and a variety which Laurel has already grown successfully in
containers. Any heirloom tomato plant will grow well in a large 18 - 30 gallon container with proper growing
techniques and the dwarf varieties can be grown in 5 -10 gallon containers.
See detailed container-growing info:
Growing Tips
(Ch)
A cherry tomato. These
little fruits
can be red, black, orange, pink, purple, green, yellow, ivory, white or bicolor
and in varying shapes: round, pear, grape, ping pong, pea-sized and plum-shaped.
(B)
A big tomato of at least 1 or 2 pounds.
(BB) A
really big tomato. These 'super braggers' can reach 3 to 4 pounds.
(BBB)
A ridiculously huge tomato, these prize winning giants can reach
more than 5 lbs.
(SM)
A small plant, great for
containers or smaller garden spaces.
(VSM)
A very small, dwarf type plant for
small containers and tiny gardens.
(P-S)
Paste or sauce type, especially
popular for sauces. These tomatoes are richly flavored, ideal for cooking
because flavors increase exponentially during the cooking process, and are also marvelous for fresh eating.
(HG)
For
your Historical
or Heritage Garden. These are storied tomatoes with a fascinating history,
including well-known historic varieties, some of them named
after persons of high renown, or an historical event. Some are tomatoes with tall
tales and legends attached to their names. Many have simply stood the test of
time.
Days:
Approximate time from planting
the seedling to harvesting the ripe fruit. Can vary from climate to climate.
New for 2008!
This means we are offering these varieties this
year for
the first time. Not necessarily a
'new' variety.
Our
2008 Tomato Varieties by Category
Click on
these categories or take a look at the
The Big List below for all 160 varieties.
New Varieties for 2008
Our 2008 Plant Sale Dates
Please join us for our Sunday Sales all summer!
Gift Certificates
Laurel's
Favorites
Big Red
Tomatoes
Medium Sized Red Tomatoes
The
Biggest Tomatoes
Small
Fruited/Cherry Tomatoes
Early
Ripening Tomatoes
Pink
and Purple Tomatoes
The Black
Tomatoes
The Green
Tomatoes
The Yellow, Gold & Orange Tomatoes
Multi
Colored Tomatoes
Other Colors
Sauce and Paste Tomatoes
Smaller Plants for Containers
Growing Tips and Garden Products
Heirloom Tomato Seeds
(This will take you to TomatoFest.com for more than 500 varieties of
heirloom tomato seeds)
The Best
Tomato Sandwich
Recipes from our customers!
Chile Plants, Sweet
Peppers and Basil
What Our
Customers Say
And some photographs of their gardens
Plants
Currently Available as of July 2nd
(Plants in low supply will show the exact quantity we
have in stock)
|
1884 |
|
Abe Lincoln |
|
Amana Orange |
|
Amy's Sugar Gem -- 2 in stock |
|
Anna Russian |
|
Aunt Ginny's Purple |
|
Aunt Ruby's German Green |
|
Big Beef |
|
Big Rainbow -- 3 in stock |
|
Big Zac |
|
Bisignano #2 |
|
Black Cherry -- 3 in stock |
|
Black Ethiopian |
|
Black Plum -- 3 in stock |
|
Black Prince |
|
Blue Fruit |
|
Box Car Willie |
|
Brandywine OTV -- 3 in stock |
|
Brandywine Red |
|
Camp Joy |
|
Carbon |
|
Carmello |
|
Cerise Orange -- 3 in stock |
|
Cherokee Chocolate |
|
Cherokee Purple |
|
Chocolate Stripes |
|
Cindy's West Virginia -- 4 in stock |
|
Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red |
|
Costoluto Genovese |
|
Crazy |
|
Creole |
|
Cuostralee |
|
Dagma's Perfection |
|
Delicious |
|
Dona |
|
Druzba |
|
Earl of Edgecombe -- 2 in stock |
|
Earl's Faux |
|
Early Wonder |
|
Elfin |
|
Enormous Plum -- 2 in stock |
|
Eva Purple Ball -- 2 in stock |
|
Fireworks |
|
Flamme |
|
Garden Peach |
|
Gardener's Delight |
|
German Giant |
|
Gold Nugget |
|
Goose Creek -- 3 in stock |
|
Gramma Climenhaga |
|
Green Giant |
|
Green Grape |
|
Green Zebra |
|
Heart of Compassion |
|
Marianna's Peace |
|
Martino's Roma |
|
Mortgage Lifter |
|
Omar's Lebanese |
|
Orange Blossom |
|
Pineapple |
|
Pruden's Purple |
|
Siletz |
|
Stupice |
|
Sun Gold -- 3 in stock |
|
Taxi |
|
Tiny Tim |
|
Yellow Pear |
| |
The Fall List
For
shipping mid-August through November
Descriptions
and photographs are below in The Big List.
Don't
see what you want? Let us custom grow it for you!
Call Laurel with
your request--please allow 8 weeks for custom
grown plants.
310 534 8611
Available For Fall:
|
Amy's Sugar Gem |
|
Anna Russian |
|
Azoychka |
|
Big Rainbow |
|
Big Beef |
|
Big Zac |
|
Black Cherry |
|
Black Plum |
|
Black Krim |
|
Boondocks |
|
Brandywine OTV |
|
Brandywine Red, L V |
|
Carmello |
|
Cherokee Purple |
|
Chocolate Stripes |
|
Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red |
|
Dagma's Perfection |
|
Eva Purple Ball |
|
Fireworks |
|
Florida Pink |
|
Goose Creek |
|
Grape |
|
Green Giant |
|
Green Zebra |
|
Hawaiian Currant |
|
Hillbilly |
|
Italian Tree |
|
Japanese Black Trifele |
|
Kellogg's Breakfast |
|
Lime Green Salad |
|
Marianna's Peace |
|
Martino's Roma |
|
Mirabell |
|
Mortgage Lifter |
|
Northern Lights |
|
Omar's Lebanese |
|
Paul Robeson |
|
Peacevine |
|
Purple Haze |
|
San Marzano Redorta |
|
Sophie's Choice |
|
Stupice |
|
Sun Gold |
|
Sunmaster |
|
Sweet Baby Girl |
|
Yellow Submarine |
The
Big List for 2008
All 160 Tomato
Varieties
1884
($4.95) (B)
((HG)
(E)
78 days. 1884 is a superbly flavored old-time
tomato which grows on a strong vigorous plant and produces big luscious 1 to 2
lb. deep dark pink fruit with
luxurious
flavor and sets
fruit readily in hot weather. It is said that the original seeds were discovered in
1884 by a Mr. James Lyde Williamson in the debris after the big flood in Friendly, West Virginia. This
grand fruit has taken top mention year after year in tomato tastings all over
the country. Easy
to grow and very productive.
Abraham
Lincoln ($4.95)
(HG) 80 days. This is the lusciously
Illinois tomato.
Very tasty, sweet, and juicy, with intense old fashioned tomato flavors, this wildly
popular heirloom was introduced in Illinois in 1923 and produces big, red, round,
scrumptious 1-pound fruits in bountiful clusters of up to 9 tomatoes and has excellent
disease
resistance. A real classic which grows beautifully everywhere.
Amana Orange ($4.95) (BB)
80 days. This huge,
extremely prolific and beautiful
late season heirloom beefsteak is named for Amana,
Iowa. The light-orange fruits grow to 2 pounds or more. Amana Orange is
full flavored and slightly sweet with an enticing hint of tropical fruit flavors
and a lovely texture. Along with producing huge numbers of fruit, our customers
all over the country from coast to coast and in the southern states, including
Florida and Texas, are reporting great success with Amana Orange in hot
weather.
Available for fall 
Amy's Sugar Gem ($5.25)
(VE)
65 days.
This
huge, sprawling plant produces heavy clusters of golf ball sized, incredibly
delicious, deep red ambrosial fruit with tiny golden jewel-like sparkles within
the red skin. Very sweet! It was one of my absolute favorite tomatoes at TomatoFest in September--just
knocked me out.
Candy-on-the-vine, not to be missed.
Developed by Jeff
McCormack, it is a cross of Red Cherry and Tappy's Finest. Named for Amy
Boor Hereford whose Grandma Tappy introduced Jeff to heirloom tomatoes more
than 20 years ago.
Available
for fall
Anna Russian
($4.95)
(VE)
((HG)
65
days. This
was the very first heirloom tomato I ever tasted.
This plant has very
delicate, wistful foliage as do many of the Russian varieties. Don't let that fool you!
Anna is easy to grow and bears heavily during hot
and cool weather.
Years ago my mom brought me some perfect heart-shaped Anna Russians from her
garden. She had gotten the seeds from a friend. I tasted; I swooned. From 8 to
12 ounces, the fruits she brought had grown in beautiful clusters of 2 or 3--I wouldn't be without it.
Still in my
top 5 favorites after
all these years, Anna Russian is always among the first few plants I set out in
my home garden every spring in a little Tomato Love ceremony. Its perfect heart
shape in colors ranging from pink to red make it very special indeed.
Anna Russian seeds came to Craig Lehoullier from Brenda
Hillenius of Oregon, who got the seeds from her grandfather, Kenneth Wilcox. Years earlier
he had
been given
the original seeds from a Russian immigrant friend--a genuine example of the
intriguing history these grand old tomatoes carry with them.
Arkansas Traveler (Please see 'Traveler', below)
Aunt Ginny's Purple
($4.95)
((HG)
(B) 80 days. From Indiana, this big grand heirloom produces
luscious 1-pound or heavier, deep-pink silky smooth juicy tomatoes with sweet,
tangy, rich flavors which many tomato fans find superior to the
Brandywines. Growing in clusters of 2 or 3, Aunt Ginny's Purple is of German origin, from
well-respected tomato grower Rick Burkhart of Indianapolis whose family has raised it for more than
40 years. A reliable producer and really easy to grow.
Aunt Gertie's Gold
($4.95)
85-95 days. This big beautiful 12 oz. golden jewel of a tomato is luscious, creamy, smooth as silk,
with incredible
flavor, in my top 10. A rare treat, sometimes late to ripen, but worth it a thousand times
over. Introduced
by the legendary Chuck Wyatt.
Aunt Ruby's German
Green ($4.95)
(B)
(E)75-78 days. You're going to love this
beautiful Tennessee tomato. Big, sweet
beefsteaks, bursting with a fragrant, complex, spicy-sweetness with a touch of
tang. A gorgeous
green-when-ripe color, this much sought after variety is a real treat to have in your
garden, and is said
to be the very best tasting green. Reaching an average of 1 lb, Aunt Ruby's
German Green grows in clusters of 2 or 3.
With its intricate, earthy, unforgettable flavor, this one will broaden
your tomato horizons. Very adaptable, and easy to grow with good disease resistance.
From Ruby Arnold of Greeneville, Tennessee who passed away in 1997.
Available for fall
Azoychka (Ah-ZOYCH-kah)($4.95) 65 days.
(E)
One of the first to ripen in
your garden, this juicy, scrumptious, lemon-yellow, 7 to 8 ounce tomato has a
rich, lingering sweetness
with just a touch of acidity.
Ripening in only 65 days from planting out, it has a
delightful yet subtle hint of citrusy flavor. A spectacular Russian heirloom,
Azoychka has become a favorite of chefs and tomato lovers
world wide.
Beefsteak (AKA
Red Ponderosa or Crimson Cushion)
($4.95)
(BB)
85 days. Here is the
original beefsteak heirloom tomato. Beefsteak will conjure memories of how real
tomatoes taste.
Huge, fragrant, delicious red fruits, up
to 2 pounds, on a big vine, this amazing plant will need extra support to keep up with
the giant, juicy, sweet and scrumptious old-time tomatoes. A
classic.
Beauty ($4.95) 78 days.
This highly
productive, very leafy smaller-type plant produces a huge amount of deep red 14 oz., slightly
flattened 4 inch fruits with big juicy, very sweet flavors but well balanced
with that perfect touch of acidity for full, complex tomatoey flavors.
Outstanding production, marvelous flavor.
Beiju is back for 2008!
Beiju, 'Auspicious 88th
Birthday' (Bay-ZHOO) ($6.25) (H) 72 days. This marvelous tomato has caused quite a
commotion among our customers who've tried it during the past couple of seasons.
Seems they can't live without it now, so it's back for 2008.
The seeds are not available
commercially so I've had to track them down and have finally succeeded in
getting some from Japan for the 2008 season. The name of this exceedingly rare,
prolific and very precious 'low-acid' tomato means Auspicious 88th Birthday.
The hearty plants load up with huge harvests of 6 to 7 ounce red, round tomatoes
sometimes with an elegant glimmer of green streaking at the shoulders just
before ripening to pure red. Very sweet, deeply luscious and juicy with a
lingering fruity flavor, Beiju is a gem and said to be one of the keys to good
health and staying young.
A special celebration for ones
Auspicious 88th Birthday includes feasting on the finest foods--including
delicious tomat
