This is a great season to start growing a balanced diet.
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The Red Onion of Florence,
a little bit of Italy in your Garden . . .
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Gardeners cannot live upon tomatoes alone, so be sure to click here for our list of the many terrific fruits, flowers, and veggies, from amaranth to zinnias which will also be featured.
And, of course, we do have some fabulous tomatoes for sale.
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Canned, San Marzanos are very expensive; fresh they're just heavenly.
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Our Top Tomato Wrangler,
Arti Kirch, has some of her favorites
to recommend:
1. Ivory Pear - eating cherry; 75-80 days
I have grown many types of cherry tomatoes, but how could I resist a variety that was described as ". . . beautiful, sweet, lttle translucent, pear-shaped tomatoes?" Seriously, I have had other light yellow tomatoes and they are a highlight of my summer garden-the flavor is sweet, but not insipid, they are low acid, and they look stunning in a salad of dark greens. The other great thing about cherry tomatoes is that you always feel like a hero-they are almost always prolific so you can count on having a handful whenever you are in the garden.
2. Buffalo Heart - slicer; 75 days
In honor of my dear mom, this hard-to-find pink, fluted-edge and heart-shaped beauty comes from Poland. Heart-shaped tomatoes are, in my opinion, some of the best eating tomatoes around, and of course they look absolutely stunning on fresh bread with mozzarella. Oh, and buffaloes in Poland? Yes ma'am. Just look up the Bialowieza Forest (but don't ask me to try to pronounce it).
3. Rutgers - eating and canning; 78 days
Here's a true American classic. The Rutgers variety was initially developed by the Campbell Soup Company in 1928 and later refined by Rutgers University in 1943. The short, bushy plant-qualities that make it especially good for a container-produces 7 oz., dark-red tomatoes with thick walls that are loaded with delicious flavors. It's an excellent canning tomato, and recommended by one of the Markham volunteers who got loads and loads of them last year. Plus, with a name like that, it must be a smart tomato.
4. San Marzano - cooking & eating; 78 days
Do you like to eat? Do you like to save money? Well, you are in luck. We have grown almost 100 of the prized San Marzano heirloom tomato plants for you. This variety is coveted by cooks in-the-know around the world. Superior in every way to the common Roma variety, the San Marzano is cooking perfection, as it has fewer seeds, is fleshy and sweet with low acid, and the skin breaks down nicely. It starts to mature about 80 days after planting, and oh my, does it produce. So, you can pay $5 for a 28 oz. can (m-m-m- metal flavoring anyone?) of these babies, or pay $3 for a plant that will give and give and give. Buon appetito!
Our complete list of tomatoes can be found here.
Here are some tips on the care
and feeding of your new charges.
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How To Grow Your Best Harvest Ever
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Arti's Tips for Planting
and Growing Tomatoes
Because I grow and sell heirloom tomato and other edible plants, I have made it my business to educate myself and my clients on how to get a successful crop. Many factors can jinx your plants- weather, pests, and contamination in the soil from years of chemicals. Click here for my tips, and if you practice the following I can guarantee that you will have at least a better chance to get the crop of your dreams.
Arti Kirch, Board Member
