Tomatoes

January 24, 2013

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Five Favourite Italian Edibles

I went to my local Italian grocer this week and chose seed packs for the contest. I tried to stick with varieties that winners can grow in a variety of conditions whether that’s location/climate, season, small spaces, big spaces, and containers. Some of these can be direct sown and some should be started indoors. Something for everyone!

Italian seed packets tend to be very generous and these are no exception. Each packet contains enough seed to sow a farm or share with several friends.

Below you’ll find write-ups on each variety that I chose. Many of these varieties have become available through companies that sell heirloom seed, but I still find that Spigarello is not commonly available. My local grocer didn’t sell it last year and I was so glad when they listened to my pleas and stocked it again for 2013.

There is still time to enter the contest but you must do so over here. Enjoy!

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January 17, 2013

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Tomatoes Worth Growing: ‘Mennonite Orange’

Meaty, dense, huge, and prolific: I didn’t intend to grow ‘Mennonite Orange’ last summer, but boy am I ever glad I did.

The details:

80 days
Indeterminate
Open-pollinated heirloom
Beefsteak, Slicer
Orange
Ripens: Mid-season
Story: Originally from Pennsylvania but grown in Southern Ontario.
Container Growing: You’ll need a really big pot, 16″+ deep.

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October 1, 2012

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Tomatoes Gone Wild

It is a chaotic blanket of thin, tangled branches smothering the lilac bush. A wild thing in a garden that has gone mad with wild things and wildness. And once it got going that poor potted dahlia hardly stood a chance.

I’ve realized that it is a living approximation of my grandmother’s “Christmas tree.” My garden’s tribute of sorts to the mass of potted tropical vines and houseplants that she decorated with small glass balls and assembled into a triangular “tree” shape each December.

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September 27, 2012

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Herbaria (September 14, 2012)

I took a break from posting the Herbaria recently. I did continue shooting the photos so I am resuming where I left off a few weeks back.

This week marks more tomatoes. All varieties have come in and many were already starting to wane at the time of this photo a few weeks back. It’s turning into a hustle to ensure that the remaining varieties as well as other frost tender plants make it into these photos before their time comes.

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August 22, 2012

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Herbaria (August 17, 2012): The All Tomato Edition

This week’s Herbaria, which you will notice is (once again) last week’s Herbaria, is all about tomatoes. Several varieties ripened at once this week and canning has begun.

I am writing this at the airport while I wait for a flight and unfortunately there is one new variety in this batch whose name I can not recall. I promise to update this page when I return home.

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