So I ordered this year's tomato seeds the other night.
This year I am going to get really ambitious and I'll be planting seven heirloom varieties! So I selected Black Krim, Cosmonaut Volkov, Ferris Wheel, Green Zebra, Italian Heirloom, Old Time Red & Yellow and Silvery Fir Tree. For the initiated, you can read about each one below:
Black Krim: A very popular heirloom that originates from the Isle of Krim in the Black Sea off the coast of the Crimean Peninsula. The fruit are medium to large size and the color varies according to the climate, but generally the hotter the climate the darker the fruit. The taste of these tomatoes is intense. Definitely one of the tastiest tomatoes you can grow.
Cosmonaut Volkov: This is an old Ukrainian heirloom that was renamed in honour of a Russian cosmonaut who died coming back from a space mission. This heirloom tomato is one of the most productive varieties you can grow. It produces all summer long and into the fall, right up until first frost. The medium to large size red fruit have a full, complex, delicious, tangy flavor with a near-perfect acid/sweet balance that many gardeners search for. Produces well even in cool conditions. Highly recommended!
Ferris Wheel: Introduced by the Salzer Seed Company of LaCrosse, Wisconsin in 1898. Grow it for its history and rarity, but be amazed by its production of beautiful, large, blemish-free, flattened pink beefsteak type fruits, and its fantastic taste. One slice of this tomato will easily cover a piece of bread. Definitely one of the highlights of the season. An extremely rare variety.
Green Zebra: Gorgeous 2 1/2 to 3 inch fruits with chartreuse and deep lime-green stripes, very attractive. Flesh is bright green and very rich tasting, very sweet and tangy (just too good to describe!). A favorite tomato of many high end chefs.
Italian Heirloom: To sum it up in one word - Outstanding! The abundance of luscious red 1 lb fruit will amaze you. Italian Heirloom produces heavy yields of beautiful, meaty, slightly ox heart-shaped tomatoes with few seeds. Has an abundance of rich, complex, sweet flavors that are well-balanced with good acidity. Once you taste the first one, you will never settle for less. They are that good. Highly recommended!
Old Time Red & Yellow: An excellent bicolor variety collected from an elderly lady who said she had been growing it for years. These very productive plants produce huge red and yellow tomatoes with a delicious, sweet, rich and fragrant flavor. Under the right conditions, many tomatoes are 2 lbs and several can reach 3 lbs. Some of the tomatoes are all red and particularly delicious.
Silvery Fir Tree: This very tough, beautiful plant originates from Russia. One of the most ornamental tomatoes you can grow. The plants are small, growing to around 18-24 inches tall and has a distinctive foliage that is finely dissected, almost like carrot foliage. Produces very good yields of 2-3 inch fruits that are very tangy and delicious. Perfect for containers or small gardens. Produces when most others will not, even in cold, rainy years.