Classic beefsteak tomato has its day in the sun.
Tomatomania, a pro-veggie group tasked
with touting the splendors of all things tomato recently announced is thrilled
to announce that Thorburn’s Terra Cotta (more on him later) is its Tomato of
the Year!
It’s hard to curb Tomatomania’s
enthusiasm, especially when beginning tomorrow (Feb. 28) it will be holding
pop-up tomato celebrations now through April at the following San Diego County
venues: Mission Hills Nursery/San Diego; The Water Conservation Garden/El
Cajon; and the Botanic Garden/Encinitas.
Tomatomania – the one stop free gardening
education and pop up plant sale celebrates a large selection of tomato
seedlings and solutions to all your vegetable gardening issues and questions.
For a complete schedule of events,
classes and activities, go to www.tomatomania.com
But, let’s return to the Tomato of the
Year.
The unique color alone is enough to amaze
and delight but this beefsteak has thrilled us for three years in trials in
Ojai, Santa Ynez and Camarillo. It’s
delicious, productive and earlier than most larger tomatoes, making it an
especially great choice for growers near the coast. It was introduced to the
seed trade way back in 1893 and is still considered a rare variety.
Here’s what one seed company says about
this jewel:
Incredible flavor, color and history! Introduced in 1893 by
James Thorburn of New York, this is one of the most sensational tomatoes we
have ever grown. With honey-brown skin, orange-pink flesh, and green seed mass,
this is an eye-catching slicer with an out-of-this-world flavor. The tomato
produces heavily during mid-season and then drops off quickly once cool weather
sets in. As a cooker it will yield a pumpkin-orange sauce with a floral aroma.
We are excited to have this tomato that was painted in color in Thorburn’s 1893
catalog; at last we can offer this rare treasure!
Whom can argue?
Thorburn’s Terra Cotta will be a big hit
this spring with gardeners all over California especially with Tomatomania
beating the drums now through April.
Tomatomania is a huge community of
enthusiastic tomato lovers. Leading the team is Scott Daigre of Ojai, owner and
head Tomatomaniac. He is author of the best-selling book “Tomatomania: A Fresh
Approach to Celebrating Tomatoes in the Garden.” His company Powerplant Garden
Design based in Ojai CA focuses on installation of home and professional
gardens with a concentration on food based gardens.
And, with Spring a month away it’s time
for tomato fanatics to ready their gardens and our new best friends at
Tomatomania are ready to help:
www.tomatomania.com
No comments:
Post a Comment