Heirloom Tomatoes May 2007
I decided that this Spring I wanted to plant heirloom tomatoes. I have grown Roma and the standard Big Boys before but they never seemed to have the flavor of heirloom tomatoes. I also like the idea of growing tomatoes that are not genetically modified and are pollinated naturally. They are reputed to be more resistant to disease and predators since they are natives of the area.
I tried searching online and found many producers out of California but I really wanted to find a local supplier. For Mother's Day I really wanted heirloom tomato plants. Not that I would have turned down jewelry but we were very busy this Mother's Day with all of the client orders, so I told Peter to just help me find some heirloom tomato plants and help me plant them.
I purchased the manure, soil, compost mixture and tomato cages but none of the local garden centers had the heirloom plants. Peter suggested Pipkin's in Blue Ash which had skipped my mind for some reason. Although it was extraordinarily crowded with a Blue Ash Police Officer directing traffic in and out of their parking lot, Pipkin's was a success. Due to my small garden area, I had to limit my purchases to 'Mortgage Lifter,' 'Brandywine Red,' and the one I really wanted 'Black Krim.'
Some of the varieties of heirlooms available online have very detailed histories including favorites of various Presidents and other historical figures. I am very excited to watch my little heirloom tomatoes develop. I purchased 3 varieties that mature at different times, hopefully insuring that we have fresh tomatoes all season! Finding these special plants helped make my Mother's Day such a wonderful day. (Although the beautiful cards, Pierson's soccer game and gorgeous weather didn't hurt either.) I hope everyone else had a beautiful day too.
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