Pink and Purple Tomatoes

 

Raspberry Mochi

 

 

 

1884 ($7.95
)  (B)    ((HG) (E) 78 days. 1884 is a superbly flavored old-time tomato which grows on a strong vigorous plant and produces big luscious 2 lb. deep dark pink fruit with luxurious flavor and sets fruit readily in hot weather. It is said that the original seeds were discovered in 1884 by a Mr. Williamson in the debris after the big flood in Friendly, West Virginia. This grand fruit has taken top mention year after year in tomato tastings all over the country. Easy to grow and very productive. Marvelous for fresh eating and makes a luscious sauce.

 

Amish Rose ($7.95) 80 days.

 

Simple name, yes? This lovely old time 10 to 12 oz. Amish tomato that has been one of my favorites for more then 20 years. With rich, sweet, Brandywine-like flavor, strong growth reliability and classic old time nuance, it is a magical inhabitant in your garden.

 

This is a classic, fabulously flavored tomato that I want you to grow so you will know what I know.

 

I have been getting requests for Rose for years after it was featured in a PBS radio show in 2009.

 

The host spoke of how her late Mom had grown this tomato and she'd saved her Mom's Rose seeds for 40 years. She lost the seed packet during a move and was devastated. I called the station to leave a message that I knew this tomato and could find it, that I had seeds.

 

We had a very emotional conversation when we realized her Mom and I were huge fans of this extraordinary tomato and that I had seeds. It called to mind my Mama  -- who brought me my first heirloom tomato, Anna Russian, more than 30 years ago.

 

So here it is for your garden.

 

 

 

 

 

Black Bear ($7.95) 85 days.

Black Bear is on of those excellent fruits with the giant, complex flavors we adore in the big purple-black tomatoes. Full , complex, and SO satisfying to bite into. CHOMP!

Because it's so meaty, it's easy to slice thin or thick for sandwiches, or cut into wedges for salads or in half for seasoning and roasting. And...straight up feasting right in the garden! 

Thick, smooth flesh with lots of juice. Meaty and luscious -- disease resistant with really high production.

 

 

 

                 

 Cherokee Purple ($7.95) (HG) (E) 70 days.

 

A legendary and beautiful tomato, at least 100 years old and grown by the Cherokee People.

 

12 oz. deep dark dusky rose-purple, deep red inside, with sweet, rich and smoky, luscious flavor. 

 

Cherokee Purple is a garden staple, in everyone's favorite list for a good reason, disease resistant, reliable and easy to grow, and great one for your heirloom or heritage garden. 

 

 

 The finest tasting of the dwarf cherry tomatoes!

 

Velvet Night Cherry  ($8.95) 65 days      

 

These sweet, yummy, deep-purple cherry tomatoes grow on a small dwarf plant! Of all the cherries from the dwarf family, Velvet Night is the absolute best.

 

High production, fabulous flavor, very much like Black Cherry and Purple Haze, but growing on a small shrubby plant.

 

If you have a limited garden space and crave a really sweet, rich flavored cherry tomato, this is the one for you!

 

Lots of 1 to 2 ounce cherry tomatoes will keep your tomato taste buds really happy all season long -- and you'll have enough to share with friends and neighbors.

 

 

 

 

    Top Seller!

Foxy Lady ($7.95) (E) (HG)   (70 to 75 days). 

This rapturous little cherry tomato has gained a huge following among my customers.

The flavor is energizing, elaborate and dazzling with a sweet, seductive background and earthy nuance with lingering flavors. A tiny touch of tang balances its big full-bodied sweetness. I am madly in love with this tomato.

Early ripening and growing in huge abundance on big plants in clusters of 5 to 7 fruits, Foxy Lady ripens in only 70-72 days from plant out and has some of the biggest potato type leaves I’ve ever seen.

 

German Johnson ($7.95) 85 days (BB) Up to 2 lbs!

A huge, prolific plant originally from Virginia and the Carolinas. Grown for more than 75 years, it is one of the four parent lines of Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter; the flavor is enchanting.

If you've ever wondered what tomato might embody the legendary, classic flavor profile of all that is Heirloom Tomatoness, this is your huckleberry.

Most of the old-time German tomatoes, including German Johnson, Old German, German Queen, German Giant and more, are not from Germany but from Mennonite farms in the Southern United States. German Johnson is the quintessential old-time Mennonite tomato.

Smooth skin, no cracking or splitting, the big, leafy, robust plants produce huge, gorgeous pink 1 to 2 lb. beefsteak type tomatoes. A creamy texture, sweet and luscious, along with high production make German Johnson a top tier choice in your heirloom garden. Similar to Brandywine Pink but produces much more heavily, easily 10 times more than Brandywine.

A hugely popular farmers' market tomato. A wonderful sandwich tomato with good disease resistance. German Johnson is a winner in every garden

 

 

 

 

Marianna's Peace (7.95)   80 days. (B) (HG)      
 

Copyrighted photograph property of Laurel Garza, all rights reserved 2008-2022 

In the second photograph, our customer Honey Piazza with a beautiful Marianna's Peace from her garden.

 

One of our top 3 sellers. The sugary nectar of this huge 5" tomato's creamy, dense, deep pink-red flesh is intensely rich, with perfect sweet-acid balance and sublime, complex flavors reminiscent of the finest of the "old-fashioned" tomato flavors.  This big, beautiful irresistible up to 3 lb. deep pink-red fruit is the talk of the tomato world and has found its way into Top 10 favorite tomato lists of gourmands worldwide. It is perfection. Supply is limited, please order early. It is said that Marianna's Peace is among the 3 finest tasting tomatoes in existence.

Marianna was from a family of farmers in Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. During World War II, in May of 1945 when she was 17, Russian soldiers came to her school and forced Marianna and all her schoolmates into a truck to be taken to Siberia. During the journey, she and a few others escaped by jumping from the moving truck, but Marianna was shot in the leg just as she crossed the Czech border. With the help of her friends, she was able to continue on to the town of Weiden, Bavaria. She lost all contact with her parents and brothers for the next ten years, but after a long and diligent search with the aid of The Red Cross, she finally found them in 1955. 

Before he died, her father gave her a little bundle of the seeds. 

Marianna married, and in 1957 moved to Washington State with her husband where they raised four children.

The legacy of these seeds reaches back to the early 1900's and year after year the tomatoes borne from this marvelous heirloom continue to be treasured for their outstanding taste and beauty. Incredibly sweet, creamy, with dense flesh, rich and luscious, reminiscent of the finest of those "old-fashioned" tomato flavors, the memories of which are the stuff of dreams for all tomato lovers. 

For those who want the best; these plants are precious and worth the cost. A Marianna's Peace plant makes a delightful and treasured gift for any tomato lover.

 

REALLY SWEET!

Momotaro  ($9.95) (H) (VE)   62 days. (HG) This very popular early-ripening hybrid variety, (and Dolly Parton's favorite tomato), is being offered due to hundreds of requests from my customers who have found Momotaro fruits at Farmer's Markets.

 

It is exceptionally sweet, juicy and just beautiful with a very long shelf life. The 6 ounce fruits are a stunning shade of pink, full flavored, luscious and bountiful on the vine, with superb disease resistance.

 

I smuggled one into an heirloom tasting party, and the folks loved it. The revelation that it was a hybrid was a splendid surprise to the gathered heirloom aficionados and motley crew of tomato gourmets and gourmands. Created quite a ruckus.

 

Named for an ancient legend of Momotaro, or Peach Boy, Momotaro was a baby boy found inside a giant peach by childless peasant farmers who had longed for a child of their own. He grew to be a famous warrior for peace. Among his many achievements: conquering, and then encouraging the ogres of Ogre Island to stop pillaging and be nice ogres. Each year the Momotaro festival in Japan celebrates the legend of this brave and wondrous child.

 

 

 

Our premier variety in 2022!

Polish  ($7.95) 75 - 85 days.

 

As many of you know, when I am selecting varieties for your garden, I have thousands of heirlooms to consider. It takes me months and often years to grow out and test these tomatoes until I'm sure you get only the best from me.

 

My criteria are:  Fabulous flavor, excellent texture, reliable production and gorgeousness.

 

Huge, heavy, brick red to dark pink, 1 to 3 lb. fruits growing in clusters of 3 to 5 huge tomatoes, all with superb flavor.

 

Polish are sweet, rich, meaty and juicy with exquisite flavors. Just breathtaking.

 

There are many heirloom tomatoes with 'Polish' in their names. But I have chosen for you the classic Polish. You will love me for it.

 

This beautiful, disease resistant, potato leafed plant gets big! Give it extra support -- when it's loaded with tomatoes it will be heavy and unruly.

 

 

 

 

NEW FOR 2024!

 

Raspberry Mochi ($7.95) 72 days.    

 

Here is the stunningly beautiful Raspberry Mochi, one of my absolute favorite offerings for your 2024 garden.

 

Raspberry colored skin surrounds plump tender walls of this medium size tomato -- you can see them in the photograph -- along with sweet flesh and luscious gel.

 

These beautiful fruits reach 8 to 10 oz. with a small core, very little waste, just pure tomato love!

 

Developed and named by my awesome tomato buddy, Ellie, of Bunny Hop Seeds, Raspberry Mochi is named for one of her favorite sweet treats, 

mochi, the popular Japanese confection. A very sweet treat!  If you've ever had one, you know what I mean. If not, you have a surprise waiting.

 

Raspberry Mochi is easy to grow in even the most challenging soil conditions. Grows beautifully everywhere, even in heat and humidity, does well in sandy soil.

 

Raspberry Mochi photograph is the property of Ellie Pong, Bunny Hops / Heritage Seeds.

 

 

 

 New for 2021!

Wild Fred (Dwarf Plant) ($7.95)        A Laurel's Favorite

Lots of big gorgeous purple/black tomatoes grow in abundance on a strong, stocky 3 to 4 ft. dwarf plant. Disease resistant and producing big crops of large yummy tomatoes in all kinds of weather, the flavor is outstanding.

Heavy in your hand, this juicy, beefsteak type fruits grow to 6 to 10 ounces with thin skin and the deep, smoky, juicy, aromatic flesh you find in Carbon which is one of its parent lines (along with New Big Dwarf).

This big, tasty variety was named by Craig LeHoullier, for his dad Wilfred after a memorable typo of Wilfred's name in a church bulletin.

A fabulous cross made in 2005 by Bruce Bradshaw in California.

 

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