Tomato varieties - heritage, novelty and red ones

Some of my many tomato plants, there are many more being kept elsewhere.  And just watered hence the dampness.
I wish my plants looked a bit more orderly and attractive

As I said previously tomato plants are up there amongst my favourites.  Maybe its that tangy aroma, maybe its the devilish yellow stain they adorn the fingers with on close contact, maybe its the constant production of a salad addition, but whatever it is, the purchasing is a highlight of my year.

I always go back to the same garden centre which keeps all the vegetable plants in a proper little greenhouse, it adds to the buying experience.  Last year I bought quite a few varieties, but weirdly despite going back to the same place, they had completely different varieties this year, lots of heritage and novelty ones, which always appeal to me so I was happy.  I bought far more plants than last year, I always think you can't ever have too many tomatoes, and I aways want one of each variety so I went all out.  So much so that the guy on the till felt the need to tell me I would have a lot of tomatoes.

I ummed and ahhed about when to go and get them, but chose to go a couple of weeks ago as I was worried it was getting late in the day.  Glad I did, because I went back the very next weekend to pick up some cheeky extra beans and the greenhouse was virtually bare.  The locusts had literally been through, admittedly I was one, but some serious buying went on in that week!

The plants aren't doing anything of particular note at the second, but you may be interested in what kinds of tomatoes I can expect to be chowing down on over the summer, so here's a quick run through. All information is what I have gleamed from the label.

The first red alert tomatoes forming, clearly these are going to be an
interesting shape

Red Alert : This produces small tomatoes on an outdoor bush.  They should have superb flavour.

Black Russian:  This is a heritage variety.  I am a sucker for anything that claims to be old and proper traditional.  This will produce medium-sized mahogany brown fruits, with an acidic and sweet flavour.

Black cherry: You may notice a theme here.  I bought anything that had black in the name, I don't know why, the thought of a black tomato is not exactly an appealing one!  Anyway this has purpley dark fruits, I did not take note of any flavour.

Shirley F1: Old shirley is a favourite of mine, I have grown her many times and from memory she is a good doer.  This is a heavy cropper with 'excellent' flavour, their words not mine.

Patio tomato: Im not sure this is exactly a variety so much as a location, you wouldn't name one 'grows great in sunny spot' would you? But maybe this is.  I find this a bizarre creature, a bushy dwarf, so short with lots of side shoots, so two things I have not come to expect from tomatoes.  It does however have high yields.

Tigerella: Another heritage variety with a fabulous name! This should be in a bond film rather than the garden.  This should be a heavy early cropper and the real thrill is the fruit should be stripey, hence the tiger reference in the name.  I am always wary when flavour is described as 'pleasing', especially when coupled with a 'firm texture'.  Nobody wants a firm texture.  But we shall see, im more than happy to be surprised.

Mountain Pride: This is a beefstake with excellent flavour.  I have never managed to ripen a beefstake, so the flavour may be completely irrelevant.

These beauties are tumbling tigers, I have hopes they will be delicious

Tumbling Tiger: I have two of these because the mother wanted one for herself.  Why she couldn't just amuse herself looking after my plant I don't know.  This is a novelty variety, a brand new bush with improved flavour.  Seeing as this is also called tiger i suspect they are talking an improved flavour from tigerella.

Harbinger: This is a heritage variety that is really, really, seriously old.  1910 kind of old.  One would hope that after all that time in existence, it was a good one.

Moneymaker: One of the few on this list I have grown before.  The mother describes this variety as one you wouldn't grow yourself.  I knew that, but still managed to put it in the basket.  At least it will help bolster the stocks.

Supersweet 100: Again grew it last year.  Think this one pretty much does what it says on the tin, sweet.

Ambrosia: A sneaky last minute addition when I went back for beans the next weekend, the name appealed more than anything.  This produces fruits which are distinctive, sweet and flavourful.