The Most Interesting Tomato Plant of the Month (July Edition)

 Grow Tomatoes My Friends...

Streaky Mystery Tomato

The most interesting tomato plant growing in the garden during the month of July has absolutely nothing to do with the famous Dos Equis beer advertising campaign. Except that is interesting for one very specific reason: I have exactly no idea what this tomato variety is, nor the type of tomato it will deliver. This plant and the tomatoes on it is pictured to your immediate right. Notice those streaks? That is what makes it interesting.

I can guess, from looking at pictures of tomatoes, and I think I've got it figured out. But, until the tomatoes on this plant reach a stage to where they actually ripen, the true identity will be unknown. This is the result from an accident involving numerous tomato starter plants that were knocked askew during a home remodeling project. As a result, the starter plants that my tomato growing friend delivered earlier this year came with a giant question mark.

Nels Christensen-USS Kitty Hawk

I know it would be convenient to blame this little problem on the friend who provided the vast majority of my garden starter plants this year. But, seriously, you can't blame Nels Christensen for this problem. That's Nels pictured to the left. Forgive the blurry image if you will. It was taken some time ago, while Nels was serving his country onboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) supercarrier during the Vietnam War. Nels survived the conflict, came home and now provides starter plants for my Citrus Heights vegetable garden.

But this little garden starter plant mixup was not his fault. Even if it was, you can forgive a guy who served his country in the Gulf of Tonkin.

As a result of the tomato starter plant mishap that took place earlier this year, I really do not have any idea of what is growing in the garden this July. I can tell you the garden is home to 22 tomato plants. But that's about it. The tomatoes that these 22-plants hold, and they are holding quite a bit this year, are an absolute mystery.

Interesting Plant of the Month

In some strange way, this makes gardening a bit more fun. I may ask Nels to perform another remodeling project, and suffer through another accident, at his house next spring.

This particular plant is developing new tomatoes at a rather rapid clip. The way they are clustered together would lead me to believe that this could possibly be a cherry tomato variety. Not just any cherry tomato variety, but something rather special. How many cherry tomato varieties develop streaks? As someone who has grown a vast number of cherry varieties, I can tell you from experience that the answer is: Not Many.

It is true that cherry tomato varieties come in a vast number of shapes, sizes and colors. Although I'm partial to a variety called Black Cherry, that doesn't mean I won't grow anything else. My summer vegetable gardens have been home to a great many cherry varieties. There is no greater joy in life than harvesting a late summer bowl of vine-ripened cherry tomatoes. A bowl of that late season color is striking to say the least. These cherry tomato types are great for snacking. It's probably one of the healthiest summer snacks you could choose.

Mysterious Stripes

While the identities of the plants that I was provided with this year are unknown, the news isn't exactly all bad. The seed list that my garden friend created survived this horrible early season accident. That list gives me something to check. Thanks to Google images, numerous pictures of each variety on this seed list do pop up. Nels and I have deduced that the Most Interesting Tomato Plant for the month of July could be one be one of two choices: Patty's Striped Beefsteak OR the Black Strawberry Tomato from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

While I would be absolutely thrilled to report that one single tomato plant in my garden has developed 50-75 beefsteak tomatoes so far, and appears ready to develop far more, my guess is this isn't a beefsteak variety. A check with the Baker Creek Seed website however, provides photos that indicate my "most interesting tomato plant of the month" is, in fact, the Black Strawberry.

This isn't a horrible development, by the way. Not by a longshot. If you were to believe, or buy into, the marketing language from our friends at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, the Black Strawberry produces a lip-smacking result: "A bowl full resembles a luminous and luxurious bunch of gems, and indeed the flavor is decadent and indulgent, with perfectly sweet and tart balanced flavor!"

From this colorful language I guess one could infer that this is a good cherry tomato.

Customer reviews, however, are a bit more honest. I must admit, those reviews aren't half bad. Of the 18 people who have taken the time out of their day to review the product, most indicate that it's a keeper. Jill from San Diego wrote the following: "Not only are they beautiful but they are good! They have a deep, complex flavor and are better when they are soft and the bottoms turn red."

The Most Interesting Tomato Plant of the Month (July Edition) has grown to a height of five feet so far, which means it's growing faster than other plants in this year's garden. It's developed an extraordinary amount of fruit so far, and seems destined to develop a lot more as the summer moves forward. Which means, hopefully, a large bowl or two of cherry tomato varieties in my kitchen as the summer growing season moves forward.

Grow Tomatoes, My Friends.

The Politics of Melon

Rich Sweetness 123 Melon

It's got nothing on the Politics of Dancing, but it sure does taste better!

It's that special time of year when the summer garden that you've carefully tended weekend in and weekend out begins to pay off here and there with some interesting surprises. As the wife that is Venus knows, I like to mix things up a bit from year to year. Why keep growing the same type of tomato, onion, carrot or any other vegetable for that matter, when there are so many interesting other possibilities?

Case in point? The photo directly to your right. I call it the "Fiona Ma" melon -- when in reality -- it's not. But the seeds did come from Fiona Ma, who represents the 12th Assembly District in the California State Assembly and is also a candidate for Board of Equalization, District 1. This is indeed a melon, but it's like no melon I've ever seen or tasted. And it's putting on a bright orange and yellow striped show in the Bird Back 40 this year.

CA Assemblymember Fiona Ma

The seeds for this unique melon actually come from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, but Assemblymember Ma was promoting "agricultural sustainability" while giving away packets of this melon seed during a recent Democrat event attended by my left-leaning, Democrat brother.

What did my brother do with this particular gift? He gave it to his right-leaning, Republican brother who gardens, which just goes to show that "agricultural sustainability" doesn't exactly fall within rigid party lines. Besides, my brother wouldn't know what "agricultural sustainability" was unless it was bottled, packaged and sold on a shelf at Trader Joe's.

Pocket Sized Melons with a Punch

Baker Creek markets this little gem of a melon as the Rich Sweetness 123 melon. The online catalog description says: "Incredible little melons from the former Soviet Union. The fruit are a beautiful red, striped with golden yellow and weigh only about ¼ lb! The flesh is pure white and quite sweet. These have a very refreshing taste and are very fragrant. One of the best new varieties we’ve discovered in the last few years."

This little gem of a melon plus many others are putting on an August show to remember in the Bird Back 40. It is indeed fresh melon season in Northern California. And the seeds that the wife that is Venus and I carefully sowed last spring are now producing tasty melons in all shapes and sizes.

Sangria Watermelon

Not everything is a success in the melon patch, of course. What in gardening is? I am missing out on some of the larger, whopper sized watermelons that I planted earlier this year. But who needs whopper sized melons when the Sangria is popping watermelons in the shape of a small bowling pin?

And then there's that "mystery melon." What is it? I don't know! It's a "mystery." But it sure does taste good! Venus seems to think it's some sort of a crenshaw variety, but there's just one eensy-teensy problem with that. See, I don't remember planting crenshaw melon seeds. It might be a crenshaw! It might not! What I can tell you with all honesty is this: it's darn tasty.

"Mystery Melon"

I suppose it could also be a casaba melon. But there's just one eensy-teensy problem with that as well. See, I don't remember planting casaba melon seeds. Hmm....My memory is slipping (the wife is not surprised).

Combine this sudden richness of melon crops with fresh O'Henry peaches and table grapes that are putting on a bang-up show -- and you've got a fruit salad fit for any king or queen. And, try as I might, I never can really get tired of eating fruit procured from the numerous trees and vines sprouting in the backyard.

Melons, Grapes and Peaches: Oh My!

I don't know if I'm really promoting "agricultural sustainability" or not. I don't think of it in that way. I tend to simplify things a bit more. My way of thinking goes like this: I like melon. I plant melon. If someone wants to put a label of "agricultural sustainability" on Venus and I are doing -- that's fine I suppose.

Just as long as I get the fruit salad payoff. 

The Most Romantic City in the World!

Lockhart Seeds, downtown Stockton

If you assume that I'm referring to the City of Love, Paris France, well please, perish the thought. Although the official motto of Rome, Italy is "you have never lived until you’ve loved in Rome," the motto-makers "missed the mark."

The most romatic spot in the world -- according to the wonderful wife that is Venus -- is just a hop, skip and a jump south on Interstate 5 or Highway 99 -- to Stockton, California. Yes -- Stockton is the most romantic city in the world because that's where I take the wife on the most romantic of dates: Seed shopping at Lockhart Seeds in downtown Stockton.

Honestly now -- think about it for a second. How can a business that features a GIANT heart lock as its logo not be the most romantic spot on earth? Since nobody has ever offered a valid explanation that would explain otherwise -- the wife's reasoning in this matter stands true.

This marked our third trip to the most romantic spot on Earth. I first learned about Lockhart Seeds from a Sacramento Bee article penned by garden writer Debbie Arrington about three years ago. At that time? Lockhart Seeds was the LAST store left in California dedicated to the sale of vegetable seeds of all shapes and sizes -- serving small growers and backyard gardeners alike (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has since opened another outlet dedicated to all things vegetable seed in Petaluma).

We have since visited every President's Day Holiday in the month of February -- because of one small quirk in the Lockhart Seeds service schedule: they're not open on weekends. They're not open at night. It's one of the few businesses left in business that operates on a strict Monday through Friday, 9-5 schedule.

Lockhart Seeds -- All Locked Up

But since we had last Monday off for the President's Day Holiday, that shouldn't be a problem, right? WRONG. Imagine our shock and chagrin when we wound up on the doorstep of Lockhart Seeds only to find the GIANT heart lock all locked up for the holiday.

What went wrong? This had never happened before. Lockhart Seeds? Take a holiday? Blasphemy! If you remember last year's post about Lockhart Seeds, then you know I had promised that the wife that is Venus that we would finally purchase those asparagas roots she had taken such an interest in.

A promise is a promise after all.

But the asparagas roots will have to wait for another day. The seed purchases will also have to wait, for who knows how long? It's not like we can just go galavanting off to the most Romantic Spot on Earth on any particular day and time. Like most people, we do work for a living.

I suppose it's safe to say that we're just a tad bit annoyed.

Fresh Tortillas! Fresh Tequila!

After finding our favorite store all locked up for the President's Day Holiday -- Venus and I could only think of one other option: visit the nearest Mexican restaurant closest to Lockhart Seeds and drown away our sorrows in fine tequila.

We did just that. We're quite good at that as a matter of fact. I'm pleased to report that at least our favorite restaurant was indeed open -- holiday or no holiday. The food was good. So were the margaritas (blended, with salt).

Despite the fine lunch I must admit that both the wife and I were a tad depressed as we drove back toward the location of Lockhart Seeds -- with every intention of jumping back on the Crosstown Freeway (Highway 4) -- for the trip back home to North Natomas.

But -- as we passed the storefront -- we saw another chagrined customer out in front of the store -- staring in disbelief as we did -- at the sign proclaiming "CLOSED FOR THE PRESIDENT'S DAY HOLIDAY." We pulled over to lend an encouraging word.

"We traveled all the way from Sacramento to visit and we're out of luck," the wife told the stranger. His response? "I'm from Sacramento too!" As we both shared a discouraging laugh -- our new friend shared some interesting and uplifting news. Not all was lost. Our trip to the most romantic city in the world would not be in vain after all.

Lockhart Seeds wasn't the only option for vegetable seeds in Stockton.

Port Stockton Nursery, Stockton

Intrigued, we followed our new friend out of the downtown area and down Main Street to a place called the Port Stockton Nursery. Was it like Lockhart Seeds in that it dealt with seeds and seeds only? Technically? No. It was -- in fact -- a nursery.

But -- unlike Lockhart Seeds -- it was open.

And it was there -- standing in the middle of a this nursery -- in the most Romantic City on Earth -- where Venus found her true love.

Venus with "Clarence the Lionhearted"

"Clarence the Lionhearted" announced his presence by rubbing up against the wife's legs. Clarence -- the wife would reveal -- was an exact copy of the cat she grew up with San Jose -- a cat named Tiggy Tom.

No -- we did not adopt another cat. We need another cat like we need another house payment. But after a month of heartbreak involving the death of her father and my father-in-law -- Clarence the Lionhearted brought a rare smile of joy to the wife's face.

Who could ask for more?