In the Garden with Pat Rubin

Bee garden writer Pat Rubin writes about everything that grows, from flowers and trees to vegetables and lawns. Pat volunteered for several years as a Placer County Master Gardener and has written about gardening for many national and regional publications. In addition to gardening, she spends time raising and showing miniature horses and miniature donkeys.

In the Garden will include news, events, advice and other gardening tidbits. Pat will also answer reader questions.

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February 29, 2008

Top 10 tomatoes

If you’re thinking of planting heirloom tomatoes this year - and it isn’t too late to start seeds - here are the top 10 for 2008, according to Gary Ibsen, grower of 600 varieties of heirloom tomatoes and owner of TomatoFest Garden Seeds in Carmel.

The Top 10 favorite heirloom tomatoes are:

Paul Robeson (purple/black)
Cherokee Purple (purple/black)
Brandywine (pink)
Amana Orange (orange)
Marvel Stripe (red/yellow striped)
Julia Child (pink)
Black Zebra (green/purple striped)
Black Cherry (purple/black)
Kellogg's Breakfast (orange) and
Aussie (red)

Ibsen points to the increased number of black tomatoes on the list, and calls black tomatoes “the new red.”

The only black tomato I’ve grown and tasted is Black Krim, and I thought it was great.

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