You can't buy true love or home grown tomatoes

(NC)—“John Denver or Guy Clark could be singing this song,” says Jeff Howe, president of Bonnie Plants Canada. “The lyrics say that there are 'only two things that money can't buy: true love or home grown tomatoes'. Homegrown taste always wins the best flavour test versus store bought produce.”

Tomatoes are easy to grow and perfect for the novice gardener exploring their talents by planting them in a large container or garden. Nurseries and large retailers create mixed tomato six packs for gardeners to experiment with colour, size and taste.

“Grouping a variety of six tomato plants allows gardeners to try the traditional large, solid and meaty tasting tomatoes that can be served fresh in large slices or for cooking and sauces,” continues Howe. “The smaller, cherry sized tomatoes included in the mix provide a healthy and quick snack off the vine or further sweetness when cooked in a basket on the grill.”

Tomato variety packs can include beefmaster, biltmore and better boy varieties - all three tomatoes are meaty, red and large for tasty large slices on a sandwich. Also part of the mix are early girl - a red and flavourful mid-sized all summer tomato which is perfect to cut up for salads. Two smaller, cherry sized, sweet tasting tomatoes in the pack are sweet 100 - red and growing in clusters throughout the summer, great for snacking, and the yellow pear - yellow and pear shaped for added interest in salads.

There is more information on growing tomatoes online at www.bonnieplants.ca including the times when they arrive at your local garden centre.

Adds Howe, “Nothing beats the taste of tomatoes off the vine - the longer you leave them to ripen, the better tasting they are. You can't buy that natural, home grown taste.”

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