If you love tomatoes, you’ll go crazy when Tomatomania returns to Roger’s Gardens Friday, Feb. 26 through Sunday, March 7, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.
Billed as “The world’s largest (and most fun) tomato plant sale,” Scott Daigre and his staff of Tomatomaniacs offer an astonishing selection of over 250 varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomato plants, including new varieties for 2021 and a large selection of peppers.
Tomatomania will be introducing the Tomato of the Year: Lava Flow, which has a red striped skin and a pastel blush of yellow, red or pink flesh. This tomato is juicy and contains complex, intriguing, well-balanced, fruity flavors, perfect in salads or as a delicious snack.
Tomatomania offers tomato enthusiasts to connect with one another and immerse themselves in live streams that will explore all facets of these special tomato plants. Experts will answer any questions to ensure a successful tomato season.
Pre-order tomato plants online between February 5 and 21 for delivery between February 26 and March 2.
Visit https://www.rogersgardens.com/blogs/events for more information.
Tomato of the Year
And the winner is Lava Flow. According to Roger’s Gardens, they found this gem a few years ago in the offerings of a small hybridizer that they’ve come to respect. It’s been trialed in different places and spaces for the last couple of years.
So how does Roger’s Gardens select its Tomato of the Year?
Obviously, the Tomato of the Year needs to taste incredible, which Lava Flow does. This is real tomato flavor, especially for a yellow. You may be used to this color coming with milder taste and citrus-like flavors, but this one has a more round and full tomato flavor.
Another key factor is production. Many tomatoes will lure you in with bright color, and even stripes, then offer a handful of fruit after a long season. That’s fine if you’re growing 50 plants, but Lava Flow is grown well from the coast to the valleys and it always delivers an abundant crop.
Lava Flow is an indeterminate tomato so it can offer a long season. It tends to be a shorter to mid-sized plant, making it more manageable in a container and generally less work for the home gardener.
Dwarf Tomato Project
Roger’s Gardens offers a new profile in the garden and an exciting new addition to seasonal offerings courtesy of dwarf tomatoes. They’re easy to pass by, but dwarfs might be your favorite tomato this season.
Maybe you’ve grown Better Bush, Husky Gold or Bush Champion. Then you know the drill: a familiar-looking tomato but delivered on a smaller and more compact plant. Dwarf profiles have been around for a century, from the days of New Big Dwarf and its progeny. But in a world where bigger is better, the dwarf series is often delegated to the “cute” file.
Nothing could be more inaccurate. Roger’s Gardens has carried these hybrid tomatoes in the past, but they’re mostly passed over for the standard space grabbers.
The Dwarf Tomato Project is something different. It’s the project, or the passion, of a group of tomato lovers; hybridizers from all over the world who joined forces to breed and develop a new set of plants that would address one key problem or goal in the tomato world: Manageability.
The result? Heirloom fruits in exciting colors and shapes, delighting gardeners with production that thrills and ease of management that’s a welcome summer gift.
Cyril’s Choice is a productive and exciting dwarf variety. For those who want to make the most of a smaller garden or gardening situation (containers, patios, balconies, courtyards) it may well be the key to a great season.
Put these in pots. Give them their own space or tuck them in among spring and summer annuals or other herbs and veggies. You’re free to plant more than one in a container you normally reserve for one full size tomato. You’ll be surprised when these small little dynamos outpace their larger counterparts in production and length of season.
During their trials, Roger’s Gardens took note of three distinct classes or styles in this group: Microdwarfs, Dwarfs and Tree-Types.
Most of the selections in the Roger’s Gardens offerings are tree types. These plants offer heavy, stocky branching, rugose (heavily wrinkled) foliage and dense flowering and fruit production.
The largest of the group, they grow upright to 2-4 feet tall and require minimal support to stay upright and happy. While tiny micros are round and upright, generally hugging the top of a pot (and often don’t grow 10 inches tall), the dwarf class stretches out a little further and might be left to weep and sprawl over the sides of a container.
And what about the fruit? Is it all cherry-sized? Definitely not.
The heirloom series offers a full spectrum of colors, sizes and shapes. Find your compact beefsteak, paste type or cherry. Yet another element that makes this effort so spectacular.
Another dwarf variety is Saucy Mary. This beautiful fruit is borne on a very small and wispy plant, yet the fruit is phenomenal and much larger than a cherry. It’s early, delicious and beautiful – and almost looks funny and out of place on such a small plant.
For updates and information, please visit www.RogersGardens.com.
Located across from Fashion Island, Roger’s Gardens is a destination garden and home center offering creative solutions and unique products for both outdoor and indoor living. The outdoor environment inspires its visitors with beautiful foliage, flowering plants, creative plantings, seasonal herbs and vegetables, designer fountains, pottery, outdoor furniture and accessories. Roger’s Gardens indoor spaces present fine home furnishings and décor, gourmet foods, artisan collectibles, women accessories, children’s gift and decor, bath & body, fine art and holiday décor brought together in a world-class creative and inspirational presentation.
They offer customized solutions and services, including holiday floral design, personalized consulting, educational programs, hands-on workshops, ecommerce, special events and more.
