These American seed catalogs from the early 1900s depict tomatoes that are still in existence today, thanks to the efforts of seed savers.
We who are gardening these days find ourselves in a unique position in agricultural history. We have not only the best developments of the plant breeders in the forms of hybrids of high quality, adaptability, and disease tolerance, but an incomparable selection of historical varieties that have been preserved through the efforts of countless gardeners. Our grandparents and great-grandparents would be envious of the number of different varieties from which we can choose today. The range of tomato colors, shapes, sizes, and flavors is astounding. Their foliage may be pale green to nearly sickly yellow, medium forest green, or saturated to a point where it looks nearly blue. The plants may grow as tall as a house or be as short as the span of a child’s hand. The leaves are toothed or smooth, ridged or crinkly. And since seed saving from tomatoes is so simple, the seeds can be shared with others, allowing the passing on of living history.
Tomatoes are my ultimate horticultural focus. From pea sized to humongous, from round to heart-shaped, and from squat to frying pepper–like, with colors that seem to be infinite in possibilities, diversity in all respects rules the day. Upon cutting one open, you might observe a dominance of meat or of seeds. You can see whether it’s dense or juice-laden, thick skinned or delicate, ugly or stunning, faulty or faultless. Most of the attributes reside in the genes, and the weather, season, and cultural practices add their own character. Tasting a variety of different homegrown tomatoes is much like tasting a range of distinctly different beers, wines, or chocolates. There are dominant flavor notes and a whole host of nuances and subtleties. The sampling of a tomato becomes a thought-provoking exercise in adjective seeking. The intensity, balance, tart/sweet flavors, fruitiness, sharpness or flatness. The right tomato can move you to tears, or to search for new adjectives, or to look for a place in which to spit out the remains. Different tomatoes conjure up all kinds of cooking creativity, working backward to formulate a recipe around the tomato itself rather than using the tomato as a flavor enhancer.
In addition to all that is the rich legacy associated with many of the best, most interesting varieties. When you walk out into your garden you can imagine the stories of the various people and families who made growing these wonderful varieties possible. The garden can be a supplier of food, but it can also be a laboratory for experiments and tests, and a museum of living history. All of it is really quite wonderful, and this only begins to express the joy that I find in growing tomatoes. It is a pursuit that renews itself each season, and I am delighted to have you along on the journey.
These American seed catalogs from the early 1900s depict tomatoes that are still in existence today, thanks to the efforts of seed savers.