Tomato
Auntie Madge's
Indeterminate. Cordon. This variety has been in our donor’s family for generations and handed down to her by her husband’s Aunt Madge. A hardy, early tomato, it is easy to grow and a prolific producer. It also shows some blight resistance. The young fruits vary in shape, maturing to a rounded plum 3-4 cm in size, with an excellent sweet and tangy flavour when eaten fresh or cooked
Best of All
Indeterminate. Cordon. Originally known as 'Sutton's Best of All', it was introduced by Suttons in 1895 and was available commercially until the late 1980s. It is thought that it was used to develop the popular ex-commercial variety 'Potentate'. Donated by Michael Ritchie, who keenly pursued the variety and acquired seed directly from Suttons, on our behalf. It produces round, red tomatoes 5-7cm in diameter and in their catalogue of 1938 Suttons described it as “an immense cropper... excellent for culture indoors or in the open.”
Black
Indeterminate. Cordon. Produces large (up to 450g), beefsteak type fruit, the portentous dark colouration belying its supreme flavour. Rich flavour, thin skin and meaty texture make for a great all-rounder, be it for cooking or eating in salads. Guardian Sandra Slack says, “Flavour exquisite! Just slice on toast and heat under the grill.” If seed saving this variety produces flower with stigma that protrude from the anther cone and will cross pollinate with others of this type.
Cape Teaser
Determinate. Bush. Originally known as 'Orange', but we decided that it was so good it needed a more befitting moniker, so we launched a competition to find it! Produces large, sprawling plants that bear pale orange cherry tomatoes in profusion. Their intense flavour is delicious when eaten raw, but also makes them perfect for a tasty tomato puree.
Czar
Determinate. Bush. Passed to HSL by Seed Savers Exchange, USA and thought to show some resistance to fusarium and verticillium wilt. Taken to north-eastern America by Russian/German relatives of their original donor, this compact variety is a heavy bearer of flavoursome short, plum-shaped tomatoes. Provide the plants with some wide supports, such as pea sticks, and allow them to sprawl over these. Perfect for making delicious sauces, but also good fresh eating.
Darby Striped Orange/Green
Indeterminate. Cordon. Our donor saved seed from striped tomato fruit given to him in the mid 1960s by Dr Lewis Darby of the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, Littlehampton. The fruits have attractive orange/dark green stripes which fade when fully mature, thin skins and a rich flavour. Seed Guardian Alan Booth says the fruit have a tangy, sharp flavour while the stripes are still clearly visible, turning sweeter as they ripen to orange.
Darby Striped Red/Green
Indeterminate. Cordon. Our donor saved seed from striped tomato fruit given to him in the mid-1960s by Dr Lewis Darby of the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, Littlehampton. The vigorous plants produce an abundance of attractive fruit, which are striped dark red and dark green with thin skins when mature, ideal for cooking and making tomato sauces.
Darby Striped Red/Yellow
Indeterminate. Cordon. Our donor saved seed from striped tomato fruit given to him in the mid-1960s by Dr Lewis Darby of the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, Littlehampton. This variety produces heavy trusses of red fruits with golden orange streaks. Following tomato trials in 2020 it was described by thechattygardener.com as their “out-and-out-winner...very juicy with a classic tomato taste and was simply beautiful to look at.” Does best under glass.
Enorma/Potentate
Indeterminate. Cordon. This variety is thought to date back to around 1900 and was available commercially through Suttons Seeds from 1947. The tall, leafy plants produce a profusion of red, weakly ribbed beefsteak-type tomatoes. An early variety suitable for cultivation outdoors or under glass.
Estonian Yellow Mini Cherry
Indeterminate. Cordon. Our donor obtained the seed from an elderly Russian lady at the covered market outside Tallinn, Estonia. We found it to be high yielding and visually quite spectacular. It produces flowers in clusters that look like golden chandeliers, giving rise to a profusion of small, bright yellow, sweet and thin-skinned fruit that, reportedly, “Taste like sunshine!”.