A very special blue ribbon goes to Kentucky’s own Julie Maruskin for discovering and promoting local heirlooms. We can thank Julie for finding Rebecca Sebastian’s Bull Bag, Butler Skinner, and Depp’s Pink Firefly. She has also selected and improved a paste tomato that is now known as Maruskin’s Andes.
Julie also conducts classes in how to grow tomatoes, and grows out many varieties every year in her own garden. Last year she grew many oxheart and paste tomatoes, along with many others. This is what she reports about some of them:
"Paste/ Italian : tried Mike's Italian, Sarnowski Polish Plum, Lusignan's Special, Powers Heirloom, and Old Man (from Sylvia Davatz in Vermont thru SeedSavers). I grew Andes out again, of course, and I liked it and Lusignan's the best, although Powers was the most productive and the fruits kept longer. For oxhearts: Burland Burdette's Indian (did so poorly I couldn't save seed), Orange Strawberry (an accidental cross or mis-labeled seed, again thru SeedSavers), Verna Orange (first prize for orange oxhearts for me, as usual). Hartford was a big wonderful surprise, and I will definitely grow it again - great red oxheart, 12-18 oz. BiColor cherry was fun, but actually seemed to be disease prone - and I grew Carbon, which was very nice, just not as productive for me as I would have liked"
This is just a sampling from her tomato garden!
I want to give Julie a big THANK YOU for finding these three terrific tomato varieties for all of us, and I hope she keeps her eyes open for more treasures :).
Depp’s Pink Firefly (right)
Rebecca Sebastian’s Bull Bag (left)
Julie also conducts classes in how to grow tomatoes, and grows out many varieties every year in her own garden. Last year she grew many oxheart and paste tomatoes, along with many others. This is what she reports about some of them:
"Paste/ Italian : tried Mike's Italian, Sarnowski Polish Plum, Lusignan's Special, Powers Heirloom, and Old Man (from Sylvia Davatz in Vermont thru SeedSavers). I grew Andes out again, of course, and I liked it and Lusignan's the best, although Powers was the most productive and the fruits kept longer. For oxhearts: Burland Burdette's Indian (did so poorly I couldn't save seed), Orange Strawberry (an accidental cross or mis-labeled seed, again thru SeedSavers), Verna Orange (first prize for orange oxhearts for me, as usual). Hartford was a big wonderful surprise, and I will definitely grow it again - great red oxheart, 12-18 oz. BiColor cherry was fun, but actually seemed to be disease prone - and I grew Carbon, which was very nice, just not as productive for me as I would have liked"
This is just a sampling from her tomato garden!
I want to give Julie a big THANK YOU for finding these three terrific tomato varieties for all of us, and I hope she keeps her eyes open for more treasures :).
Depp’s Pink Firefly (right)
Rebecca Sebastian’s Bull Bag (left)
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