In the left column you'll see the latest addition to my website: My Tomato Varieties Photo Album. Here is a sample:
There are 87 different tomato cultivar photos there, all taken by me. I'm a poor photographer and even poorer Photoshopper, so the pics are basically for informational purposes. You'll also notice that over the years I've displayed the tomatoes on many different backgrounds and chosen to label them various ways. That's only because from year to year I can't seem to remember what I put the tomatoes on to take their pictures. You'll also notice my funky fancy way of labeling them within the photo - sometimes I've written down the variety on a piece of paper I stick next to the tomato; sometimes I write it down on a piece of cardboard. Now that I've got a fancier camera, I bet if I looked at the instruction encyclopedia booklet that came with it, I might be able to figure out how to label the photo as I take it. But since I struggle every day to figure out this blogging thing, I fear that the technology-holding part of my brain is nearing a dangerous melt-down level. So perhaps the funky rustic cardboard labels will have to suffice for now.
Two of my favorites:
I also try to take photos of the tomatoes I bring to the Carmel TomatoFest. Those are easily identified by the plate that Gary Ibsen displays them on; he'll put a whole exemplar tomato on a little pedestal in the center of the place and surround it with cut tasting samples of that variety. It's always a thrill to see my tomatoes on the massive tasting tables:
By no means is my photo album complete. I've neglected to take photos of probably another hundred, at least, of varieties I've grown over the years. I promise to be better, and make sure that each cultivar gets its out of focus shot in the album.
I welcome you to look at the album and let me know which are your favorites, either by a comment or via an email. Your feedback is instrumental when I choose which varieties to grow for our spring tomato plant sale. Don't see your favorites? Let me know anyway. I also invite you to send me your pic of a variety not in the album. If it's the tomato off a plant I've sold you, it'll make the album and get credited to you.
You can find more information all about tomatoes on the World Tomato Society website.
