Contrary Mary's Specialty Plants

Tomatoes

A sample of Contrary Mary’s heirloom
tomatoes (thanks, Virginia!)
(CW from TR - Green Zebra, Eva Purple
Ball, Virginia Sweet, Chocolate
Cherry, & Cherokee Purple

As a lot of customers are not familiar with Heirloom tomatoes (but are VERY eager to try them after all the raving that we do!), I ALWAYS get asked which ones are MY faves. Now, even tho’ ya KNOW how hard it is for me to choose between my babies, the following are absolutely “GOTTA-TRIES”! Even if you don’t have room in the ground, you can quite successfully grow most varieties in pots (even if they are indeterminate!). Come see what we do with ours — I put them in big pots and put a wire tomato cage in the pots. It works great (even though I have to fight the chipmunks and Shelties to get my share!) Anyway, the following are THE stars…but don’t think that the ones we didn’t list aren’t awesome too! In no particular order:

Thessaloniki — Contrary Mary’ pick for the BEST all around “regular” tomato (won’t freak the non-Heirloom crowd out!) Forms PERFECT baseball sized fruits!
Paul Robeson — One of the most beautiful and tasty “black” tomato; a real standout that is also one of Aunt Ruthie’s faves!
Green Zebra — an absolute MUST for both beauty and taste; zingy, zippy, and a Contrary Charlie fave too!
Flamme — a strikingly beautiful gem of the tomato world, it tastes fruity and tangy…BAZINGA! One of Monica’s absolute FAVES!
Garden Peach — Come on, who couldn’t love this cutie! A real conversations starter, I’ve never had anyone not like this one!
Eva Purple Ball — Another “perfect tomato” that looks as good as it tastes; let your skeptical friends taste this one and they’ll be Heirloom converts! Our Lizzie Lou loves this one too!
Amish Paste — Definitely not a typical “paste” tomato; perfect sandwich slicer and all around yummy treat! Aunt Ruthie and Contrary Charlie’s pick too!
Black Cherry — An addicting “black” beauty; I’m not saying it would replace a Godiva bar, but it’s close! Monica HIGHLY recommends this one too!
Virginia Sweets — Take a look at the picture of the basket of Heirlooms at the top of the page; see the GORGEOUS bi-color? THAT”S Virginia Sweets; and believe you me, it tastes as outstanding as it looks! I just love her!
Aunt Ginny’s Purple — How could you not recommend a tomato that “cuts and tastes like filet mignon”??!!! This is no hype…I don’t always like beefsteaks, but this one is da bomb!
Stupice — Couldn’t resist adding just ONE more (how Contrary of me!) This one is a little like voting in Chicago…it comes early and often! Talk about a producer; it is always the FIRST tomato, and quite often the last too! Packed full of flavor in a smallish package…excellent!

Now, again to repeat, this list is in NO WAY supposed to limit your choices, but just to act as a guide for some of the ones we highly recommend. Many of the new ones each year are also new to me, so there’s no sayin’ that one (or more) of them won’t end up on this list in the near future! I always do SCADS of research before picking the finalists to grow for the year, so be confident that all have gotten RAVE reviews. A couple of AWESOME Heirloom books to recommend: The Heirloom Tomato by Amy Goldman (and the pictures are enough to make you DROOL!); 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for American Gardens by Carolyn Male; and Shattering: Food, Politics, and the Loss of Genetic Diversity by Cary Fowler and Pat Mooney. As always, I would LOVE to hear YOUR feedback on the ones you’ve enjoyed…PLEASE let us know your thoughts!

Tomatoes | Peppers | Cucumbers |Raspberries | Lettuce

Plant Name	Habit/Size	Container	Price
Tomato ‘Alaska’	Semi-determinate	4½” pot	$3.95
(63 days) This Russian Heirloom produces brilliant red salad type cherry tomatoes (large cherry) on short to medium stocky plants. Great for cool season locations (like ours) and great in pots!
Tomato ‘Amazon Chocolate’ (AKA ‘Chocolate Amazon Ukrainian’)	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(80 days) As you all know, “black” tomatoes like ‘Paul Robeson’ and ‘Black Cherry’ are becoming my absolute FAVES due to their complex, rich, and almost smoky taste. That being said, this newbie is bound to make it into my favorite category! I have not yet tasted it, but have done scads of research and this one has emerged as an absolute BEST in show! This potato-leaf variety originally came from the Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea and produces copious amounts of HUGE purple brown fruits (1 lb. plus!). We aren’t growing lots of them, so get ‘em quick (ya know I’m keeping one!)
Tomato ‘Amish Paste’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(85 days) This Heirloom produces Oxheart shaped 8-12 oz tomatoes; they aren’t really paste-like ‘cause they have seeds and are juicy! It is Aunt Ruthie’s FAVORITE, and we grow it from organic seeds.
Tomato ‘Aunt Ginny’s Purple’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(80 days) This is a 12 oz to 2 lb Beefsteak Heirloom that is deep pink (not really purple), resists cracking, and “cuts & tastes like filet mignon”!! WOW!
Tomato ‘Aunt Ruby’s German Green’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(80 days) This is a spicy and sweet 16 oz GREEN beefsteak Heirloom that is a pick of Chef Rick Bayless! Try something different! A favorite of Aunt Ruth, our tomato guru!
Tomato ‘Black Cherry’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(64 days) This one produces 1” round deep purple to mahogany brown fruits; the only true “black” Cherry! Yummy!
Tomato ‘Black Krim’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
This Heirloom produces 1 lb round, violet-brown beefsteaks that are intense, exotic and acidic! Pick it before it’s too ripe (when half green); a great fresh eater!
Tomato ‘Cherokee Purple’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(85 days) An 8-12 oz heirloom that is dusty pink with green shoulders and purplish tinged flesh; has a deep, rich taste and is disease resistant. A WINNER at Contrary Mary’s tasting, and Monica’s FAVE; grown from organic seeds!
Tomato ‘Chocolate Cherry’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(70 days) This prolific cherry tomato produces 1” reddish brown fruits that resist cracking and can be picked and ripened off vine without sacrificing flavor!!! A Contrary Mary taste test WINNER!
Tomato ‘Crnkovic Yugoslavian’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(85 days) This 1-2 lb pink beefsteak heirloom is a high yielder, disease resistant, and has a deep rich sweet taste. A winner at our tomato/wine/cheese tasting and a new fave!
Tomato ‘Dad’s Sunset’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(85-90 days) This big guy is a real stunner, both visually and taste-wise! Described as “the perfect orange tomato”, this high yielding beefsteak’s taste has been described as “slightly tart” but “finely balanced”. It is globe shaped and is a perfect slicer looking extraordinarily handsome on a platter with other colorful tomatoes such as ‘White Beauty’, ‘Green Zebra’, “Paul Robeson’, and ‘Virginia Sweets!’
Tomato ‘Djena Lee’s Golden Girl’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(80 days) An Heirloom from the 1920’s that supposedly won first place at the Chicago Fair for ten years in a row!!! A beauty that is deep orange, globe shaped, and weigh in at about 12 ounces. A perfect slicer described as “sweet yet tangy!”
Tomato ‘Dr. Carolyn’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(75 days) A big, vigorous very disease resistant plant that produces 1 oz. pale ivory to deep yellow cherry tomatoes — stunning and delicious! Has strong deep flavor, both sweet and tart and matures early!
Tomato ‘Druzba’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(82 days) This Bulgarian Heirloom has 8 oz to 1lb deep red globes that grow in clusters of 3 to 5. Balanced taste, a high yielder, and ideal for all gardeners!
Tomato ‘Eva Purple Ball’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(70 days) This Heirloom from the Black Forest region in Germany produces perfectly shaped, 6-9 oz cherry red juicy globes; a high yielder, excellent disease resistance, and a great all purpose tomato! It was grown from organic seeds. A really perfect tomato and a new fave of Aunt Ruth and Contrary Mary!
Tomato ‘Flamme’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(70 days) This French Heirloom produces 2-3 oz persimmon orange fruits in abundance. A perfect blend of sweet, tart and fruity and gorgeous to boot, one tomato expert says “this tomato can do no wrong”!!!
Tomato ‘Garden Peach’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(75 days) This adorable Heirloom was introduced to American gardens in 1862, and produces 2 oz light yellow fruits that actually look like little peaches! A prolific producer, a favorite of all here, and a WINNER at our tasting! It was grown from organic seed.
Tomato ‘German Head’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(85-90 days) This dark pink beefsteak produces 10-12 oz fruits with very high yield. Has a creamy texture (like ‘Lillian’s Yellow that I LOVE!) and smooth and luscious!
Tomato ‘German Red Strawberry’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(80 days) This one produces 10 oz 31/2” long deep red heart shaped fruits. A great sandwich tomato; one expert called it “one of the best-tasting tomatoes I’ve ever grown”! Has solid meat, few seeds, and not overly juicy.
Tomato ‘Goldman’s Italian American’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(80 days) This fig-shaped, “wide-hipped” sauce tomato was discovered by Amy Goldman (author of the BEST “gotta-have” book, The Heirloom Tomato) at a roadside stand in Cernobbio, Italy. She describes it as “voluptuous”, making the “creamiest tomato sauce” ever! One look and you’ll be in love (what torture it is having to do this in January!!!). A high yielder, it’s also yummy as a fresh eater!
Tomato ‘Great White’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(85 days) I know what some of you are going to say…it’s a WHITE tomato, that’s just not right! Well I double dog dare ya to try this one! According to Tomato Guru Amy Goldman, this one is da bomb; the name says it all! Often described as having a fruity, melony taste, she says it “holds its own with great tomatoes of any color”! A big beefsteak (?the largest of the whites?), it is juicy and a great producer; perfect for fresh eating!
Tomato ‘Green Zebra’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(78 days) This 2-4 oz green striped heirloom is Contrary Charlie’s FAVE (and actually all of us here LOVE it!) The taste is described as “zippy” and “tangy” and actually has different flavors depending on when picked — try it still green (not quite ripe) AND tinged with yellow (ripe)! It was a WINNER here at our tasting; grown from organic seeds.
Tomato ‘Japanese Black Trifele’(AKA ‘Black Russian Truffle’)	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(80 days) Just to confuse you, this little beauty doesn’t hail from Japan at all, but instead is another of the “black” Russians! A HUGELY prolific producer of pear shaped 3-5 oz. deep chocolatey-red to magenta fruits with striking green shoulders, it’s as pretty sliced as it is growing on the vine! Great for fresh eating or canning, it rarely cracks and stays nice all season! Potato leaf foliage too!
Tomato ‘Julia Child’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
This Beefsteak produces 4” luscious pink fruits; was a big winner at Tomatofest Tasting and was grown from organic seeds!
Tomato ‘Koralik’	Determinate	4½” pot	$3.95
(61 days) This VERY early cherry variety from Russia produces scads upon scads of 1” bright red fruit. Great for containers, and has a very high resistance to blight.
Tomato ‘Legend’	Determinate	4½” pot	$3.95
(68 days) This one is a VERY early open-pollinated variety developed at Oregon State University. It produces great slicing tomatoes that average 4-5” that are sweet with a touch of “zing”; awesome resistance to blight too! Great grown in containers as it has a compact growth habit.
Tomato ‘Mammoth German Gold’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(85 days) This very productive bicolor (gold with red streaks) beefsteak is from Virginian Mennonites in the 1880’s. A great slicer that’s sweet and very juicy; a real looker too!
Tomato ‘Matina’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(58 days) A VERY early German heirloom that produces 3-4 oz bright red fruits that have the intense flavor found in beefsteaks! It has been said to rival the taste and productivity of ‘Stupice’ which is THE standard for an early variety! Potato leaf foliage.
Tomato ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(70 days) A very early, very prolific producer of cardinal red marble sized gems; excellent and WILL self seed (hence the “wild”!) and AWESOME for fresh eating and salsa. A Chef Bayless favorite; grown from organic seeds.
Tomato ‘Mong’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(85 days) This Heirloom was discovered in Iowa and is from an unknown origin. It has absolutely FABULOUS 2-3 pound meaty, true red tomatoes that were voted “Best Tomato” in the 2003 Organic Gardening Magazine’s test garden! Another limited edition!
Tomato ‘Mule Team’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(78 days) An American heirloom that produces perfectly shaped 9-12 oz red globes with well balanced flavor — said to be “the perfect tomato for an Heirloom skeptic”! Disease resistant too!
Tomato ‘New Big Dwarf’	Determinate	4½” pot	$3.95
(Don’t ya just LOVE the oxymoron?) 60 days An heirloom created before 1915, it produces 8-12oz deep pink tomatoes on short stocky plants — great for containers!
Tomato ‘Paul Robeson’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(75 days) A “black” tomato that is a Russian Heirloom and produces medium sized almost perfect fruits said to be “sweet but tangy” with the richness that all “black” tomatoes possess! A Tomatofest Tasting winner and Chef Bayless pick; grown from organic seeds! A new favorite of all of us here and a really beautiful tomato!
Tomato ‘Pink Ping Pong’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(75 days) An American Heirloom that’s a heavy yielder of 3-4 oz ping pong sized fruits that grow in clusters. Sweet and juicy with no blemishes, rarely cracks, and no blossom end rot too; grown from organic seeds. Recommended by customers (thanks Rick and Kim!).
Tomato ‘Pruden’s Purple’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(75 days) This heirloom produces 10-16oz pink (not purple!) beefsteaks with deep red flesh; compares to ‘Brandywine’ but reputedly a heavier and earlier cropper. Called “excellent”, “savory”, “luscious”, and “sweet” and is a Chef Bayless fave; grown from organic seeds.
Tomato ‘Purple Dog Creek’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(85 days) One of the reasons I love heirlooms (besides their superior taste, of course!) is because of the charming stories that go along with their history. This one in particular really tugs at my heartstrings and reminds me of how awesome gardeners and those who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty really are. The story goes like this: Some kind church people from Martinsburg, West Virginia went to a teeny town in Kentucky called Dog Creek to help out some low income elderly people with home repairs. As a thank you, the grateful people gave a church supper, where they served the most awesome heirloom tomatoes. The Preacher asked if they had seeds to share, which of course they did The rest is history! Now I have not personally tasted this tomato YET, but all indications are that is produces HUGE 1-2 lb. pink (with purple hues) beefsteaks that are to die for! A HUGE producer too! VERY limited!
Tomato ‘Purple Smudged, Orange Fleshed’	indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(78 days) Looking at this beautiful creature, you wouldn’t even care how it tasted, would you?! Well, lucky for us, it tastes as good as it looks! The color (tangerine with dark violet shoulders) is exquisite, and the orange flesh has a mildly sweet, complex flavor. YUM! Very juicy and a high yielder too! VERY limited!
Tomato ‘Red Rose’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(85 days) An 11oz globe type tomato that is a cross between ‘Brandywine’ and ‘Rutgers’ and is described as “as good as a tomato gets”! Disease resistant, a big producer, and awesome for sandwiches; grown from organic seeds.
Tomato ‘San Marzano’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(80 days) This Italian Heirloom bright red plum is considered “essential”; is THE standard for canning and sauces — just ask my customers who make it a sell out immediately! We grow it from organic seeds.
Tomato ‘Stupice’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(52 days) This Czech heirloom is EXTREMELY early and produces deep red 3-4oz globes; prolific producer and sweet and tangy (like a mini beefsteak!). Received a great rating at Contrary Mary’s tasting and is THE standard for an early tomato! We grow it from organic seeds.
Tomato ‘Thessaloniki’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
This Greek heirloom produces baseball sized perfect red fruits that are resistant to cracks, spot and sunburn. A WINNER at Contrary Mary’s tasting and a personal favorite of Contrary Mary Herself! We grow it from organic seeds.
Tomato ‘Virginia Sweets’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
This American heirloom is an AWESOME red-gold bi-color that produces beautiful 1lb beefsteaks in abundance! Intriguing looking and tastes sweet and rich!!! A winner at our tomato/wine/cheese tasting and one of the most beautiful tomatoes I’ve ever seen!
Tomato ‘White Beauty’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
Yes, it 'tis ANOTHER white tomato! According to Amy Goldman, this one has been compared favorably with the BEST reds for over 80 years! A strikingly beautiful creature that is pale yellow inside and out that is excellent for fresh eating and very prolific. Some have described her flavor as "melon-like" and fruity. I am challenging ALL tomato lovers to try one of the white tomatoes!
Tomato ‘Yellow Pear’	Indeterminate	4½” pot	$3.95
(78 days) I had so many customers tell me how wonderful this one is, I just had to try it! This is a true heirloom (pre 1800’s!) that produces TONS of “garden candy” — small yellow to golden approximately 2” long pear shaped cuties. Described as “the life of the salad” and perfect for enticing kids to try!