One of the advantages of growing by seed is the greater variety of tomatoes avaliable to choose from. This is especially true if you are interested in growing “heritage/heirloom” varieties.
However an initiative between Garden Organic/Heritage Seed Library and Delfland Nurseries has changed that. They’ve selected 6 not easily avaliable varieties to grow and sell as organic tomato plants. The only thing I’d say is slightly disappointing are the names of the varieties – they’re a bit on the plain side. Whilst that may seem a superficial concern, some of the romance of the “old” are names, and the history and mystery behind them… Still it’s a great opportunity to buy a variety with history – and hopefully through this initiative – a future.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I am looking for seeds of Cavendish Perfection —- my father used to win at local horticultural shows 50 years ago. I would like to try and grow it again.
Hello – Lovely to hear that you are carrying on the family tradition of entering shows – and it would be lovely to follow in his footsteps by growing and winning with the same variety. I haven’t come across Cavendish Perfection – but I will ask some more long-standing gardeners who also grow for showing – if they can shed any light on this variety for us.
Hello – I am afraid my very learned and established growing friends drew a blank as well. Although one of them wondered if it wasn’t perhaps a variety that had originated in Suffolk and been grown locally there. I hadn’t thought of this as I hadn’t known Cavendish was a village in Suffolk – which now I do and having looked it up – when it comes to English villages it looks the picture of perfection.
Hi, I’m also looking for Cavenish Perfection tomatoes. I have an allotment in Wallasey, Wirral and took over this plot last year from a 90year old man who couldn’t cope with it any more. He was visiting us yesterday and asked me if I was growing any Wallasey Tomatoes. I had to tell him that I wasn’t and he was very disappointed. He told me that they were grown en masse in the market gardens (which still exist a few roads away) when the transatlantic ships used to sail to America when Liverpool (just across the water) was a major port. Apparently they were prized for their flavour and how long they lasted onboard ship.
I would love to grow these tomatoes not just to make an elderly man very happy but to keep up the tradition. One of the other plot holders told me that their real name was Cavendish Perfection tomatoes but were locally refered to as Wallasey tomatoes.
Any information you can find out will be very gratefully received.
If you manage to find any seeds I’d be very interested and vice versa.
Vicky
Hello – thank you for stopping by and sharing that lovely story – what a wonderful piece of history and all linked to a personal story. So there was me thinking they were local to Suffolk and now they’ve turned up on the other coast! How amazing to think of tomatoes being loaded on to the ships as part of the cargo and supplies – the tomato romantic in me is now sure that a passenger making a new life in a new country – would have saved some of the tomato seed to plant on their new plot – so that they could always have a taste of home…
And I love the idea of continuing the tradition here as well on your new plot as it gets passed on to you -the tomato torch so to speak.
With this new clue I will see what I can do on the tracking down front ! And will get back to you if I find out anymore.
In the meantime I wish you lots of fun and success with your allotment .
Was fascinated to read that , my father was born in 1913, had a market garden and grew them all his life in Mere brow, Lancashire they were sold on Wigan market . As you say they had good keeping qualities, Cavendish Perfection, a ripe, yet firm tomato.
Jean
I’ve managed to get some Cavendish Perfection tomato seeds and after being cossetted to producing fruit, have been taste tested and confirmed to be the genuine article! I will be saving the seed when more of the fruits ripen and am happy to send some to anyone who wants them. Please just contact me with your address.
Vicky
Hello Vicky,
I am so glad that you found some. That was a true quest! It’s amazing to think that by getting hold of the seeds, growing the plants, eating some but saving others for seed that you should be able to enjoy them yourself now. And thank you so much for the offer of saving and sending seeds. It would be lovely to be part of reviving a much loved old variety so I will be in touch!