Over the past twenty years, commercial growers have produced tomato varieties that valued shelf-life and unblemished prettiness over taste — and the result has been an almost tasteless tomato at your local supermarket (the baskets might taste as good). Put taste back on top with heirloom varieties — some can even flourish on your patio in a 7-gallon-sized container!

Heirlooms vary in their production time, so you can sequence your varieties over the summer. A vine-ripened tomato salad can be yours for the picking! These tomatoes may not look as pretty as the ones in the local supermarket — but the taste more than makes up for it.

Planting and growing directions:

The one disadvantage to heirloom varieties is that they tend to be less disease-resistant than the hybrids. Choose the healthiest plants you can find, buy a few extras in case, and especially keep any cigarettes far away (if you smoke yourself, don't even think about tending them with a cigarette in your mouth — as they are not protected from the mosaic virus, which comes from tobacco). If you've grown a few extra, and they all stay healthy, your non-gardening neighbors will probably be happy to take some of your great-tasting tomatoes off your hands.

Once you get your plants, if they are greenhouse-grown, harden them off for a week or so before transplanting (leave them outside for just a couple of hours the first day, then gradually increase the length of time, watering as needed). Before you transplant, amend your soil with a good planting mix, such as Bumper Crop, or use a potting soil such as Gardner & Bloome Potting Soil for tomatoes in pots. Plant them in the evening or on a cloudy day, and they will be less likely to droop. To make for a stronger plant, bury tomato stems up to the plant's second true set of leaves (they'll develop roots all along the buried stem).

Stake or cage as needed (depending on the variety), water as necessary, and fertilize with Dr. Earth Oraganic 5 Vegetable Food and you'll have a tomato crop that can't be beat! If your tomatoes produce a lot of blooms but no fruit, spray flowers with TOMATO SET to help pollinate them.

A note to those growing tomatoes in pots on a narrow patio: you can espalier tomatoes! They won't produce as well but if it's the only way you'll have the room to grow them at all, try it — half a crop is better than being stuck with the tasteless 'tomatoes' sold in the supermarkets.

We have more than 30 new introductions this year and will be featuring a couple of them in each week in our newsletter. As always, these new varieties tend to sell out quickly, so make sure and come in early for the greatest selection.

For more information, pictures, and a complete description of every variety we stock, visit our online Day Lily Catalog at www.almadenvalleynursery.com or pick up your free copy of our 2005 Day Lily Catalog.

Little Mystic Moon:Evergreen 18" high, with 3" blooms.

Adorable dwarf ivory white day lily with ruffled yellow edge and a golden-green throat. Excellent border plant with extended bloom season.

Woodside Romance: Deciduous 27-28" high, with 5" blooms../p>

Delightful bright rosy-pink blooms with ruffled edges and an intense green throat with a yellow halo.

One thing to watch when buying plants for sun or shade is that we gardeners often grow plants from very different climates than our own. A plant that would be a sun-hog in Alaska will probably require some protection from semi-tropical sun, for instance. So keep in mind that sun and shade are, to some extent, relative to the climate. But all plants (hydroponics aside) need the right soil, as well as the right amount of light, to stay healthy.

Many of the most popular true shade-loving plants (from the forest floor) are also acid-loving plants. Also, many shade plants come from areas with a high annual rainfall (50 inches or more). If your soil is alkaline, you will need to amend the soil extensively. It's also a good idea to pre-plan for the water needs of shade plants. You might want to consider a drip irrigation system, which uses less water than other methods.

Preparing the soil:

Your very first step should be to get your soil tested. Is it acid, alkaline, or balanced? That makes a big difference. Your next step should be to amend the soil with a good planting mix, using enough for the area. Gardner & Bloome Acid Planting Mix Gardner & Bloome Planting Mix

Although sun-loving plants can often handle poor soil better than shade-lovers, and are often more drought-tolerant, a good planting mix is still needed if you want a truly healthy plant. Sun-lovers have widely varying soil requirements; some even prefer somewhat alkaline soil. Our professionals will be happy to help you find the right soil amendments for your plants.

When planting in a container, for shade or sun, use a good potting soilGardner & Bloome Potting Soil.

Last week we wrote about What is a Weed? If you're the type of person who likes to garden, you know that weeding is an inevitable part of the experience. At Almaden Valley Nursery we feature products that will make your life a little easier, when it comes to weeding. Whether you want to use chemical controls or organics, we have effective products for you.

Finale

Finale is a non-selective systemic herbicide that eliminates unwanted weeds and grasses, (roots and all) in record time. This product's formulation kills weeds completely in one to four days from the date of application. FINALE can be used to "spot" weeds in problem areas such as driveways, around trees, shrubs, fences and walkways. This product can also be used every effectively to remove an old problem lawn.

Finale is an organic compound that decomposes rapidly in the soil and will not interfere with seed germination or root growth of desirable plants. It is naturally decomposed by soil organisms, enabling reseeding or sodding of lawns 4 days after application. Finale concentrate also covers up to three times as much as the other leading brand, making it more economical to use.

No More Bermuda Grass!

If you're tired of fighting the battle of Bermuda grass taking over your lawn, then we have a product for you. Used by professional applicators, Turflon Ester is the only product on the market that will suppress Bermuda grass in cool season turf such as fescue, ryegrass and bluegrass.

Turflon Ester can be applied throughout the year but is most effective when applied April through October. Simply spray once a month for four months and it will stop Bermuda grass in its tracks, allowing your natural desired turf to get thick and green without competition. While Turflon does not actually kill Bermuda grass, it eliminates it from sight for the season and prevents it from making any headway in taking over your lawn. It will also eliminate many other broadleaf weeds that plague lawns. We invite you to come in and ask one of our nursery professionals for further information about this exciting product.

Amaze-ing Weed Control

Most people learn very quickly that if they want a beautiful garden, some weeding will eventually have to be done. There are many ways to go about the process of weed control. The least popular, but oldest tried and true, method is to pull them out by hand. But this repetitive task is hard on the back and very time consuming. Of course one can also spray weeds once they appear — but why wait.

A better alternative is to use a pre-emergent weed control. A pre-emergent will not control existing weeds, but will kill new weeds as they germinate. We recommend a product called Amaze, which combines two of the most effective weed preventative agents — Surflan and Baylan.

With Amaze, you simply spread the granular weed control at the recommended rate, and water it in. This results in weed control that lasts up to eight months! Amaze controls most annual grasses and many broadleaf weeds, including oxalis and spurge. It is safe to use around most existing plants and lawns, giving your garden a very clean look. You'll get amazing results without the sore fingers and back!

Organic Solutions

Burn Out Weed & Grass Killer

Burn Out Weed & Grass Killer is a fast acting organic weed killer made of clove oil and vinegar, plus other safe ingredients. This product works actually faster than most chemical weed killers. You'll see amazing results in three hours and dead weeds and grass by morning. A second shot takes out unwanted plants right down to their roots. Yet this material won't harm the environment, animals or man.

Burn Out is excellent for spot treatments in lawns, mulch beds, around patios, walkways, fence lines and driveways. It controls broadleaf and grass weeds including chickweed, dandelion, foxtail, morning glory, clover and many more.

Concern Weed Prevention Plus

Concern Weed Prevention Plus is an all-natural pre-emergence weed killer made entirely of corn gluten meal, which is a by product of cornstarch. It controls a broad range of common weeds including crabgrass, dandelions, foxtail and pigweed, and is pelletized for easy application.

The corn gluten meal inhibits root formation of germinating weeds. Without roots, the weed plants cannot get water and soon die. It is also composed of 10% nitrogen, which means it will also help to green plants and create healthier soil. Concern Weed Prevention Plus may also be used almost anywhere in the garden.

Irene is a native of San Jose and enjoys traveling, dancing, working out, and going with friends to comedy clubs.

As a child Irene once led Operation Tadpole Rescue, saving as many "orphan" tadpoles from the local creek as her mother's Tupperware collection would hold. Her house soon became home to a budding reptilian ecosystem, and her parents spent many a sleepless night listening to a chorus of croaking and unwittingly sharing their beds with Irene's frogs and turtles.

Once out of high school, Irene took a job with a refuse company leading tours of the sanitation recycling industry.

Ever impulsive, Irene has been known to suddenly take off on long 12-hour drives to the country. In the winter, she enjoys Frisbee-sliding in the snow.

My Celebrity Service staff and I look forward to serving you this year. We'll go out of our way to make your day!

Eric Wilder - President