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Year of the Tomato and Geranium

© Keith Muraoka

Two of the most common plants around -- tomatoes and geraniums -- have been singled out by the National Garden Bureau in 1998.

This non-profit educational arm of the North American home and garden seed industry has declared 1998 the Year of the Tomato and Year of the Geranium. Even if you're a beginning home gardener, you'll easily be able to grow this year's honorees.

Tomatoes are grown in more home vegetable gardens than any other veggie. Geraniums are among the most popular flowers, running only behind impatiens and petunias as far as bedding plants are concerned. If you live in an apartment or condominium or are short on garden space, be assured that both tomatoes and geranums can successfully be grown in containers.

YEAR OF THE TOMATO Tomatoes aren't always red and round. In fact, they're quite diverse, with five major fruit shapes and colors that include pink, yellow and orange besides red.

Fruit shapes from the smallest to the largest are: cherry, plum, pear, standard and beefsteak. Fruit can weigh from under an ounce (cherry types) to 2 pounds or more (beefsteak types). Tomatoes are also categorized by their maturity date. Early tomatoes take 55 to 65 days to ripen from transplanting, while late tomatoes will require more than 80 days.

Veteran home gardeners always have their favorites. In many areas of California, "Early Girl" is always near the top of the list. It is a standard variety that is known for maturing faster than most others. Cherry types are also always popular. Of course, it's always fun to try new varieties, too.

According to National Gardening magazine, three new tomatoes made their top-10 list of new vegetable varieties this year. They are: "Classica," a red pear shape; "Sweet Tangerine," a yellow tomato with the full taste of a red one; and "Container Choice," standard-sized fruit on a dwarf plant. Seed sources include Tomato Growers, Burpee and Park Seeds.

YEAR OF THE GERANIUM Geraniums are technically Pelargoniums. But whatever you call them, geraniums are great in our California climate. In fact, in most of California (where it doesn't snow), geraniums can be grown year-round.

While there are more than 200 species of geraniums, there are four basic types. They are: zonal or common, ivy-leaved (hanging), Regal or Martha Washington and scented leaf.

Whatever the type, color is probably the determining factor. Geranium flowers are composed of a cluster of florets, and each floret is either single, semi-double or double. There can be one color or bi-color. There's a wide range of colors, including all shades of red, pink, lavender and pure white.

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