The greatest gift in life is true friendship and time spent together; nothing is more important or as valuable as our love for each other and our genuine connection. However, if you’re looking to give a physical gift this Christmas, seeds are a truly special something that can be wrapped up and given or posted inside a Christmas card (NB: Remember to use a padded envelope to protect your seeds from the machinery that processes our letters at Royal Mail’s sorting offices; post from a Post Office to ensure you pay the correct postage).
Growing tomatoes is such a joy! The aroma that tomato plants release as we brush against their foliage fills the air, it’s all encompassing, and totally unique from the fragrance of other plants. The individuality of the tomato plant’s scent allows the aroma to perfectly capture memories held in that moment, giving us an abundance of happy memories of summers spent growing (or just being somewhere near) tomato plants in the garden with friends and family. Those precious memories will come rushing back ready to be released whenever you next encounter the aroma of a tomato plant. The power of scent and its connection to our memory means that this is the closest thing we have to reverse time travel; therefore, by giving tomato seeds you can help future generations learn about plants, eat delicious tomatoes, and make (hold onto and retrieve) memories together!
Tomato plants are killed by frost and cold temperatures, they need warmth, light, and protection. December is way too early to sow tomato seeds (sow tomato seeds indoors in February, March, or April) but by buying seeds now you can be certain of obtaining almost any variety you aspire to grow.
Many tomato varieties are available to purchase as seeds from our local garden centres, hardware stores, and online retailers. Some tomatoes have very mild, subtle flavours and low acidity levels, while other tomatoes produce more powerful flavours and taste exceptionally sweet, tart, savoury, or earthy. To help you discover the best tomatoes, every year I run Tomato Trials in my quest to discover the tastiest tomatoes available. In summers with repeated droughts and heatwaves (like summer 2025), cherry tomatoes fare far better than larger-fruited tomatoes. My favourite cherry tomato varieties include the exceptional, early-fruiting, smooth-textured tomato ‘Bottondoro’, which has a full on tangy, citrusy flavour – it’s delicious!
If you enjoy tomatoes with intense sweet and fruity flavours like ‘Bottondoro’, I can also recommend ‘Honeycomb’.
‘Yellow Mimi’ has a sweet and tangy flavour with an incredibly smooth texture; this is such a sweet-tasting, delectable tomato, when fully ripe it tastes rather like mango.
‘Bliss’ is a larger than a cherry tomato, producing gorgeous, golden-bronzed-yellow-coloured plum tomatoes with a super-sweet flavour and a hint of lime.
If you prefer beefsteak tomatoes, try ‘Burlesque’: a meaty, yet juicy and refreshing tomato, ideal for sandwiches but very versatile, with a lovely flavour.
For gardening advice for December, please click here.
To see my vegetable plant pages and find advice on growing a wide range of vegetables, please click here.
For more information about growing tomatoes, please click here.
For more articles about edible gardening, please click here.
