Hardening off Tomatoes

 Lovely, warm days in the last few weeks have meant that my tomato plants have been spending days outside hardening off.  The gentle movement of the wind sways the stems and leaves so that they become stronger and more resistant to the outdoor life.   They come into the greenhouse at night because there are still a few late frosts about.

 This is an interesting variety I called 'Quebec' because I bought some lovely beefsteak tomatoes in a market in Quebec in 2008 and saved some seed.  Apparently there was a greenhouse tomato breeding programme in Quebec to find varieties suitable for growing in greenhouses at that latitude. I did ask a market trader what the name of the variety was,  the reply was something like 'Den de L'or" but with a French Canadian accent I'm not sure.

 I have grown them for a few years in my greenhouse, and outside, they are a really lovely, smooth beefsteak tomato.

 This is what they looked like on sale in the market.  I grow them every few years to keep the seed fresh and to keep the strain going over here.

Another interesting variety I found is this dwarf, bush  yellow tomato called 'Sweet n Neat'  I thought they might make a Summer display on the patio.