Linnie's Oxheart is outstanding. Indet, RL, late season, red fruits 1-2 lbs, dense flesh and outstanding taste IMO.
Seeds for this variety originally came from "Big Red" Boyton, from whom I got my seeds a couple of years ago as did others who participated at either DG or TV. Suze was the first to list it in the SSE YEarbook and no doubt that's where Darrel got his seeds from although I don't know for sure. Matters not, really.
Here's the history on this one:
tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Linnie%27s_OxheartShe shows only two seed sources for it and one is Victory Seeds where I did send Mike seeds.
victoryseeds.com/catalog/vegetable/tomato/tomato.htmlI think the Victory Seed picture more accurately depicts the shape than does the one at Tania's site.
And if you do a general Google search you'll find lots of pictures.
Red also sent me seeds for Indiana Red, another huge red heart with superb taste which I like just as much as I do Linnie's Oxheart
I didn't have enough seeds to SSE list either one myself, but did offer both of the above in my annual free seed offer. No more seeds left to give out, maybe enough to regrow for more seed.
The fact is that I'm one of the persons who is somewhat obsessed with heart shaped tomatoes and I know I have lots of company in that regard. ;D
Dean, I can't remember off hand who posts here, or is registered, that offers what you call hard to get varieties commercially, so you'll have to help me here.
Darrel does sell plants of Linnie's Oxheart
Other than Victory Seed and Heritage Harvest in Canada, right now the places that I think carry the most hard to get varieties, for seed, might include:
Gleckler's, b'c that was the whole point of his listings when Adam, grandson of the founder in the 1940's, that is, decided to offer hard to get varieties so as not to be in competition with so many other small family run companies. And many of us including yourself, if I recall, have sent Adam seeds to trial. For the first two years it was a bunch of us at Tville who donated seeds but as his company has become more well known he gets lots of varieties sent to him.
Marianne Jones at mariseeds who is a long time SSE member I've known for ages has lots of hard to get ones as well.
Glenn at Sandhill has lots as well and and Darrel has been doing a bit of the seed production for Glenn when Glenn gets behind trying to maintain about 400 tomato varieties and never wanting to sell seed that' over two years old, which means a huge number of grow outs each year.
And of course Tania herself sells lots of hard to get ones as well.
Jeff Casey, Casey's Heirlooms via Google, in Canada is another place where you can find hard to get ones and for a while there he was about the only one listing Vorlon.
There are a few places I won't list, my decision.
And of course as you mentioned, anyone wanting to help preserve OP varieties of tomatoes by growing them and then relisting them in the SSE YEarbook as a listed member, has access to over 4,000 tomato varieties.
OK, my mind is going blank now, so what commercial places have I left out where one can find lots of hard to get varieties and I'll apologize in advance for not remembering them right now. It's the CRS syndrome that often afflicts the elderly. ;D
Carolyn
