Usually you get one of two things in a tomato: It tastes good or it’s good for making sauce. It’s hard to find tomatoes that are delicious for snacking on straight out of the garden, and are excellent for forming the base of Grandma’s famous red sauce.

‘Shimmer’ tomato is supposed to do both, according to Burpee, the company that introduced this new variety for spring of 2018. Described as larger than a cherry, but smaller than a classic Roma variety, ‘Shimmer’ has distinctive red skin that is stripped with greenish-grey markings. The green stripes eventually fade to gold, which is when it’s time to harvest. We say that if this tomato lives up to half of it’s claims, it’ll still be a worthy addition to the veggie patch.

Here are some other stats:

Type: Indeterminate

Days to maturity: 60-70

Yield: 300-350 fruits

Source: burpee.com

This Week’s Spring Picks:

Days to Spring: 8 – The Leo Wall Planter – I Can’t Wait to Plant This Container

I have to admit it: my backporch is a little boring. This wouldn’t be much of a problem, but I have one of those houses where the back door is the main entry to the house. The walkway to the porch… Read more.

Days to Spring: 9 – ‘Cascade’ Hops — An Easy-Care Vine for Full Sun

I’ve wanted to grow hops for years. My grandfather grew them for wine-making, and I always loved how the vines looked scrambling up the wire trellis he had rigged on a south-facing wall of his home… Read more.

Days to Spring: 10 – A Book Full of Beautiful Peonies

Roses seem to get all the love as the most romantic and enduring flower, but to that we say phooey! It really is the gorgeous peony that deserves our unwavering love. They are, arguably the most beautiful flower in the world… Read more.

See the whole list.

Countdown to Spring:

Check back tomorrow for Fine Gardening’s Countdown to Spring to find out what tools, plants, books – and more! – we are excited about this season. And join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest – tell us what you are excited about this spring, too!

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Corona® Multi-Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel

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Longer Service Life: The blade of this round small shovel is made of carbon steel, which can effectively improve the hardness by high temperature quenching, and the surface has anti-rust coating to avoid rusting. In the process of use when encountering hard objects will not bend and deformation. Sturdy Structure: The small garden shovel with D-handle, ergonomically designed grip can increase the grip of the hand when using, the handle is made of strong fiberglass, will not bend and break under heavy pressure. Quick Digging: Well-made digging shovel has a sharp blade, and the round shovel head is designed to easily penetrate the soil and cut quickly while digging to enhance your work efficiency.

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A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo

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MULTITASKING DUAL EDGES: a deep serrated edge and a tapered slicing edge ideal for tough or delicate cuts. DURABLE 6-inch stainless steel blade withstands 300 lbs of pressure. TWINE CUTTING NOTCH, DEPTH GAUGE MARKINGS & spear point - no need to switch tools when using this garden knife. LEATHER SHEATH: heavy duty, protective, clip on sheath to keep your knife convenient and secure. LIFETIME WARRANTY.

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