So just why are mine taking so long to ripen? For starters they're heirloom varieties -- that means they are open-pollinated plants that my grandmother and her grandmother and her grandmother's grandmother could have planted in their gardens. Because heirloom plants can reproduce themselves identically from their own seed -- and each generation of these varieties is pretty much identical -- there's no need to buy seeds year after year. And if I find that one of my plants created extra flavorful tomatoes, I can select for that flavor by saving seeds from that particular plant to sow in next year's garden. My dad certainly can't do that with his new-fangled hybrids. (Ever tried to plant the seed produced by a plant grown from a hybrid seed? It doesn't work very well since the new plants will exhibit traits from the hybrid's parents rather than the hybrids themselves.)

There are other benefits to planting heirlooms. I think it's a "greener" way to garden as our increasing dependence on seed companies' hybrid varieties continually narrows the gene pool for our flower, fruits, and veggies -- making species more vulnerable to insect pests and plant pathogens. (It's a lot like what's going on with the Cavendish banana.) By choosing to plant open-pollinated varieties instead, I help reintroduce genetic diversity -- and maybe help reduce the world's dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the meantime.

So I had to wait a few more weeks for my tomatoes. Truly good things are worth the wait.