Every year, Victoria Day weekend marks the moment Alberta gardeners have been waiting for.
The soil is warming, the nights are getting warmer, and it's finally time to start thinking about getting your tomatoes in the ground.
There is something genuinely exciting about watching our greenhouse empty out as neighbours from Beaver County, Tofield, Ryley, and Sherwood Park head home with plants tucked into their back seats, ready to start growing.
If you are heading to the greenhouse this weekend, or trying to decide which tomatoes to choose, here is how we think about it: most people choose by type first, then variety. So that's exactly how we've laid this out.
Cherry Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes are the crowd-pleasers. Sweet, prolific, and ready to eat straight off the vine all summer. If you want flavour and volume without a lot of fuss, this is your category.
Sun Gold - Our Pick for First-Time Growers
If you have never grown Sun Gold cherry tomatoes before, this is the year to start. These bright orange clusters are incredibly sweet, prolific, and almost impossible to stop snacking on straight off the vine. They perform beautifully in both garden beds and large containers, they are relatively early to produce, and they are hands-down one of the most visually stunning plants in the garden all season long.
We recommend Sun Gold to first-time tomato growers because the flavour payoff is immediate and the plants are vigorous and forgiving. One warning: you will never be satisfied with a grocery store tomato again.
Container & Patio Tomatoes
Not everyone has a raised bed or garden plot, and the right tomato variety makes a patio or balcony just as rewarding.
Tumbler - The Best Container Tomato for Alberta Patios
Tumbler was practically made for Alberta patio growers. This compact, trailing variety is ideal for hanging baskets, patio pots, and balcony containers. It produces a generous harvest of small to medium-sized tomatoes all season and looks beautiful.
If you are looking for a productive patio container, Tumbler is your answer.
Slicers
Slicers are your everyday workhorse tomatoes. The kind you reach for on sandwiches, in salads, and for fresh eating all summer. If you want reliable, consistent production, these are your varieties.
Bush Early Girl - Reliable, Early, and Proven in Alberta
For gardeners who want a dependable mid-size tomato, Bush Early Girl is a classic for a reason. It matures quickly, produces consistently, and handles Alberta's shorter season without complaint. Great for slicing, sandwiches, and fresh eating all summer.
Celebrity - Our Garden Bed Workhorse
Celebrity is the variety we recommend when someone asks for a tomato that just works. Disease-resistant, productive, and adaptable to a range of growing conditions, Celebrity is the plant that quietly delivers all summer while you are fussing over your other varieties.
Heirloom
Heirlooms take a little more patience, but for the right gardener, the payoff is unlike anything else you will grow.
Brandywine - For the Adventurous Gardener
Brandywine is not for the impatient. It takes longer to mature and needs a warm, sheltered spot to really shine in Alberta. But for gardeners willing to put in a little extra care, the reward is a large, deeply flavourful heirloom tomato that tastes like summer.
A Note on Planting Timing
Victoria Day weekend is generally the right time to get tomatoes in the ground in Beaver County and the surrounding area, but always check your nighttime forecast. Tomatoes don't love temperatures below 10°C, so keep a frost cloth handy for the first couple of weeks just in case. When in doubt, come ask us. We know this growing region, and we want your garden to succeed.
See What's on the Benches
These are just a couple of the tomato varieties we grow each season. Visit the greenhouse, we are open every day, including Victoria Day Monday, and let us help you find the perfect fit for your space.
📍 18311 Township Road 502, Beaver County · Open every day · Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm; Sunday 10am-5pm
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