While Roma, cherry and globe tomatoes have cornered the supermarket space, connoisseurs and gardeners alike have been seeking out some rarer cultivars.
There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes available to those willing to do some searching. The Pikes Peak region resides largely in the USDA’s Hardiness Zones four and five. This means some varieties will grow better.
So what’s a gardener to do, and where do we get our hands on these rare varietals?
Line Up Early
Wayne Fisher has owned Good Earth Garden Center for 49 years and has evolved through the years to find his garden center niche. Tomatoes play a large role in that niche. Currently, he has sourced and offers 113 different varieties of tomatoes each year.
Many veteran visitors join their email list to get a sneak peek into the varietals that will be available each year. These visitors make their lists and line up early outside the shop on the first day of availability to make sure they get everything.
From Hobby to Store Front
It all started when Fisher decided to make a few bucks by exploiting a hobby. Houseplants were a big deal in the 60s and 70s and he had a number of them cohabitating with him in his orange VW van. He tried selling some houseplants out of his van and became so successful that he started making a mid-day trek to Denver to re-stock.
In the mid-1970s, Fisher upgraded from a van-front to a store-front and hasn’t slowed down since. (Don’t worry, he still has the van.) House plants were soon joined by perennials and pottery. Garden art and vegetables were next to the party.
Today, the shop at 1330 W. Walnut Street is a journey. Paths lead visitors on an adventure through themed cast-stone gardens to shop for any number of plants and décor for the garden.
Designed to Inspire
There are no sterile, straight rows here; this place is designed to inspire. Ceramic pots from chartreuse to plum, navy to buttercream are on display – squint and you're staring at a pantone palette. Fisher also notes he is one of the few places who carry yard art from Colorado Springs’ own Sandy Friedman, a local artist producing structural art in ceramic and steel.
Clean out the back of the truck or SUV and take the journey to make that home garden the envy of the neighborhood and a peaceful place to enjoy these perfect Colorado summers.
Website: https://www.goodearthgardencenter.com/
Facebook: @GoodEarthColorado
Instagram: @ goodearthcos
