Tomato Growing Guide

Picked Fresh and Plump

"For most people, the tomato would be the first plant they'd choose to grow in their own gardens," says Mary Beth Shaddix, who tends the Cooking Light Garden with her husband, David. "It's sort of the all-American garden hero."

While strikingly colored, plump, juicy heirloom tomatoes have become much easier to find at farmers' markets and even supermarkets, there are so many varieties that you have to grow your own to really delve into the possibilities.