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Virtual Tomato Festival Sydney 2022

The Virtual Tomato Festival Sydney 2022 was held over the weekend of 19 and 20 February!.

While we were not able to host the Festival at the Garden this year we had fabulous free live sessions with our Festival Ambassador Costa Georgiadis, our Community Greening staff, Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens, the Diggers Club and Grow it Local.

We invite you to watch back and enjoy the Festival – click on the sessions below.

There are also great recipes below from award winning and Executive Chef of the Longest Tomato Lunch – Chef Luca Ciano, great tips on growing tomatoes, interesting tomato facts, information about the different heirloom varieties, how to build a wicking bed and more.

Virtual events

Clive Blazey live from the Diggers Club

Join Clive as he discusses planting trees and gardening sustainably as some of the simplest solutions for carbon drawdown - start by planting a tomato! 

Saturday 19 Feb, 10 am - 11 am

WATCH BACK
Growing tomatoes organically

Join Tim Sansom, CEO of The Diggers Club and Diggers Foundation live from Diggers organically certified gardens and learn about growing tomatoes organically as well as some general organic gardening tips, advice and benefits.

Saturday 19 Feb, 2 pm - 3 pm

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Tomato relish cook-a-long

Learn how preserve your tomatoes and make the most delicious tomato relish ever with Diana Whitton, CWA member and Garden volunteer.

Sunday 20 Feb, 9:30 – 10.30 am

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Prepare a Caprese Salad with Paul West

In this exclusive live session local grower, tomato lover and chef Paul West (River Cottage Australia) will talk you through his tips and tricks to Caprese Salad success this summer. 

Sunday 20 Feb, 11 am - 12 pm 

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Costa live from the Garden

Go behind the scenes with Costa at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney’s Nursery for tips and tricks on growing tomatoes, as well as discussing plant propagation with Greg Lamont, Growing Friends.

Sunday 20 Feb, 4 pm – 5 pm

WATCH BACK

Recipes: Fresh, Seasonal & Simple

Who knew a fruit holding 95% of water could have so much flavour? Delicious and simple recipes from Chef Luca Ciano.  
Start cooking

How to grow tomatoes

Saving and storing seeds
There is nothing quite like the taste of a homegrown tomato. Check out these tips on saving seeds and growing your own at home.
Learn more
Top tips from the Diggers Club
There is nothing like the taste of home grown tomatoes, warm and fragrant off the vine! When you plant heirloom tomatoes you become part of a link in a chain that stretches back for generations.
Start growing
Community Greening tips for disease free tomatoes
Tomatoes are susceptible to disease and we've got handy tips to ensure you grow healthy and tasty fruit.
Avoid disease
How to build a wicking bed

Learn how to make a wicking bed for your tomato plants.

Find out more

Interesting things about tomatoes

Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are members of the Solanaceae or Nightshade family of plants. 

This is a large worldwide family with over 90 genera and 2500 species containing not only tomatoes but many other of our most important food plants 

LEARN MORE TOMATO FACTS

Heirloom tomato varieties

The Diggers Club is the home of heirloom tomatoes. Their varieties are tops in taste and yield.

From bite sized cherries for salads to whoppers for the biggest of hamburger buns, they have a tomato for every taste bud.


LEARN MORE

Growing Friends Plant Sales

For those with a green thumb visit the Growing Friends nursery for a wide range of potted plants propagated from the Garden's living collection.


Browse our collection

PARTNERS 

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