As a gardener, late summer is a special season for me: All of my spring-time planning and planting activities come to fruition and I can actually see, feel—and most importantly taste—the bounty of my labor.

At the end of the summer, I wish that I had planted even more tomatoes. Each spring I struggle over which are the best to plant. Quite a quandary: How to choose the best varieties, those with the most promise and most likely to produce good vegetables?

My decision is made easier by he availability of new and improved hybrid species of tomatoes (or fruits or flowers)—reported to provide the best combined qualities of “ordinary” plants. Seed companies and nurseries experiment boldly and beckon with the news of the latest hybrid developments.