Tomatoes on the Vine (gouache style)

Tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum, come originally from western South America and belong to the same family as potatoes and aubergines. Botanically the fruit is a berry, borne in clusters called trusses. Varieties fall into two broad groups: cordons, which grow as a single tall stem and need support, and bush types, which sprawl and stay more compact. Fruits come in red, orange, yellow, striped and near-black, from tiny cherries to large beefsteaks.

Sow tomatoes indoors from late February to early April, and plant them into the greenhouse border, grow bags or large pots from late April once nights are milder. Tie cordons to canes or strings and pinch out side shoots every week. Once the first truss has set, give them a high-potash feed weekly. Water steadily, since irregular watering can cause split fruit and blossom end rot. In late summer, pinch out the growing tip so the plant ripens what's already formed.

Here, trusses of ripe red and orange tomatoes hang inside a greenhouse. It's the point of the season everything else has been building towards, when the fruit has coloured and is ready to pick. The mix of red and orange gives the picture its warmth, and the hanging trusses show the weight of a good crop.