Have you ever had a tomato out of a garden? Like, a real, grown-by-people-who-water-them-by-hand, organic tomato? If you have, you probably know that there is an enormous difference between a garden-fresh tomato and the kind of red, perfectly-round orbs you find in the grocery store.

Homegrown tomatoes still taste like tomatoes, of course. But not… quite. There’s almost a grass flavor, mixed with dirt… yes, dirt. They smell like soil and they smell like fresh air and they smell like summer. It’s something you just can’t bottle.

But apparently, you can infuse it into a candle.

Fresh Tomato Soy Candle

Kobo Wild Tomato Vine Soy Candle, $25

Yesterday, I smelled this. I mean, I really smelled it. I stood in the home decor shop at the top of my street and I dare I say whiffed it for a good five minutes straight. It was so distinctively garden tomato-scented that it was nearly unbearable to part with. It had the dirt, the grass, the tomato, & even the air. I don’t know what kind of sorcery was involved in the creation of this candle, but I support it.

Also, it happens to be a soy candle which burns for longer than your average wax candles – that’s a personal observation! Soy candles that I’ve had in the past have burned almost twice as long as wax candles of the same size. Also, soy is a great choice for people who want to expand veg*nism into their non-food life. (Here are some more benefits of soy candles!)

Also, also – if none of this is cool enough for you – try planting the box. Yeah, just try it. Tell me what happens. Will you maybe plant this candle box and get a tomato plant out of it? Yeah. You might. 

KOBO also makes planty-box, soy candles in these scents (& the scents tell you what results from planting the box! Get it? Clever.):

What’s your favorite summer scent?

Probably watching Netflix.