High-altitude tomatoes in the holding pen.
I grow tomatoes - I can't help it - I love them - I love them. This year I grew 135 varieties. Life is good. So now I have tomatoes for sale. What? Yes, we mountain folks don't put our tomatoes in until now. It froze here three nights ago - just nipped the Australians though and I really can't blame them - they haven't had time to adapt. Of course the Siberians and Russians were fine. I have a list of every one. You can email me for it - I've meant to post it forever, but happily, I am too busy planting. I will plant more tomatoes in more ways than ever before. I have quite a nursery full of them. Thes pics do not include the ones left in my greenhouse. I emptied Cord's greenhouse the other day and they are happily adjusting to life under a tree.
Tomorrow, June 14th, I will be at the Farmer's Market in Westcliffe with as many tomatoes as I can stuff into a car.
The other great news is that I will be delivering a few specialty flats to Native Woods in Westcliffe - our awesome, local garden center. LaNell Brady is a wonderful person and I am so lucky to get to take my tomatoes there. I hope you will stop by there while in Westcliffe.
Many of my varieties are from seed saved for 1 or 2 years. This means those tomatoes will have a better time of it in the fierce mountain conditions since they carry with them the memory from the past. Siberian tomatoes - and I grow many, many kinds, have a built in resilience - many conditions like ours in the Rockies - only harsher. If they can do it - we can do it. Growing tomatoes from some Siberian gardener is a relief - they know how we feel - the Altai - their "Rockies", look amazingly like our mountains but go to 60 below zero. Talk about a short season. They love their tomatoes and select for flavor, as well as earliness and cold-hardiness.
My all time favorite Siberian is Sasha's Altai - absolutely delicious. As for a cherry, Galina, golden cherries in huge profusion - fast and delicious. I know some folks over in Howard who have grown Galina pushing 20 years and they serve up a wonderful salsa made with it.
I love Silvery Fir Tree for it's beauty and surprisingly big tomatoes on such a small plant. Moscow - determinate, wow oh wow does it load. It loads up then falls over - bush or no bush. Happy accident - it falls over from all the huge red tomatoes on it. Love it!
I tried some super fun ones too - including "Reisetomate" - the weird, cluster tomato - fusing cherries together and tasting like raw lemons! What fun - an alien tomato to be sure. I gave in to Stump of the World - couldn't help it - the name - the ever-lovin' name! Good grief I'm easy. It is a relative of Brandywine but supposedly a heavier producer.
I am growing Blush - from Seeds of Change, and the beautiful Indigo Rose. Can't wait to see them on the vine. I have Arizona-adapted seed - good for the hot down-below, from famous desert seedsman ThunderfooT - Arkansas Traveler, Golden Grape and Ninety Wonder.
It's all good, clean American fun - growing tomatoes is a kick - they don't call them "The Gateway Drug To Gardening" for nothing.
You can see pics of our tomato houses and covers on the home page - mountain nights are too cold for tomatoes - they need to be covered to bear and to ripen. So many people grow green tomatoes - cold nights make that happen.
This is a quickie to let you know I am swimming in tomatoes. Email for the list - and order up some tomatoes from around the world.
I'll see you at the market...
Tomorrow, June 14th, I will be at the Farmer's Market in Westcliffe with as many tomatoes as I can stuff into a car.
The other great news is that I will be delivering a few specialty flats to Native Woods in Westcliffe - our awesome, local garden center. LaNell Brady is a wonderful person and I am so lucky to get to take my tomatoes there. I hope you will stop by there while in Westcliffe.
Many of my varieties are from seed saved for 1 or 2 years. This means those tomatoes will have a better time of it in the fierce mountain conditions since they carry with them the memory from the past. Siberian tomatoes - and I grow many, many kinds, have a built in resilience - many conditions like ours in the Rockies - only harsher. If they can do it - we can do it. Growing tomatoes from some Siberian gardener is a relief - they know how we feel - the Altai - their "Rockies", look amazingly like our mountains but go to 60 below zero. Talk about a short season. They love their tomatoes and select for flavor, as well as earliness and cold-hardiness.
My all time favorite Siberian is Sasha's Altai - absolutely delicious. As for a cherry, Galina, golden cherries in huge profusion - fast and delicious. I know some folks over in Howard who have grown Galina pushing 20 years and they serve up a wonderful salsa made with it.
I love Silvery Fir Tree for it's beauty and surprisingly big tomatoes on such a small plant. Moscow - determinate, wow oh wow does it load. It loads up then falls over - bush or no bush. Happy accident - it falls over from all the huge red tomatoes on it. Love it!
I tried some super fun ones too - including "Reisetomate" - the weird, cluster tomato - fusing cherries together and tasting like raw lemons! What fun - an alien tomato to be sure. I gave in to Stump of the World - couldn't help it - the name - the ever-lovin' name! Good grief I'm easy. It is a relative of Brandywine but supposedly a heavier producer.
I am growing Blush - from Seeds of Change, and the beautiful Indigo Rose. Can't wait to see them on the vine. I have Arizona-adapted seed - good for the hot down-below, from famous desert seedsman ThunderfooT - Arkansas Traveler, Golden Grape and Ninety Wonder.
It's all good, clean American fun - growing tomatoes is a kick - they don't call them "The Gateway Drug To Gardening" for nothing.
You can see pics of our tomato houses and covers on the home page - mountain nights are too cold for tomatoes - they need to be covered to bear and to ripen. So many people grow green tomatoes - cold nights make that happen.
This is a quickie to let you know I am swimming in tomatoes. Email for the list - and order up some tomatoes from around the world.
I'll see you at the market...
They want to grow in your mountain garden!
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