"Taste of Tomato" Festival - Boulder, CO 8/29/15 - Page 2

TommyTime · August 26, 2016

Hey Guru and Ricky, I'll be there tomorrow - looking forward to meeting you. Thanks for bringing seeds! I'll be wearing a hat with a tomato on it

Ricky Shaw · August 26, 2016

Boonie hat, long-sleeve white tee, crocs, the summer uniform.

This cold rainy weather is wrecking me, none of my good stuff is coming ripe at the right time. Next year I'm having at least 5 plants each of Rebel Yell and Crnkovic Yugoslavian, they've got a real shot at winning and both are excellent producers for me.

guruofgardens · August 26, 2016

Denim shirt w/"I love Gardening" on the back.

I'll be bringing tomatoes to share - in case you want seeds, etc.

Ricky Shaw · August 30, 2016

Results are up and made made top ten with my Malachite Box and Brandy Boy. It's something to build on, next year that crown's coming home to Tomatoville.

Ricky Shaw · June 23, 2017

Sept. 9: Taste of Tomato: a tomato tasting festival; CSU Co-op Extension with Harlequin’s Gardens; Held at Gateway Park. 9-1 Boulder, CO

In past years the event has been the last Saturday in August. The plus is some late to mature varieties will have fully ripened and more tomatoes can be entered. The downside is often we chilling cold fronts move through in early September and the low 50's temps will change the flavor and texture of the tomatoes.

Also, the Denver Post is coming out this morning to take pictures of the garden and do an article on seed saving. Specifically, the oxiclean quick method.

guruofgardens · June 29, 2017

Good to hear the Tomato Tasting will be held again. I'm planning on being there and hope to bring some new-to-me varieties. It all depends on Mother Nature.

guruofgardens · July 1, 2017

Ricky Shaw's tomato seed saving method has been written up in the Denver Post "Grow" section on June 30, 2017. Congrats to being written up for this newspaper!

Ricky Shaw · July 1, 2017

My method huh? I'll have to go back and read that, told them the alternative oxiclean and hyd peroxide/ baking soda methods been around a long time. #fakenews

Ricky Shaw · July 1, 2017

It's a pretty good article for anyone interested, more than just tomatoes, my bit was small.

"How to save seeds from your Colorado garden."

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/06/30/how-to-save-seeds-from-your-colorado-garden/

guruofgardens · September 7, 2017

Sept. 9: Taste of Tomato: a tomato tasting festival; CSU Co-op Extension with Harlequin’s Gardens; Held at Gateway Park. 10-1 Boulder, CO

Don't forget the tomato tasting this Saturday!

Ricky Shaw · September 9, 2017

Hey guru, sadly we're not going to make it this year. Lost lots of plants to mold this year, but still enough Crnkovic, Eva Purple Ball, and Sungold to make entries and free admission. It's that the wife has been very ill and can't attend, I can't imagine it would be any fun without her. My heart is not in the garden this year.

guruofgardens · September 12, 2017

Ricky - I'm so sorry that your wife is not feeling her best. It's hard to enjoy something when you're just half-hearted and feeling lousy. IMHO, this year was not the best Tasting Time for anyone's tomatoes. Many of them were not quite ripe and tasted like our wonderful red winter tomatoes, hard and tasteless. There also seemed to be fewer people bringing their tomatoes. There was a 'farmer's market' of sorts - Thistle Whistle Farms from Hotchkiss, a friend of Harlequin's owner. He had some nice stuff, but charged and arm and 2 legs for whatever he had. I did buy one 'tomato pepper' for $8/lb. I hope to grow it next year.
The tasting went OK, though I really only liked one tomato - Dwarf Purple Heart.

I don't think this is the best year for tomatoes. Maybe next year.

Give your wife special hugs to help heal.

August 26, 2016	#16
TommyTime Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Front Range Colorado, Zone 5b Posts: 10	Hey Guru and Ricky, I'll be there tomorrow - looking forward to meeting you. Thanks for bringing seeds! I'll be wearing a hat with a tomato on it

August 26, 2016	#17
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	Boonie hat, long-sleeve white tee, crocs, the summer uniform. This cold rainy weather is wrecking me, none of my good stuff is coming ripe at the right time. Next year I'm having at least 5 plants each of Rebel Yell and Crnkovic Yugoslavian, they've got a real shot at winning and both are excellent producers for me.

August 26, 2016	#18
guruofgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: zone 5 Colorado Posts: 942	Denim shirt w/"I love Gardening" on the back. I'll be bringing tomatoes to share - in case you want seeds, etc.

June 23, 2017	#20
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	*Sept. 9: Taste of Tomato:* a tomato tasting festival; CSU Co-op Extension with Harlequin’s Gardens; Held at Gateway Park. 9-1 Boulder, CO In past years the event has been the last Saturday in August. The plus is some late to mature varieties will have fully ripened and more tomatoes can be entered. The downside is often we chilling cold fronts move through in early September and the low 50's temps will change the flavor and texture of the tomatoes. Also, the Denver Post is coming out this morning to take pictures of the garden and do an article on seed saving. Specifically, the oxiclean quick method.

June 29, 2017	#21
guruofgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: zone 5 Colorado Posts: 942	Good to hear the Tomato Tasting will be held again. I'm planning on being there and hope to bring some new-to-me varieties. It all depends on Mother Nature.

July 1, 2017	#22
guruofgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: zone 5 Colorado Posts: 942	Ricky Shaw's tomato seed saving method has been written up in the Denver Post "Grow" section on June 30, 2017. Congrats to being written up for this newspaper!

September 7, 2017	#25
guruofgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: zone 5 Colorado Posts: 942	*Sept. 9: Taste of Tomato:* a tomato tasting festival; CSU Co-op Extension with Harlequin’s Gardens; Held at Gateway Park. 10-1 Boulder, CO Don't forget the tomato tasting this Saturday!

September 9, 2017	#26
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	Hey guru, sadly we're not going to make it this year. Lost lots of plants to mold this year, but still enough Crnkovic, Eva Purple Ball, and Sungold to make entries and free admission. It's that the wife has been very ill and can't attend, I can't imagine it would be any fun without her. My heart is not in the garden this year.

September 12, 2017	#27
guruofgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: zone 5 Colorado Posts: 942	Ricky - I'm so sorry that your wife is not feeling her best. It's hard to enjoy something when you're just half-hearted and feeling lousy. IMHO, this year was not the best Tasting Time for anyone's tomatoes. Many of them were not quite ripe and tasted like our wonderful red winter tomatoes, hard and tasteless. There also seemed to be fewer people bringing their tomatoes. There was a 'farmer's market' of sorts - Thistle Whistle Farms from Hotchkiss, a friend of Harlequin's owner. He had some nice stuff, but charged and arm and 2 legs for whatever he had. I did buy one 'tomato pepper' for $8/lb. I hope to grow it next year. The tasting went OK, though I really only liked one tomato - Dwarf Purple Heart. I don't think this is the best year for tomatoes. Maybe next year. Give your wife special hugs to help heal.