Question for Carolyn137

9 years ago

Hi Carolyn,I sent you an email,but think it was denied,or bounced back.Ive been growing tomatoes for many years,and ive always wondered what your favorites are for taste.If you have time,would you send me an email and tell me your favorites,Ones you grow and look forward to every year.THANK-YOU

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Comments (11)

carolyn137
9 years ago
I did get your e-mail this morning and would have eventually responded, but here we are now, so I'll just respond here.

When asked to list my faves I've never done so since it changes every year. And I don't have faves that I grow every year for the following reason.

I had to retire from teaching b'c I needed two new hips, Before that happened I fell on Dec 12th, 2004, not that I remember dates that much, and severed all four quads in my right leg and since then have had to use a walker.

So the last time I had hundreds of plants out was the summer of 2004.

At that point I decided since I could no longer grow what I used to that I would try to find varieties new to all or most folks, for my annual seed offer,which I used to do here but now do it elsewhere/

My job is to find all those new ones and I've been quite successful in doing so and have made many new friends from many countries who provide me with those new varieties, and same for folks on this side of the pond.

I have four folks who have been with me for many years who do seed production for me and this past Spring there were so many new ones that I had to put up an SOS thread asking for volunteers.

Previous to this year there were two folks who raised a few plants for me and shipped them to me, but this year a local lad I've been mentoring raised the few plants for here at home. And those are cared for by Freda, a woman who does all my cleaning and all my gardening and that also includes extensive perennial gardens as well.

This next january will be the last offer I will do myself, it's a huge task,I'm 75 now, and time for someone else to take over, and he will for Jan 2016 after he retires. My job will still be to find seeds for those new varieties/ And we have lots of issues to discuss as to organization.

And organization since I have sent seeds for trial to many seed vendors whom I have known well, so need seeds at home here for that as well as my SSE listings, but 2014 listings are the last I'll do.Three of my four seed producers are also SSE memebrs so they get to SSE list the ones theydid seed production for, which I think is one of the reasons they've stuck with me through all these years anyway since letting them list the varieteis I've obtained is nothing new.LOL The only way to preserve varieties is to have them grown out by many others who get them either from SSE listings or via my seed offers.

This year at home I have only 12 plants , 10 are brand new ones from Slovenia and Romania, Germany,etc.,for example, that I wanted to taste myself,and two are cherry tomatoes I like for snacking.

So that's the situation here and nope, I'm still not going to list my faves as many who are here at GW already know.LOL

Carolyn, who is always looking for new family heirlooms and just got a nice lead on a new one from Greece.(smile)

This post was edited by carolyn137 on Tue, Sep 2, 14 at 10:31
lubadub
9 years ago
One of my favorites is Big Zac. I think if Carolyn ever ate one she would love the taste. There was a guy named Growneat who used to be able to post here who extoled the many virtues of Big Zac.
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Bill, I do not want to understand why you are still trying to twist around what I say in the manner that you do. So I'm going to try to answer all that you wrote/ (While Hirts Garden does sell via Ebay, they also maintain their own Website and vend some interesting vegetable plants and seeds through it as well. Whether some of their offerings qualify as "rare" is a matter of opinion, and we all know how opinions may vary. You may consult Websters for the official definition.) I'm aware of Hirts website offerings but not that they were now selling off e-bay. And I've known many folks who have ordered tomato plants from them and the feedback that they've given online. As for rare, yes, it is difficult for some to agree on what is rare when talking about tomatoes. No question about it. (But is there something wrong with a company using Internet outlets, including Ebay, for developing business? Lots of ligitimate companies use Ebay it seems. Hey ... it's just another marketing tool.) 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It bothers me when your opinions are not factual but wrong. Opinion is "opinion" . does not have to be "factual". And I don't claim mine are factual. yet you never show any interest in changing your "opinion" or in learning about why your "opinion" may be wrong. This no matter how much information is provided to you. All you do is spout your opinion and then argue with anyone who differs with your opinion. That is arrogance on your part to speak so authoritatively to claim that YOU have the right answers and information. and therefore I (or others) have to change my/their opinion. If you go your way, there will be no body to ARGUE with. You do participate voluteerly in argument to prove that you are right. I just express my opinion, which obviously I believe there is validity to them until proven wrong. So then it is more on your part to prove me wrong rather than just what you think. And try FINALLY to learn the meaning of "FORUM". Opinions expressed in the forum belongs to those who express them. ---------------------- BTW: I have learned few thing from both of you on this forum and I respect your knowledge and expertise in certain areas. But I disagree with you on occasions. There is nothing personal about it. Age wise I am about your age and education wise I have a few college degrees of my own and experience.
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PupillaCharites
9 years ago
One of my favorites is Big Zac. I think if Carolyn ever ate one she would love the taste. There was a guy named Growneat who used to be able to post here who extoled the many virtues of Big Zac.

Hi lubadub, Carolyn has said many times she wasn't overly impressed by Big Zac, so that isn't true. Try something endearing to her like Neves Azorean Red. Or a created heirloom like Julio Iglesias X Willie Nelson, penned as a dedication to her in your book (next on my wish list).

To 'maters all I've loved before

To 'maters all I've loved before
They've been sown and bloomed right out my door
I'm glad they came along
And dedicate this song
To 'maters all, I've loved before.

Varietals I'd once suggest
And may I say I've held the best
For helping me to grow
I owe a lot I know
To 'maters all I've loved before

Genetics they are always flowing
And every time I try to say
Alleles of taste continue flowing
And they just carry me away

To 'maters all that shared my drive
Now they're in someone else's lives
I'm glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To 'maters all I've loved before

To 'maters all that fell to me
That sprawled to heights with pedigrees
They live within my heart
I'll always be a part
Of 'maters all I've loved before

Genetics they are always flowing
And every time I try to say
Alleles of taste continue flowing
And they just carry me away

Ã¢ÂÂ: To 'maters all I've loved before
They've been sown and bloomed right out my door
I'm glad they came along
And dedicate this song
To 'maters all, I've loved before :Ã¢ÂÂ

PC, Hopefully expecting my orphan, unautographed 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden in today's mail.

This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Wed, Sep 3, 14 at 15:39
labradors_gw
9 years ago
Hey Pupilla C.

That was pretty darned good!

If you check out Amazon, you might just find Carolyn's book for a good price.......

Linda
carolyn137
9 years ago
PC, Hopefully expecting my orphan, unautographed 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden in today's mail.

$$$$$$$$$$$$

Are you baiting me? LOL

Yes, I do autograph my book for others, we'd just have to discuss how to do that and my price autograph price as well. LOL

Carolyn
PupillaCharites
9 years ago
Linda Yeah sort of did ;-) Thx. Of course, I borrowed the Tomato Serenade melody from Willie and Julio so they deserve the credit LOL. Oh the book is on its way! The orphaned part is that it will be a Sad Tomato book without my favorite author's autograph. I heard autographs were going for $500 but that's beyond my budget ;-)

Sad Tomato Book until autographed

Tomato Serenade Song

PS, OP, Neves Azorean Red is a variety that Carolyn seems to mention often. Also, She is on record I'm sure as a fan of Sungold F1 hybrid, and I noted in your posting history that you like sweetness in some vegetables, these won't disappoint.

edited to fix broken link

This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Wed, Sep 3, 14 at 17:09
PupillaCharites
9 years ago
"Yes, I do autograph my book for others, we'd just have to discuss how to do that and my price autograph price as well. LOL

Carolyn, I didn't see your post before answering Linda, but I'm a struggling tomato enthusiast from a poor family and can't afford the list price (this is a joke to my knowledge Carolyn is not selling her dedications). I need the forum special deal, plus with the song let me know if you need a dance to go with that? LOL

PC, home to check the mailbox in 1 minute....and ...

Enjoy your tennis, I have some reading to do ;-) :-) :-)
pappabell
Original Author
9 years ago
Sounds like I asked the wrong person for help with my quest for the perfect tomato,Oh well,,,Thanks for the reply anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PupillaCharites
9 years ago
Sounds like I asked the wrong person for help with my quest for the perfect tomato

;-) IMO you asked the right person the wrong question. After growing over 1000 varieties, each special, and introducing many to home gardeners for the first time!

There is no such thing as the perfect-flavored tomato. Flavor is a complex combination of your own heredity, culture, mood, time of day; and also, weather, soil, and many other chance factors. Not to mention, as we mature, our sense of taste changes along with our sense of smell ... and aroma changes perceptions of flavor, too.

That said, on page 9 of Carolyn's book published in 1999, she wrote:

"Some home gardeners want to grow only varieties for eating fresh (German Red Strawberry, Earl of Edgecombe, and Druzba are superb);"

Hope that helps, in addition to the Neves Azorean Red and Sungold F1 tomato cultivars, all of which she's given high marks to. There is no doubt that you will find them incredibly flavorful if comparing to anything you could buy at the store.

Happy growing.
PC
carolyn137
9 years ago
Dear poor struggling tomato enthusiast, as you wrote above,ahem, the choice is yours. Sell your computer and software to get the money to send me the book and return to you as well,and for the autograph fee, OR, go to your bank and take out a loan,

No, I do onot co-sign loans.

The choice is yours.

Please send me an e-mail at cmale@aol.com and we can work out the details once you've sold your computer or taken out a loan(smile)

BTW,at the time I was asked to write that book I'd grown about 1200 varieties,not the1000 you said,and I know how precise you insist on being.It's now over4,000 varieties.

Carolyn, who Marv, has no idea why you had to revert back to lubadub, doesn't make sense to me. Did you contact Tamara the Mod to ask about that?
PupillaCharites
9 years ago
LOL, Carolyn, another mortgage if only you knew how funny that is ... When can I leave this place and find my own tomato-green-acred-Shangri-La? Far from the legions of armyworms, sun shower daily sprinkling, fungal haze in the air, and 80 ÃÂ°F, 98% humidity summers all night long...!!!

Don't make me look into selling future put options on 100 Heirlooms at the strike price of $1K, please be nice. I will email you. But my book doesn't have that kind of equity yet and I'd much like to put it peacefully next to my Illy's Espresso Coffee, the Science of Quality, my only other perk of the day. (smile)

"BTW,at the time I was asked to write that book I'd grown about 1200 varieties,not the1000 you said,and I know how precise you insist on being.It's now over4,000 varieties. "

I'm not insisting, would you like me to insist? I think you've confused me with the other dapper gentleperson! IÃ¢ÂÂm thrilled at the numbers game and IÃ¢ÂÂm on my way to #20, but still am short of growing 1/200 of what you have done!

When I said:
After growing over 1000 varieties, each special, and introducing many to home gardeners for the first time!
I only plagiarized your bio from the inner flap of 100 Heirlooms's cover, so you may scold Smith & Hawkin's graphic design department for not primly and properly updating that to 1,200 at the time, although to be fair they said Ã¢ÂÂmore than 1,000Ã¢ÂÂ:

Dr. Male scientifically ~ and lovingly ~ has raised more than a thousand different varieties of heirloom tomatoes in her zone 5 garden in upstate New York.

BTW, Ã¢ÂÂin UpstateÃ¢ÂÂ New York should be capitalized, shouldnÃ¢ÂÂt it? Or was Ã¢ÂÂupstate in New YorkÃ¢ÂÂ what was meant? And, do you think her zone 5 garden should be a capitalized "Zone 5" too? Yes, you need to revise and expand this book. Based on 1,200:100, now you will need to write Ã¢ÂÂ333 HeirloomsÃ¢ÂÂ to keep up with all those new and deserving cultivarsÃ¢ÂÂ¦

PC, noting that my favorite hot-headed tennis champion of all time, John McEnroe, will be defending his honor at the US Open tonight

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