2 Questions, 1 about heirloom tomatoes and 1 about Rose of Sharon trees [View all]

[IrishAyes]

First:

Ever since someone extolled the virtues of Ruskin tomatoes, I've been trying to locate a source where I could buy seeds. I'm desperate enough to buy a case of ripe Ruskins and save the seeds myself, but no luck there either. Repeated attempts to contact the Ruskin (FL) Tomato Festival have proved fruitless. The person who first told me about these wonderous tomatoes lives in FL but is no longer speaking to me because when our other group was planning a meet up, I said if he insisted on wearing that Confederate belt buckle in my sight, I'd rip it off and shove it down his throat. So now - go figure! - he's no longer speaking to me. In fact he grew so loud and obnoxious that I'm far from the only person who went in search of more peaceful pastures.

Anyway, to hear Floridians tell it, Ruskin tomatoes are not only the most delicious on earth but also most prolific with the longest growing season, even well into frost. Sort of like collard greens which taste best after first frost.

(request still stands, although when I just googled the umpteenth time, all of a sudden I saw some new places which hadn't shown up ever before. Maybe those will work out - will keep DU gardeners posted. In the past when I've contacted places they've turned out to be large scale commercial growers only and nobody would send me anything at any price. The Ruskin Tomato Festival people won't even answer at all.)




Second:

For the second year in a row now, my Rose of Sharon trees have hardly bloomed at all. I feed and water them faithfully and they get lots of big fat buds but almost never bloom. What gives? They're also in a compatible area too for their lighting needs. I don't have male dogs to pee all over them. There are no apparent pests.

I'm stumped! and way beyond aggravated. Any ideas what might work?