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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

the good





















I hadn't realized until I decided to check the dates that these photos were taken almost 3 weeks ago on March 30th. The daffodil were just starting to peek out and only the crocuses were up. I love that lonely little one that just found it's way under the trees. George was just finishing up some projects. Making some little compartment for lumber out of pallets. I think he would be make a good lumberjack...it's in his genes as his great grandfather was a logger. I am sure there were many loggers back in his day.  Anyways I was stalking him watching him work on this beautiful sunny spring day.   The bulk of the planting is done and in different stages of growth. Now it seems there is a lot of moving. Always a lot of moving. Cooling things down and hardening off.  It's fun to look back and see how much things have grown. I actually find myself cutting a lot back already. I am never without my scissors close at hand. My most used tool.  I made up a lot of little succulent mixtures and hopefully won't run out as quickly as I did last year. I'll try to photograph more of them to show you and maybe some flowers. Looking at these photos there isn't much that looks like spring. I am sure blogland is full of spring colors. I haven't had the time to visit like I would like but want to thank you for the wonderful comments. Most of you that write know that this is our crunch time. I so appreciate you understanding.  That was our weeping juniper that broke in the middle from that super snowstorm when we got 30-36". We haven't had the time to take care of it and it makes me a little sad to see it broken but it was getting too big for the space. 

Sadness is the Boston tragedy. I am overwhelmed with grief as I know you are.  I have been trying to listen to NPR for most of it as I haven't been doing much TV watching. The stories are horrific but also very inspiring as you hear of the people that stepped up to help. It's easy to get lost in the hatred, but important to know that humanity is not lost. 


Some wise words to keep in mind from  
From Patton Oswalt on facebook


I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, "Well, I've had it with humanity."
But I was wrong. I don't know what's going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem -- one human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.
But here's what I DO know. If it's one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in a while, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness.
But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evildoers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.
So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."




Tuesday, April 2, 2013

greenhouse days

































I really like when our plug orders come in. Even after all these years it's still exciting. All that potential. I am not good at always showing the progress as they get to maturity or RR ( retail ready) as the wholesalers like to call it. I know its confusing for customers as they might run across a cell flat of 100 or so little plants. Some come up with the whole tray to the counter. My fault as we don't always have the room to put things out of reach. They often look a little sad that I can't sell it to them. Maybe the price would discourage them? If you go only to box stores you might find our place strange....a little raw. That's ok. How many box stores have kitty cats and a pit bull running down the walkways? Just kidding we don't have Petey running down the walkways. The cats though will greet you. Charlotte especially likes to come up to people in the perennial area. That's her area. I love when people tell me "I saw a cat on one of the benches" or when kids come up to me and ask where the cats are.   I love when Petey ears go straight up in the air. I love his ears, his pink skin, his little black spots, his one pink eye with white lashes.  He's such a good boy and goes crazy for my homemade treats....when I have time to make them.
That fig tree we kept inside the greenhouse as they are one zone off of our area. Two seasons ago we planted one outside and I thought it hadn't made it. It wasn't until almost June that it sprouted some growth from the bottom and then finally the rest of it flushed out. I finally got some fruit late in the fall. Not having enough sun slowed it down I think. We planted 2 others in a sunnier spot last year. I am crossing my fingers as we had a harsher winter this time around. I was inspired by my friend Connie to do some cuttings. We are going to do a swap when mine are big enough to ship to her. She has a variety that produces like mad but doesn't remember the name. I don't need a name, just the figs!   That weird clothes pin contraption is our plug board that George made our first year in 1990. A dibbler. One pin is missing. He loves that thing. I rarely use it. I like using my other finger to make my own dibble. For years he has thought that I will lose it or worse secretly trying to lose it. It's for planting 806's or what normal people call annual flats. 8 packs of 6 plants each. Makes the perfect little hole to put those tiny little plugs in. Don't tell him but I have come around and use it all the time now. I am stubborn to a fault.