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.

Spring

It's still pretty wintery looking outside but Spring is almost here :) 

are you ready?

NYC gift show and The Bowery

the night life

me

me

from freemans website

from Freeman website

from The General  website

from the General website

The gift show is always fun, tiring, visually stimulating,  predictable, exciting, confusing and lots of walking. Usually for me it's with George which is nice because he keeps me together and besides companionship and support he helps carry my junk. I never thought of it but he acts like my assistant. I think I need one full time:)  He's great and puts up with me as I maneuver through it all with minimal growning. This trip around I went with Deanna which was wonderful. She's a hoot and hopefully we can go again. I promise I won't make you run to catch the train back. We'll wait for the next one:)  The first night we met up with 4 of her friends on the lower east end. They were on a girls get together and had been doing the town for a few days. We met them for drinks at a cool place called Freemans in the Bowery area. We were forewarned to not let the pee stained alley we needed to walk down make us turn back. It would be all worth it. They were right on both counts. I have to say at one point when the taxi driver dropped us off a little distance away from the address that I wondered....hum! The street was a little desolate and not well lit  and as we got to the address the doors was closed. Windows blackened out.  Where the heck was this place? Deanna always able to laugh in any situation helped calm me but all I could think of was if George was here he'd be having a bird:) He's mister cautious about everything. We asked a couple of nice ladies walking their dog if they knew the restaurant. They didn't look scared....what's my problem? maybe they were carrying mace? They told us to walk down to the next corner and turn right, then go down this alley. An alley?  Freeman's alley.....oh right that's the name they gave us. They were right, lots of graffiti on the walls but I didn't look for the pee stains.  There were lots of pretty twinkling lights at the end of the alley.  Nice touch,  twinkling lights are friendly. I felt a sigh of relief. We walked thru the door and immediately ran into a long black curtain. Ok this is weird, is this a theater? but as soon as I pulled the curtain open it was magical, warm and filled with people. I almost wanted to share my surprise with the first person who would  make eye contact with me and say something stupid like " were you scared too? but wow this place is really cool! "  We were swept up these big stairs by the hostess to where they were waiting for us at a cozy sitting area. Drinks already waiting for us and some of that yummy artichoke dip you see in that  photo.  Did I tell you Deanna I love your friends?  I didn't take enough good photos. Mine are the dark moody ones.  Notice all the taxidermy. Deanna's friends thought that she would love it. She and I both did. I am now hooked on the whole natural history look.  Freeman's was a great choice for the start of our evening. We later went to an asian restaurant for dinner called The General only a couple of blocks away. So much fun and loved the streaming service (means it comes out one at a time and you are encouraged to share) I was good.... I shared. Everything was delish. 

Afterwards we went to check out the fab decor at Gemma's and have a drink of course....that's the one with the dripping candelabras. I will never clean candle wax again. Think of the time saved. I am starting one right now but I have mostly the good non dripping kind so will have to buy the cheapy ones that leave the mess I'm after.  

They are on my list and so is going back to these places .....with George next time. I promise