yes, I am here now...........Pottingshed (Bev) just WON'T Let me leave! LOL
maddie
"Callen Molenda" wrote in message
...
Hey Maddie, are you going to be in Virginia?

Callen in VA

"madgardener" wrote in message
...
I had a wonderful day just tooling around today....................We
got
an
unexpected message from Squire's job wanting him to drive 468 miles to
get
his new semi-truck and get him back to work, and after making all the
appropriate arrangements for transporting son, whose taxi is his mom, I
slipped the dawgs, left them bewildered and with "daddy" and headed down
and
out into the countryside and towards the town nearby to conduct some
last
minute preparations for the trip.

This is going to be a wonderful adventure, as I'll be able to see one of
my
gardening newsgroup friends, Pottingshed, aka Bev. She decided a few
years
ago after reading some of my posts, that she just HAD to meet me, and
snarfed up her granddaughter who she kept alot for her daughter while
she
worked, (the girl was 6) and came down to Tennessee from Virginia for a
week's visit and a sleep on my futon. We had a blast and made fast
friends,
proving my theory that almost all gardeners are really neat people.
(I've
had the blessing and pleasure to meet a few of the friend's I've made
over
the almost 8 years I've contributed and learned from rec.gardens. I
consider them life friends!)

After the go-ahead from Pottingshed that me and the dawgs were welcome
after
I kick Squire out at the terminal, I realized there were a few small
things
to take care of before I flitter off. Oil change for the van, collar's
for
the beasties for their leashes. Sméagol has such a thin neck, and the
Dollar Store has nylon collars that snap for $1, and Sugar despite her
being
paranoid, needed something that didn't slip off her neck either.

On the way down my favorite route and winding country road towards
Morristown, I saw pastures near woods that had numerous flocks of
tightly
huddled and pecking wild turkeys. One pasture had at least 60 of them
as
they scratched near a roll of hay the owner had left for his horses. It
lifted my heart to see them, and made me laugh as I realized they were
totally oblivious to cars passing just a few feet from them below. (the
pasture I saw these in rose from the road).

The day was overcast and gray, and the feel of it was a cool late winter
day. 45oF and comfortable, but needing a coat in case the temperatures
dropped, I wound my way down the road, which stretches about 12 miles
from
my house to the small hidden parkway. Everywhere I saw green growth
poking
up thru tan grasses and landscapes, and noticed individual homes where
the
owners had been mulching little beds with concrete edgers around trees
and
such. The spring fever was evident as I saw several yards that had been
obviously tended to and had a small pang of guilt as I realized I should
have been home ripping Vinca............

I'll tell ya' what, though, the Vinca is more tenacious and evil than I
ever
imagined. I found a large clump of it intent on conquering my woods
near
the northeastern drop off the other day that took me completely by
surprise.
I have way more to tear out than ever I thought. But enough of that. I
accomplished the mechanical portion of my errands, hit the bank on my
way
to
get myself a rather large container of sweet iced tea with extra lemon
slices (in the South, you can almost always buy sweet iced tea at any
time)
for my "fuel", and then decided to go back to the Lowe's where I used to
work to see if I could find a small pot of "Brasil" variegated
philodendrum
to take with me.

I should never have stopped. I had forgotten that February is the time
they
pull the old stock and put it on racks and reduce the price hugely. I
specifically wanted to also replenish the thistle seed for the finches,
as
the little buggers have discovered both feeding stations I've made for
the
winged warriors.

Once I got into the greenhouse and perused the plants, I realized they
didn't have what I was looking for, but oh lordy...........there were
three
green racks over six foot loaded with reduced stock like fertilizers,
rooting hormones, bonemeal, tomato blossom spray, Camelia and Rhoddie
fertilizers and such. Up top of the rack, I spotted some Organic
granular
fertilizers for Flowers and Vegetables marked down to rediculous, and
not
having a cart, decided to take the plunge and take all they had. That
was
five bags of three pounds each bag of granular fertilizer for $3.
Marked
down significantly, I might add making it a bargain.

I got the thistle seed, resisted the urge to get the larger bag, after
doing
the math and figuring out I wasn't saving money, and moved towards the
greenhouse. Tippy toe and snag the bags, and heard my name called, and
turned to see former co-workers working and moving new stock who had
spotted
me and my orange garden hat with the white flowers. We greeted and
hugged
and I got the usual questions....where you been? whatcha been doin'? We
miss you....you coming back?? things of that nature. Then I bowed out
to
let them get on with their scrambling as pre-Spring is madness around
Lowes.

Then I made the wrongful decision to go outside into the deserted garden
center and see what was on the tables. Shouldn't have.............nope.
ALL their glazed ceramic pots of various assorted sizes were marked down
50%, as well as iron trellises and iron hooks and such. They do this
every
two years for the new line of merchandise, and the last time I made out
with
bargains, I was new and just working there. This time it was heavy,
clay
glazed pots, no fiberglass or coated styrofoam ones that were
outrageously
expensive when they first came. I spotted a beautiful deep blue five
gallon
one that I thought would be just perfect for a home for the reblooming
lilac, 'Jocee' and hefted it up. Resisted the urge to get a couple of
iron
trellises, despite that I needed them for Clematis, and as I was
rounding
the middle aisle, I heard a very thick accent (German? Polish? Swedish?)
coming towards me from the wall racks that held the pots and saucers
down
a
bit.

I looked and saw a small, dark haired woman who was dressed in a really
bright and colorful jacket standing in front of the clay and concrete
pots
near the back end with a quizzical look on her face. "Do Vu Vork
heeere??"
she called out to me, smiling.......I grinned back at her and replied,
"I
USED to, can I help you with something?" And she wagged her head, the
dark
curly hair flying all over, and she said "ya, ya, I needs somevonne to
hep
me reach this BEOUTIFUL planter that izz so high uup" I had a laugh and
said no problem, and left my cart and went to her. The nursery employee
wasn't anywhere to be seen, and knowing hours were cut and he or she was
probably doing other things inside for the inside lawn and garden
department, it wasn't a problem.

She pointed to a cast concrete container that had a green patina and
exclaimed "DIS IZZ SOOOOOO GEORGIOUS!!!! Is a shame it's made in China,
no?
But I loves it verry muuch. It's verrry heavy please be ____ I can't
spell
the word she said, I suspect it was careful in her native tongue, but I
was
just enjoying myself. It never fails to amuse me that this is what I've
always done. No matter if I work there or not. If it's a plant
question,
or
helping someone, I just jump in and do it and have a blast doing it!

She proceeded to small talk in her very thick accent as I reached up to
the
shelf above me and carefully pulled the container down where I could get
a
good handle on it. Then as she took it from me as I got it to a more
level
position (I'm only 5' 4" tall, she was MUCH shorter! LOL) I asked
her......"do you have a blender?" When she nodded and said she used
hers
to
mix her husband's juices, I laughed and told her that if she knew where
to
find some growing moss (and she nodded again and said her woods where
her
house was had mosses growing and she'd just taken a walk to see what was
waking up and the mosses were greening nicely) and get some buttermilk
at
the grocery store, (she nodded again and said that buttermilk wasn't the
same here, and we both agreed on that one, but I assured her the lower
fat
buttermilk didn't matter) she could throw the moss and buttermilk into
the
blender and puree it up all smooth like a green milkshake and get an old
paint brush and paint the outside of this pot with the stuff and she'd
have
moss growing on it for real instead of just the greenish patina. She
was
thrilled...........and said the store was her next stop. LOL

We parted as she thanked me profusely, and I made my way back to my cart
to
leave before I succumbed to purchases I had no business making. All
thru
the store I kept running into former co-workers who greeted and hugged
me,
making me feel happy and sad at the same time. There are really good
people
at this store, but there are also some things going on that make decent
people a little bit nuts......I left for my own reasons. But everyone
of
my
friends asked the same thing.....was I returning. sigh.............no,
but
you never know, if I can get past the politics of the place and some of
the
bullshit that I seem to be getting too old for
lately....................

I found myself checking out behind this little woman and she perked back
up
and asked if she could hug me, which I never turn down a good hug, and
we
swapped a nice affection, and she told the cashier (who used to be one
of
my
bosses) that "this voman, she is remarkable, she leaped up and helped me
to
reach this pot and she doesn't even vork here!" We had a nice chuckle,
and
the cashier said that this was one of the reasons they missed me, that I

still had former customers that inquired about where I was even months
later
since I'd left there.

I made out pretty well on the fertilizers and pot, more than I figured
on,
and got two more hugs on my way out the door, and made my way towards
the
van to put my booty inside. The little lady was struggling with her
stuff
at HER car, and I asked if I could help her again, she laughed and said
if
I
would, she'd be most grateful, and she couldn't believe how kind and
friendly people were in Tennessee. I told her that a lot of us are this
way,
but not all, and she said where she came from, people sometimes
were.......was the word suspicious? and I said it probably was....but
she
said my nature was most refreshing. That made me feel pretty good to
think
that I am still the ol' madgardener or Maddie that people wonder about.
I
helped her lift the heavy pot out of the cart and I passed it to her
where
she got it into the back of her vehicle, then we said our goodbye's and
she
said she hoped she'd see me again, whereupon I assured her we'd probably
run
into each other when the plants came in during true spring.

The ride home was reflective, and as I drove almost automatically, the
same
route I had run for two and a half years (and actually more, as this
route
to town was one of my more favorite ones that I've written about now for
several years) I realized there was all sorts of spring sign. Evergreen

trees had new candles on them and new green on the tips, I could see
tufts
of various green's of mystery plants that would later reveal themselves
as
Mom Nature revealed them. The day was waning down and I passed more
pastures where more turkeys were grazing and scratching around for food.
Their helmet shaped bodies were closer together, and it was easy to spot
the
old Tom who was watching over his hens.

The temperatures were dropping, but it was still pleasant enough that I
put
the passenger side down halfway and enjoyed the brisk wind that whipped
thru
the van. Once I got to the hilltop that drops down thru the woods and
leads
towards my dead-end road, I coasted around the hooking curve, watching
for
signs of our own turkeys that resided between the woods and pastures
that
surround me, and shot up the asphalt road. The sad knobby remains of
the
ancient Forsythia's were quietly waiting for warmer days to astonish the
old
man who had whacked them so brutally, and I slowed down to park and walk
over towards one of his side pastures to greet the old donkey he has.
Barney came up to me and voiced his recognition of me, and allowed me to
rub
his rough muzzle, and I spoke quietly to him.

Ever since I helped him out of the tangle of the front woods one day
when
he
broke out and went AWOL, he's been friendlier towards me. He doesn't
like
Sugar, and seems to like Sméagol better, but today he didn't have to
look
out for either dog. He seemed to love the extra attention, and after a
bit,
I told him I was off, and climbed back into the van. He voiced his
protests
by braying at me forlornly as I headed homewards.

I always stop at the top of the ridge where the paved road ends at Miz
Mary's house and the incredible view, and gazed towards English
Mountain.
The clouds were slate gray, and the ridges and layers of the Smokies
were
all thick with white. Yesterday they had received several inches of
snow,
and it wasn't over for them yet. All week we're in for high's of 40's
and
low's of 20's and chances all week of snows. Those upper elevations
will
get any chances while I'll probably just get cold and flurries. The
blue
gray clouds slid greasily around the treetops and hillsides and headed
further eastwards into North Carolina, and as I swung around the
circular
driveway that Miz Mary has with the wonderful island garden with the
dogwoods, azalea's, candytuft, phlox,tulips and assorted plants and
shrubs
(in true spring), I did what I always do.....I put it into reverse and
went
the several hundred feet backwards down my driveway, slowed at the gate
and
tired Zebra grasses and then aimed the van to the second "doorway" of my
side western yard, where I popped open the side doors and unloaded the
booty
of fertlizers onto the shelves that my other gardening friend had helped
me
organize last late spring.

The heavy glazed pot I placed carefully on top of the large retaining
wall
I'd built around the BBQ fountain garden next to the squat clay pot
planted
in colorful Bolero pansies that are shining brightly in the only colors
there are besides greens and tans. The blue was refreshing. I find
myself
thinking I should have gotten TWO of them for the price of
one.............shame on me LOL

As I get in, the dogs catch wind and sounds of me and start howling
their
greetings at me thru the walls and at every door, and as I park in front
of
the eastern end fairy bed, I head Sméagol voicing his pleasure that
"mama's
home!!!!". I grabbed the mail (new Fine Gardening magazine! woo hoo!!
and
wonderful seed catalogs from Peter Sutton (thanks! Peter!) that already
threaten to drive me nuts just enjoying them..... get the 'Jocee' lilac
that
is quietly sitting under the Sorbaria and baby dogwood that has FIVE
BUDS!!!!! (this will be her FIRST YEAR TO BLOOM!!!!!!!!!!and I can't
wait
to
see what color her blossoms will be...) the Cornelian Cherry has opened
a
few blush balls with the overloaded sulphur yellow fairy flowers,
despite
the cold temperatures. It's always the first to bloom, even before the
Hellebore.

I carry 'Jocee' to the western side and put her gently inside the glazed
pot
just to sit until I can fill it with rich compost later on, and turn to
see
Sugar's head poking out of the cat door. It always tickles me to see
the
dog's head sticking out like mounted dawgs.......Rose started it, and
Sugar
caught on quickly when she came into the family, and once Sméagol
figured
it
out, he too, sticks his head out to sniff and see what's going on. I
spoke
to her and she popped back inside, to be replaced by Sméagol, who
clunked
his pointy little head in excitement as he ran towards the front door to
meet me first.

Squire was in his comfy chair (OH NOOOOOO, not the COMFY
CHAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and remarked that my torture of the dawgs was
most
impolite, as they had been moping about the house ever since they
discovered
I'd given them the slip. I handed him the new collars and decided he
could
put them on the "kids" as I took off me coat and got another glass of
tea.
Discovered back in my nook that there is a tiiiiny little bit of green
on
the stubb of the 'Green and Gold' oxalis that Pester's broke off in one
of
his more menacing feline moments when he discovered that my nook window
was
southwards and warm one day. Once he broke it off and I wailed about
it,
I
feared I had lost the plant. But Logee's assured me I should give the
plant
and little stick that was left a chance to regenerate and sure
enough.....weeks later, there is the smallest sign of life, I may not
have
to replace the plant after all. But Pest is grounded and restricted
from
enjoying this spot from here on. The other oxalis, "Rubra" resembles a
small Redbud tree and the 'Green and Gold' looked for all the world like
a
small silver and green variegated shrub that produced more yellow
trumpet
fairy flowers than the 'Rubra' did (whose own flowers are yellow as
well,
and most handsome with the burgundy heart shaped leaves).

The Rex Begonia had perked up from the watering with fish water and I
checked on the other Rexes and they too were responding to the fish
water.
Settle down with my iced tea and here I am.......reporting that all is
back
to normal, I'm packing for the trip up east and looking forwards to a
visit
with a great garden buddy. Who knows? Maybe we can get into some "bare
nursery" trouble while I'm up there! LOL

Thanks for letting me share this little moment. I am looking forwards
to
updating you on Fairy Holler since now the Hellebore are waking up and
setting more and more blossom buds.

madgardener, up on the cold ridge, back in Fairy Holler, overlooking
English
Mountain in Eastern Tennessee, zone 7, Sunset zone 36