The Flowerpot cafe' 24 Cyber St

Wow! That is an awesome cake! Perpetual at that too!

(...well, it was the color of his eyes that got me to thinking about the Bird!!)

hi all
well it rain all night here
this is my last day off out of 6
it been a mess
i got some canning and freeze done any way
elle

Oh, HELP! I can't see in the Cafe! It's so gleaming in here I'm being blinded!!!!! At least it's helping me to wake up.

I was working late last night so I couldn't make it here for breakfast. But Mmm Mmm, those shakes are pretty good! But since Blossom and Candee ate ALL the lasagna, I'll have to get Fritz to whip me up something..............................................and then I'll have some of that endless cake! Cake is a favorite food of mine so a never-ending is just my thing.

It's good to hear you all got some rain but just be careful that those masked bandits in the sunflower patch don't steal it from you! They look pretty shifty! Maybe it's another rmystery??!!??






By the way, I didn't know Fritz had a wife! She just came in and wants to know if we're going to hire hire him??

I don't think Fritz has a wife, yikes! Is she trying to dupe him just because he may get the job??? Perhaps he owes her money and it is some sort of secret. Cake or no cake we better check his references really well as like I said I haven't seen him at my place for a while! Perhaps he got married and I just didn't know it? Kids??? Will that be a problem in the cafe, what if he has to take off when they are ill??? All good questions awaiting answers.

Can't wait to see what he whips up for you Steven, all things aside he is a genius chef.

I don't think you need to chastise BB and I for eating all the lasagna, it was there for the taking, you should have put your name on a piece.

elle, what was a mess. Did you have rain the entire time you were off? Sounds like you got a lot done anyway and what better time to do canning than when it is raining out?

hi all
yes it rain all the time
it so wet and mucking here
elle

elle, you must not have gotten my order for rain that I placed weeks ago.. shucks.. I would have took ALL your excess.

SW, are you sure that is not Madame W in disguise? I did not see any deduction for Fritz for any familia! I think Hiaghr is right, he is being duped!

YES! There was something very 'woody' about Fritz's wife! She must be back in disguise!!! Either way, Miss Bruggie has agreed to come work here full time. She really is looking better then ever these days. I'm just heading outside to take her pick and I'll take more tonight of all her beautiful flowers after work.

And if Fritz doesn't have a wife we certainly don't want him getting mixed up with Madame!!! That would be terrible! Do you need any help on your farm Elle? We could send Madame W to work for you in the rain!


Oh........has anyone seen Fritz this afternoon? He was SUPPOSED to make me something but he never showed up! Hmm


Heres the link to Miss Bruggies thread http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1021349/ It'll be updated today or tomorrow! She's grown ALOT!

terri is gonna be really upset if we dont get some GOOD help in this cafe soon. I am not sure what her return date is. She is leaving that up to surprizing us I guess.

ANyway, no, have not seen Fritz. But there was some left over peppers in the fridge so I made more stuffed ones.. Help yerself!

EEKs, I am on the vacuuming committee today.. UGH! I hate sucking up, After Madam woodsy messed with my Eureka canister it whistles terrible and I hear like a dog!

Well, chow down. Bloomers is on the dishees.

Thanks Blossom, your peppers are really good! The hit the spot :) I do hope Madame W hasn't kidnapped Fritz for ransom or something like that! Untill we find him I'll help out Milky Joe in the kitchen with the shakes and baking.
Miss Bruggie said she'll be into work tomorrow and I'm sure she'll get really good tips too with those lovely yellow skirts! And her cousin should be able to come in anyday as well.

SW, I caught Fritz down at the chicken coop.. seems he was refereeing a food fight going on.

Last two frames if ya herry!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/950910/

Seems Fritzis a good man to hang on to. Those hens were really going at it and I tell you what, there was a really sore loser!

Oh, almost forgot.. the spider plants I got in are hanging up on the porch now and they look marvy!

AH HA! So thats where Fritz was hiding! I would have loved to have been there myself to have seen it! I've always wanted chickens but not allowed in the city :(


After work last night I caught a beautiful sight that put the moon to shame!

The vanilla shakes are adorable! What kind of flowers are in there?

Here's my latest, done at a flower class last week at a shop that specializes in 'pave' style arrangements.

SW! Lovely "moon" there! Oh and Fritz was last seen at my GPS5! Trying to ID some caterpillars as friends or foes before we decide to toss them to the chickens.

LOL! I got a friend who lives in the city that has hens. They allow it there. Her roosters have lived their last days at my farm though...

Gwen! Lovely arrangement, terri and the gang will be soo pleased! Glad you could come!

Well, I have to get out to the barn and feen the equine species. Will chat upon you all later! Then get back with Fritz and SW to see what the verdict is on those caterpillers!

Gwen that is gorgeous can you tell me what's in it? What a wonderful color combo and it is so lush. That really brightens up this cafe, especially in terris absence and with all the other disappearances going on around here.

I saw Fritz this morning, he was hiding on his way to the farmers market to get a few items and was wondering if there will be soon a decision on his hiring. He had great plans of cooking for Steven, but that old stove of ours caught fire and he didn't want to tell you cause he knows how you feel about fire Steven!

He whipped this up for you special!

Well I have to find Fritz and thank him! He's prooving to be very elusive! But if everyone else is ok with it, I'd be willing to hire Fritz as the new chef.

Gwen, Thank-you! My shakes were made with 'Vanilla' Marigolds, 'Marine' Heliotropes and Giant Cephalaria stems for the straws. I do hope you got to try one as everyone seemed to think they were quite good! And your flowers look wonderful over by the window! I really like that orange one in the front! May I ask what 'pave' style is?


Candee, it looks like we have a new hostess who wants to take over Madames spot. Her name is Sophia Brugelle and she's a cousin to Miss Bruggie. These "la de da" Madame types can be really fussy though it seems so what do you think of giving her a try? On probation of course!!!!! So if she gets all touchy we can give her the sack no questions asked! Maybe you'd like to speak with her first?

Well Steven she looks quite "tight lipped" to me. I am willing to try her though on yours and Bruggies suggestion. Why don't we give her a chance and then decide about taking her off probation on Terri's return.

Sophia Brugelle looks a lot like the chubby faced, double chinned, pouty face that met me in my mirror this morning. I wonder if she is a relative...if so... she would be perfect...like...me...only sweeter smelling ;~)

Count my vote in for a YAY.. hire them, all three, Fritz and the two lovely gals!

I made this little surprise for the cafe, LOL, can't wait to see if Terri can tell the front from the back??? Usually my creations are pretty one-sided!
Hope our new help puts this one in a sunny spot!

This is a cluster of three sets of little vases - blown glass of 3 to a cluster.

Very nice. I love the flowers you've used. All those are so pretty and they go well in that vase arrangement, which looks like it could be hard to utilize. You did it perfectly! Very summery and cheerful.

It looks like a pretty lil wedding cake!

Very cute. What are the white sprigs? I like their texture.

Thanks everyone, you are right the contortions of these little vases is a bit of a challenge. Think I'll try stacking the next time or individual.
The white sprigs Dianne are sedum Frosty Morn just coming to bloom. I love the stuff. At the beginning of the season I use the gypsophilia, then move on to buddelia and then to the sedum.

Wow! That is sooo versatile haighr!

Nice arrangement Candee! I like how they are all separate and you can see the space between them yet they all go together! There's also the added dimension of them being placed in front of the mirror!


So how's Sophia Brugelle been working this morning? She had a bit of a fall last night when she blew over but all is fine now. Has she been working hard? She mentioned Candee spoke with her about how we don't want any "attitude" and she said she'll do her best. And on the other hand I saw Miss Bruggie busy away in the kitchen with Milky Joe and Fritz whipping up these yummy blueberry peach muffins for us!

Oh my, blueberry peach muffs!! And such fresh fruits they are! Yum, may I partake!

I finally took that photo for you SW, I will show it to Ms. Bruggie and her companions as soon as my they arrive at my PC and I can send them on.

Wow Steven, they look "peachy", think I'll have 2?

YAY! SW they finally came.. see Ms Bruggie for the photo of it.

Mmmmmm, these are yummy! Cant say I ever tried peachblueberry muffs before! YUM!

Well, I am off to the GPS... still dead heading the garden phlox.


e-yaaaawn!

Haighr, the flowers in that arrangement are one huge white hydrangea, red dahlias, red spray roses, yellow yarrow, orchids, aspidistera leaves (sp?), calla, scented geranium leaves, and limes. It is all sitting on a bed of varigated pitt.

SW_gardener, pave style is sort of the rounded look, with the flowers close together and not as much greenery. You can go to their website, http://www.fiorifloraldesign.com/, and click on 'signature style' and read a bit more about it.

Thanks for the info Gwen, and thanks for the link on the styles.
What do you use to deadhead BB? With all the acreage you have of flowers you must use something magic, you can't be deadheading the way I do one spent bloom at a time?

Haighr, depends on the portion of the garden! Containers and pots, those are always done by hand.

Sections of the garden that I have good sized colonies or "prefered plants get deadheaded by hand too. The tall garden phlox I am working on now for these past 5-6 days I am using a corn knife on and taking it down at the ground and then I have some areas that we are just naturalizing and then the stem and all just gets tossed out in those areas and a mower is run over them later to scatter the seed.

The sunflowers, yikes, yup, buy hand with either a machette, hand cutters or knife behind the head, then we mow the staulks with the 8 foot deckmower.

ALL of the daylilies get the pods hand pulled. A good portion of the daylily beds will get mowed after they are oall done gettng the pods yanked!

Hostas, I mow.

Grass I mow and hay it to the critters. Nothing gets wasted Bad grass gets composted and the animals give me fertilizer!

I wish it was magic at times, but its just lil old me mainly and 6foot 2 when he is not fixing things!!

I have soldiago that is a scurge in my garden. The derned stuff is invasive and gets worse every year. Its great for the butterflies, but just too much of it in some areas of the garden. That stuff, we mow, pull, cut, grrrr.

I have a few beds that we lined out on the borders with rocks. The rocks have to go now so I can just get in those particular beds and mow now that the beds are mature and I dont need the "pretty" edging!

Every year its a new re-do some place. Because we are so large and lose a lot to flooding, I end up helping local gardeners thin their beds and swap them my labor for their plants! I end up literally bringing plants home by the truckload! They get their beds thinned and we both get happy!

We learn to take the tares with the harvest here that is forsure, but nothing gets done if WE dont get at it!

I am off to the GPS5 now. Have some work to do there! But then work is what you make it and if you do not like gardening, then this is work. I love it so it is just something I do.

I have been know to get creative using weeds to control other weeds and then later to eliminate those controllers. Since we do mainly organic, things get pretty interesting. We did a lot of that when we girst came.

Well, catch you guys later!

BB, you may already do this for all I know, but solidago is very popular with florists and I bet you could sell yours to them.

Some of our better florists buy from individuals such as youself. Esp since you are mostly organic. Do you have photos of your place? It sounds fabulous!

I am glad to market to any florists. Now is prime time for their bloom, they are not quite open yet. Packaging is an issue but could send them USPS priority if the individual tells me how to keep them fresh!
I will occassionally post dried botanicals on ebay too, but its just a hobby.

I have a lot of it and it like I said has invaded places I do not want it. Pictures, oh yes, several thousand of them and of many of the plants and still clicking! I must take between 15 and 30 pics a day between the place, plants and critters! I am a very avid photographer!

Well, here it is, just beginning to open.... also mine gets to be 6-7 feet tall. So its not for your typical back yard! And I am not sure of the full botanical ID

few years ago there was a documentary on Ellerslie racecourse in Auckland, NZ & mentioned the lovely rose gardens.
Their answer to pruning?
they do it with hedge clippers.
too many to do the 'proper' way.
It works - they know when to trim in order to have full flush of flowers for the big race day.

Hi all! Glad you liked the muffins! I'm enjoying one now that I hadhidden in my secret spot! Although I think Milky Joe saw me hide it so maybe it's not so secret anymore.

Lovely goldenrod Blossom! It grows in the meadow behind our house and this year I noticed there's a couple different types. One has rather flat heads.....sort of like yarrow and I really like it but I think I'll stick to enjoying it from over the fence!

Gwen, thanks for the link, I'll be sure to check it out and keep an eye out for that yellow yarrow! I really liked that.

I know of one guy that opens his gates ( which are normally closed all year) during the late fall and winter and the deer come in and do his rose pruning. In the spring, he closes the gates back up. Clever!

Wow BB sounds like a continuing job in process. Do you ever get finished !
Gwen, now that sounds like quite the trick for those who don't want the work.

I was out there yesterday in my sun garden for a while, there is so much to do this time of year and I was tired when I started after having all the family at the cabin for the weekend.
Dalfyre, I use the trimmers on things like the monarda and it goes much faster. I don't mind the cutting as much as I do the getting up and down to pick it up!
Steven, glad you finally had time for a muffin.

Been quiet in here lately. I am even beginning to talk to myself lol! Guess I'll sit back and enjoy this little addition to the cafe. There is a caladium leaf rolled in the vase and then some miscanthus with the dahlia. I really like the way it looks on the patio.
Okay now there Fritz, let me have a little somthing from the bar and make it on the light side as I may have to dance alone this evening and I hear from Ms. Bruggie they really can rock this joint.