I bought a pretty Daylily today. Pagan Ritual.

I don't know if I have made a big mistake, but I have decided to fulfill a dream I have always had to work in a Nursery. I have accepted a position with Columbia Valley Greenhouses and started training yesterday. I am a little stiff today after helping move a shipment of trees and shrubs from one part of the yard to the display area. I had fun though; helped some of the gals with transplanting and labeling pots as well as learning the intricatcies of the fancy dancy tills they have now. It was fun though. I do have to get my pesticide license, though, and I had pretty much figured studying for exams was in my distant past, but Oh well, study it will be, I guess. I also have to learn to do soil sample testing. I am doing my training in Trail, where Columbia Valley Greenhouses has it's home base. But will be working out of the Castlegar Greenhouse after I get home from the RU. I am looking forward to it, but already I am wanting everything I see. Picked out another Hydrangea (Annabelle) as well as several pots of Purple Fountain Grass. I have to contain myself somehow, but boy, it's tough. Everything is beautiful. Wish me luck!

Good for you Donna. Hope you still have lots of energy left for your own gardens. That is a beautiful choice you made for a red daylily.

Congratulations Donna! You are a very lucky person to be able to get paid for what you love to do!!! Joelle

Lovely daylily and congratulations on your job Donna!!

Congratulations Donna - it sounds like fun work. Can they pay you in plants? If it were me, they could save writing a cheque that I would probably just spend on all the plants I couldn't resist...
Susan

that's a great day lily. I've often thought that I'd love to work in a nursery, but.... i think I'd bring it all home with me.

Congrats on your job Donna, have fun!

Congratulations and good luck Donna. It sounds like fun. Lovely Daylily!!

Congratulations Donna
I am sure you will have fun

Lovely daylily

Donna, how thrilling! And how very brave of you. Better start taking your Gingko! And very clever, to schedule your start AFTER the RU.

Will it be full time? Of course, your biggest challenge will be to resist buying all the beauties...remember, your garden space isn't infinite.

By the way, thanks for nothing...it's snowing here this morning. Couldn't you have kept it for a few days?

LOL, no thanks Rosemary. We prefer the precipitation here in the form of rain. But it still hasn't started yet.

I requested weekdays and the 8:00 am to 2:00 pm shift. DH is pouting enough as it is, and I wouldn't want him to work weekends or evenings either. They haven't said I couldn't so I am assuming it's approved. The only other way I would go is with less hours, but we shall have to see. I am training again tomorrow in Trail and hopefully a few more days there before I am on my own in April. The Castlegar Greenhouse is relatively smaller, so there are only two people on per shift. The Cashier/Salesperson and a Packer. It will help no doubt keep me in shape, but that's a goal of mine anyway.

You're right about wanting to buy everything though. I think that will be my biggest difficulty, especially with the employee discount offered. But as you said, garden space isn't infinate, and I have aready put my dh to work cutting up our lawn to create new garden plots the new plants I started over the past few weeks and months.

Thanks for the kind encouragement, Rosemary.

Donna

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and encouragement. It means a lot.

Donna, where does that picture of your daylily come from? It can't be blooming already?

No, no. It's still a 3 inch sprout in a 10 inch pot, with a tag that shows what it will look like when it grows up. That's the photo I fell in love with. No, since I don't have a scanner, I looked up a photo on the internet. On it's tag, it is a much darked red in comparison, but I wanted to show you guys what bought.

I wonder what you will get. I wait with anticipation.

I'll be sure to take a photo, Brenda.

You have mail. :)

Just catching up with this thread Donna, although we've talked by e-mail about your job. Congratulations again, and good for you for going for it!!! I'm so excited for you. :-) Looking forward to hearing what it's like to work in a greenhouse.

Is your training over yet? When's that pesticide exam?

Shannon

Happy Easter Shannon.

No, I'll probably spend another day or so this week in Trail at the Main Greenhouse. I am not sure what the Pesticide Exam entails, but I am a little nervous about it. The thought of studying again just doesn't turn me on. But you have to have a licence to be able to sell pesticide in Canada. If you get caught without one, it means a big fine for the owner of the Greenhouse. So far though, it's been knda fun working in a greenhouse. Always lots to do this time of year. Lots of hard work though too. :Donna

Happy Easter to you too! :-) I'm sure you'll do fine on the exam.

Studying was a change of pace for me too, that's for sure - but once you get into it it'll feel much better, and might even be interesting to boot. Curious what kind of studying materials you'll have....will there be chemistry, or simply WHMIS (hazardous materials) regulations, or what...?

Congrat's Donna.

Thanks Darrell. I am not sure, Shannon. All I know is what I heard the boss tell a couple other peeps that were taking the test too. He wanted them to pass "the books" on to those of us that have to write the exam next month. The books...like as in ...more than one? Uh Oh!

Are you still allowed to take your books to the exam, Donna........that's the way I did it, yrs ago. Congrats on your new occupation! Be careful, and warm up before you go lifting, not just heavy stuff, but anything! I was in the trade for five, six years, and my back kept telling me to stop! I was'nt the bullworker,...........the hard cement surface, walking on it, was the culprit! hpy gdng.........Elaine

Ahhh Elaine, you have made my day! Open book exam would be wonderful. I'll keep my fingers crossed that that's the case. I should find out this week. Thanks for the tips, too. I already know about the lifting part. The day I moved shrubs and perennials in 5 gallon pots around the yard outside, I was sore for 3 days. Not that the exercise won't be beneficial mind you. The nursery that I will be working at here in Castlegar doesn't have cement floor outside where most of the trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals are. But the store where everything else plus the till is, does have a cement floor. After your warning,when I am in there, I'll be sure to park my butt on a chair! LOL Thanks.

BTW, sure gonna miss you at the RU, Elaine. :(