Well, hi ya'll. I've been reading this thread all along, but not feeling well. Teeth problems. The dentist pulled 4 today so hopefully things will get better from here, but I don't think I can do the tour on the 8th. I will miss seeing ya'll, especially Margie bcause she missed the last 2 RU's. I do plan on making the next tour though.
Pat I'm really sorry about Robert. I hope by now he's doing much better. You have to take care of him so he can get back out there in the garden.:)
Greetings to Meiyu. Haven't met you yet, but I look forward to a SA nursery tour so I can. I missed the one they had down there last year and I know they had a lot of fun, so I really want to do that.
Mary Lee
Nursery Tour in Austin
Mary Lee,
We will miss meeting you! As I said, I'll take lots of pics so you can "visit" vicariously! :)
Connie
We appreciate all the good wishes and prayers. Robert is doing well and making big improvements each day. He has already made the morning briefing report for the nurses for what a stroke patient may do in the middle of the night: dream or hallucinate, put on his artificial leg and shoes, walk around the room, and then call for help to get back in bed when he realizes he is in the hospital. I thought he was making up the story until I saw the bed alarm that was attached to his gown and pillow. (And he had promised to behave when I left that evening!)
The CAT scans are showing no damage yet. He had an ultrasound today of his neck, and the technician told him the blood flow looked fine. We'll get the official report in the morning. He has quit leaning to the left and walked twice with the therapist today and learned to use a walker. He may actually come home tomorrow. His memory and reasoning are excellent. He has had physical obstacles to overcome all his life and is a very positive person. He will be back taking care of his tomatoes and peppers in no time. We'll see all of you at the fall RU if not sooner!
Thanks again,
Patricia
sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have a lot of catching up to do. I am waiting to find out if I am going to be able to get away on Thursday. I am hoping so and will keep you posted.
Debbie--I am very familiar with all of the lakes around here and how to get to them all. So if you decide to come and do need to know where to go, please ask, I will be happy to help. Inks lake is beautiful.
Connie--Thanks for organizing this and coming up with the idea for us to meet. I hope I get to join you, if not I will look forward to pics.
Ms_merae...hope you make it!!
Everyone...just one more day until we meet on Thursday!! I for one am very excited about meeting you!
For those who will read just the end of the strand:
We meet at 9:00 at The Great Outdoors on South Congress.
Here are directions from Bigbubbles (Sandi):
Coming in from San Antonio on I35, you'd take the Ben White exit, and go west (left) on Ben White to the Congress exit. Turn right. It's about a mile on the left. This is all happens pretty quickly. Easy to find....If you get to Oltorf...you need to turn around.
From Hill Country......coming in on 290, it turns into Ben White! Take the Congress exit. Stay left, turn onto Congress and it's about a mile on the left.
If in doubt....Google the address....
Looking forward to meeting all of you! I "straightened'' my backyard, as it's to be the drop off point between nurseries. Have hidden most of the pots on side of house. Will have water, tea, lemonade, etc. to refresh you before you carry all your plants to the car....for home. Also have not yanked some plants that I don't want, but may be of interest to others....you dig 'em up! If you can't meet us at Great Outdoors, you may catch up with us after lunch at Barton Springs Nursery. Should be fun!
Such good news about your husband, Pat....take good care of him!
Sandi
Sweezel...good idea about Wal-Mart! I didn't realize that they have plants!! I guess there are larger WM's in some places. The one I go to never has plants, but I'll call.
YaY, see y'all tomorrow. Merae is going to join us in the morning but will have to take care of some things after lunch. Did we decide on lunch at Whole Foods downtown?
Pat, I am so sorry about your husband. Tell him we are praying for him.
see y'all,
Michelle
Pat, it's so good to hear good news about Robert. I could tell he is an optimistic person from the short time I saw him at the RU. Optimistic people have a huge advantage over us grumpy people.:)
I look forward to seeing the pictures of all the adventures tomorrow! You're going to some nurseries I have never heard of and I'm very interested to see what you see. We go to Austin once in awhile, and DH owes me a nursery trip,so I hope to go later.
silver...you are NOT grumpy. ;) I sure wish you were coming, it would be great to see you again.
But yes, there is something to be said about having a positive attitude and quicker recovery. ;)
Michelle
Well thanks Michelle. I'm not usually grumpy when I'm feeling well, but my teeth have been a huge problem for some time and I have been difficult to put up with. But things started getting better Mon when the dentist took 4 of them out. So I hope after a couple of weeks I'll be feeling good enough to go to some nurseries.:) And an RU would be even better!
Just checking to see what's happening and hoping the extreme heat doesn't ruin the fun tomorrow. It was more than HOT here today!
Robert is handling his walker like a pro. I got him the "racing model" with big all-terrain wheels, not the nursing home model. He spent quite some time on crutches as a young man between the amputation and receiving his prosthesis. His mind and spirit are unharmed, and his body is healing rapidly. We are so blessed.
After breakfast this morning, he decided he wanted to go to coffee at the local gathering place. I drove him, and he spent an hour visiting with friends and plans to go again in the morning. Living in a very small town, where everyone knows and cares about everyone else, is wonderful.
I'm looking forward to the reports and photos of tomorrow's fun!
Paricia
This message was edited Jun 8, 2006 8:32 PM
Patricia,
Thanks for the update! I'll try to post pics asap! Tell Robert we are thinking of / praying for a continued speedy recovery!
Michelle...yes, I think everyone decided to go with Bigbubbles' suggestion of Whole Foods. Anything is fine with me, although we may opt for eating "inside!" if tomorrow is as hot as today! I worked from 9 to 10 (moving 3 inch thick stepping stones) and I had to go inside as was feeling like I was going to pass out! I felt headachy the rest of the day but feel great now.
See ya in the morning!
Connie
Michelle...cool that Merae will join us in the am!! I just noticed that! I wish Roger were here...
I agree...eat inside. It will be about 100 today. why is it so blasted hot so early.
well, I better finish laundry and get a shower so I can meet y'all on time. i'm excited Merae can come too! She is my sweet friend. You will never meet a more darling woman in you life.
Michelle
Ah, I'm so regretful that I haven't been keeping up with posting more - June is my killer month at work. (I have to do breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day) Oddly, today is one of the only days when I have dinner off, it'd be fun to be able to meet you guys after lunch if it's possible. Does anyone have a guesstimate of your itenerary after lunch? I'd love to be able to catch up with the group, but know it's a bit of a squeeze.
Hi ampy, not sure where we will be after lunch, but I will dmail you my cell phone number and you can call me...check your mail...
Just back from the Austin Nursery Tour and wow... I had so much fun / learning so much... and think all did. Nivlac and family, Bigbubbles, Tomatoholic, Ms_Merae and I met at 9:00. Tom from The Great Outdoors took us on a "tour" of the entire operation, answered numerous questions, and gave us lunch boxes (with water inside) with the Great Outdoors logo. We then headed off to Whole Foods after parking in their subterranean parking lot (the better for all our purchases from GO!) and after lunch went to Bigbubbles' house to park our plants in the shade and have some lemonade! Her gardens are just incredible!! We then headed to Barton Springs Nursery where Ampy joined us. After that it was back to Bigbubbles' house where she just snipped and snipped until everyone was laden with cuttings! (Nivlac also brought cuttings in his trunk and we all shared those, too!)
Because this thread is so long, I'll post pics on a new thread.
Just taking a break from work real quick,
Connie you summed it up mighty fine............
When I arrived home, I unloaded the car and immediately began taking care of the numerous cuttings shared by Bigbubbles. THANK YOU soooooooo much Bubbles for the cuttings. I think it took about 1 hr. to repot the cuttings and have yet to label all of them. My gosh, I am loaded with plants.
I hope you all enjoy the moonflower vines I dished out. You all were so kind to take them off my hands. When I got home and started to mend the damage done to my plants from my house sitter forgetting to water them, I counted more vines than I led ya'll to believe I had. I am totally set. Ya'll did me a favor none of us really realized.
The GO was fantastic! I loved the condition the plants were in. and the Chimes were meloncolic (is this a word? ). I loved the water fall and bamboo too. The food selection was bordering overwhelming and great tasting. and Barton springs Nusery was very relaxing. I was pleased to find a variety of tomato seed I had been wanting to try but not willing to pay postage for shipping to get.
And Bubbles, your garden gives me green envy. So much inspiration, Thank you for sharing your private space with us all and the Southern Hostipality too.
Can't wait for pics, I forgot my camera and my wifes phone camera's pics we can only print straight to a printer not a computer. If I can get them on the comp. I will add them to the thread Connie that you start.
calvin
The pics are now posted on a new thread called June 8th Austin Nursery Tour on this same forum. Enjoy!
Geesh, I hate when I can't keep up with my watched threads...haha...sounds like you all have a great time. Connie, there's like no way I could start anything, but if someone else starts a San Antonio one, I'd sure like to find out about it! Wish I had been able to go with you all. I'll have to check out the pics when I get a chance, but just got 12 cubic yards of mulch on Monday, and haven't put much of a dent in it even though I'm working on it every day, all day. Nivlac and Margie and whomever lives or is going to be in the area anytime over the next 2 weeks...you should come by because I'm having to through out plants every day as I'm moving the gardens around as I mulch. If any of you are interested in cannas, I probably have at least 15 different varieties, and am throwing out at least a dozen large groups of rhizomes a day. Since I'm so bad about getting online, here's my number: 210-834-1760. Just call me if you would like to come see what's in my thinning-out stock, and I will hold on to them if I know someone might want them. Garbage days are Wed and Sat around here, so if I don't know to keep them, that's where they've gotta go, so, please call me and I can tell you what I can give you.
Oh wow...I'm looking for the exotic foliage color cannas....maybe a trip to San Antonio??? haha
I have several...tropicanna orange with the four-colored foliage; bengal tiger and another one with similar foliage but has an orange flower like tropicanna; leo, rosey leaf and purpelea with the redish-green leaves, and one that I think Cala gave me last fall that has a very deep maroon leaf (don't have enough of those to share yet, but it is making babies, so I've been spliting them up to get them to make more) and I haven't seen the flower on it yet, but it's got a flower bud, so I'll know soon. I've got all the other ones sitting on the side of the house right now...and we'll be barbequeing tomorrow night if you'd like to make that road trip. Call me.
Wow...I'd love to but I'm on the road in a few hours to go to Dallas for my step-son's engagement party tomorrow night! But..wow...would I love it! My gardens are all vibrant colors (no white, pink, lavender, pale yellow unless tiny flowers that are eclipsed by the foliage). I'm learning that cannas have lots of oranges and purples...my colors!!! So...next time you thin out...I'm there! (I'm a teacher, but next year I'm supposed to teach the early class, so will get off at 3 each day...easy trip with no traffic to SA...could be there by 4:30 at least, then make the return trip after the sun goes down and traffic has abated!
Thanks so much for the offer...and barbeque...yum!~~!
meiyu,
Hi............. I havee't forgotten your offer to come by and visit, things have been very busy for me right now. I am trying to find the time to come and meet and greet you. Could you possibly hold onto some canna's for me.
Connie.......... If you want I will get a few, if meiyu is willing to hold some?..... and when I get over to Austin to see in-laws I will take them with me. I do plan to travel through Austin on my way to Dallas/Ft. Worth area late this month and could stop somewhere and deliver them to you. Let me know.
Meiyu, I am trying to make time this coming week if you are not to busy. It would be in the morning after I get off work. If that is okay????????????
calvin
Calvin...wow...that would be great, but I think M. was trying to give them away directly instead of having to pot up and care for....can't blame her.... so....if it works out...great. If not, I'll try to patiently wait for her next thinning out time.
Connie, Calvin just left my house with a few new cannas for you. No pale colors in the bunch, and I think you'll love tropicanna's foliage, too. Lots of people store canna rhizomes in their garage over winter (in the northern states where it may be necessary, but not here), so holding on to them is not a problem. I told him that he can put then in a bucket with water, or just store in a cool, dry place and they'll be fine. Enjoy!!!
Here's Tropicanna.
I also sent Calvin with this one for you...forgot what the name is, though.
Meiyu.....thanks so much! I love the pics of them! Hope I can return the favor one day!
Oooh, it's "Pretoria', aka 'Bengal Tiger' Canna. Lucky you Calvin!
No, sweezel, I think the bengal tiger is the one with the yellow flower that has a white stripe down the center of each petal, but the foliage is very similar. I have that one, but didn't give any to Calvin on this trip cuz I'd already given all the extras away, but I did tell him that I'll have lots of babies soon enough...maybe by the time Patrob comes...
Here it is in Plantfiles... http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/3303/index.html. It says Bengal Tiger is another name for Pretoria, but there may be another one with the same name. Though, I know Striped Beauty's flower is yellow with a stripe and the foliage is striped. It's also known as Bangkok. ?? http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/37574/index.html
I only know of both because I have both of those in a pot from the Canna Co-op in 2005. They still have not been in the ground because of moving and such, but hopefully soon!
Connie-I saw you looking for cannas. Do you have 'Red Stripe'? I got some at the RU and have too much for myself-do you have this already, would you like one? The leaves are gorgeous.
I would love some...can you save it and bring (if you can come!) to our Red Barn and then lunch at my house?
Is there actually a date set for that yet?
Noooo...but how about Monday, July 3?
Oh, I bet I could make that!
Good! Sandi and I wanted to meet at Red Barn first....so want to do that...? And then we can follow to my house for lunch.
Oh, you're right!! I was thinking about it the other day, and realized it's Striped Beauty...forgot it was also called Bangkok...I can never remember all the names. Never heard of Red Stripe!