Big Houston Nursery Sale and Radio News

Oh still my beating heart.....

Stopped by Cornelius on Dairy Ashford and 10 on the way home from work. They have echinacea bravado, primadonna rose, and rubistern red for $1.49. Also Cherokee sunset rudbeckias....$1.49. Got to the check-out counter and they now have a "happy hour" every Friday night thru May 5-7 pm 20% off EVERYTHING. They have 2 other locations--corneliusnurseries.com for other locations. Walked out with 9 echies, 4 rudbeckias, 3 bee balms (monarda), another sage, a mit, and some annual called Calibrachoa "desert shine' just because I liked the way it looked for $21.49.

Also found out Howard Garrett's radio show will now be carried on Houston am radio 1090 on Sunday's from 8-11.

Debbie

PS plants are big and healthy...ready to bloom. Stuck the paper towels in back for size...not a pretty shot I admit. They also had Sneezeweed (3' size) for $7.99 and skullcap $7.99. I passed but will go back next Friday (didn't realize they were 20% off or I would have bought them too) for them.

Anybody been up to Arbor gate lately?

Cornelius Dairy Ashford, my old stomping ground! plant happy hr, huh? will have to ck it out.

Arbor Gate, well, that is Maggiemoo's stomping ground! lol

yes--I'm wondering where she is.

If you get up this way check it out. I left a few echinacea's for the "other kids" LOL And let me know, if I can, I'll meet you. I thought their idea off happy hour was pretty clever, they were announcing it on the intercom system and everything. You know how easy it is for the folks at Cornelius to get carried away. But they are really nice folks, they always order me some bat guano in large bags and have special ordered me lots of plants before.
Debbie

sounds like a future date...

Hi all - I'm not new to DG, but new to posting. I love Cornelius - must go for happy hour - great concept! Where's Arbor Gate? Not familiar with it - but sounds like it might be worth a trip. Oh - like I need a new place to feed the habit...

It's in Tomball Bookworm. Welcome to the forum and posting...they have a website, thought I had it bookmarked.
Debbie

Thanks Debbie! It's fun to read about great I'll do a search. Sounds like a field trip opportunity in the summer. By the way -- what do you use bat guano on? My newest interest is to use only organic fertilizers and NO chemicals.

I put about half a trowel in the transplanting hole everytime I plant something. A little goes along way. I'm all organic here and have been for about 8 years.
Debbie

Oooowee! Plant Happy Hour, what a great concept! Wonder why no one has thought of that before? Debbie, those are some really good looking echinaceas, that is a fabulous price for them. Mine were miserable last year, since a mole or a vole or something kept burrowing around in that bed. I had to gently "stomp" the soil back down every day, so I either compacted it too much or the roots were always getting dried out from the upheaval. Only one came back this year, I have planted another one in a pot that I then sank into the ground. Let's see that mole try to dig that, lol!!

Arbor Gate? Oh, bookworm, you've gotta check it out! Some of my friends think that the whole name is "Arbor Gate, My Favorite Nursery", since I say that so much, lol. We had a Houston Nursery Date last summer and started at Arbor Gate, ended up in the Heights. It was a fun day with gardening friends and ended up perfectly in rjuddharrison's backyard.

It sounds like Houston will get some "real" gardening radio now, I've never heard Howard Garrett, am eager to listen to him. Thanks for the heads up, Debbie!

Hey, I won a bag of bat guano at the RU, I was thrilled! Do you know who brought it? (Was it you, Debbie?)

Not guilty! But put about a half a cup in every transplant hole....most of life's problems, in my opinion, can be solved by more mulch and more bat guano! LOL It might just keep those "pesky moles" away too. Bats are their predators, I would think....I'll save one of the echies for you.
Debbie

Great idea about the bat guano and the moles! Someone told me I should put some kitty poop in the holes to scare them away. I don't really want to encourage the kitties to think the flower beds are their litter boxes.

Debbie isnt that Bat Guano expensive. I saw some at the feed store and it was about twenty bucks for a pound. Is that the only fertilizer you use? I would like to go organic but I dont know how to switch. I use MG garden soil in all my Hosta pots and have been for years... pray tell what am I missing? :)

No Maggie, no kitty poop, you will have all the cats in the neighborhood pooping there. I had a kitten poop in a flower pot once and I put the pot on the patio. I got a new roommate looking for soil for her new plant, she decided to use that soil. LO and Behold the new kitty start going in her new plant. She was lived! LOL
Sylvia

I've seen it at Cornelius for $9.99 lb (less per lb in larger quantities). Really a very little goes an awful long way! Can't give you any hints on Hostas..they hate me and refuse to grow for me! LOL
Debbie

Well speaking of kitty poop...I made the mistake of leaving some weed and feed or winterizer (granular) in the spreader over the winter and when I went to use the spreader this spring found that some of the neighborhood kittys had been attracted to the amonia smell and perhaps the granular texture, deciding they'd found a new litter box! What fun!
I haven't been, but rec've emails from Buchanans and they have some sort of Happy Hour one night a week I think.

Good to hear from you April! Thanks for adding another nursery update for "happy hour". I, for one, am glad to see these nurseries having more of these "general" type sales rather than just; "All hibiscus plants 20% off this week" and other just a few plant specific sales.

I'm a dog person here, never could figure out the behavior patterns of cats. I like them, just don't own one. They, like teenagers, remain a mystery to me. LOL

Debbie

...hmm if I had to make a choice of who I'd like to have around my home cats or teenagers...cats for sure, they have the more logical behavior pattern, trust me. LOL.
April

Touchee' April!

Yeah well I have 2 of 3 kids still at home and both are teens, 19 (although I feel she might behave more like a 14 year old) and 16...I will take the cats, anyone want to trade?

I live with a 17 year ol daughter....I feel your pain April. :) Debbie

Well for sure we have to get together to commiserate!
April

Here's mine with one of her "buddies". She had wanted to bring that thing home and adopt it....I about came unglued, and told her to take it back!
Debbie
who is still shakin'

Debbie that's too funny! She's just yanking your chain, LOL. Very pretty girl, wow.

When mine recently asked if it was ok to bring home a snake I reminded her that she didn't do well w/ the cat, spends most of her time gone- she's 19, but said sure she could bring one home if she planned on staying home 80% more than she does now...we do not have a snake living in our house.

I have to tell you I am unable to touch caterpillars and most bugs but snakes do not bother me. When my youngest was 10 or so I picked up a small garter snake to show her that there was nothing to be afraid of and that her mom was not a whimp. Low and behold the little bugger bit me, it's 2 tiny, EXTREMELY sharp fangs sunk into my hand, the fleshy part between thumb and forefinger. At first it was not to bad and still not wanting to seem like a whimp I was calm and told her it wasn't a big deal, I was acting cool as a cucumber but apparently the snake was getting more nervous because every few seconds I could feel it biting down a bit more, a bit more and frankly it was quickly bridging the gap from uncomfortable to painful...then I started wondering how I was going to get the little fangs out of my hand... I had visions of trying to pry the vipers fangs out with all sorts of implements including a crowbar, but at the same time I didn't want my daughter to be frightened. Finally common sense kicked in and I put the little bugger on the ground where upon he promptly unclamped my hand and slithered away- I hand an instant recollection of the time the skunk bit my brother and how we got him to let go, thank god for long term memory.
I rarely pick up snakes now, having learned my lesson.
April

Now we HAVE to hear the skunk story...the curiosity is killing me!
Debbie

You have to understand a bit of background and family history. I come from a long line of fruitcakes. During very long summer road trips for 5 consecutive summers during my childhood, while the rest of you were swimming, playing softball, hanging out w/ friends, etc my mother read countless books to us kids (oh yeah, my dad was driving, LOL). We visited nearly every state and many provinces (Canada).

One of the books my mom read to us was a book by Sterling North, 'Rascal' the story of the author's youth, including the taming of a racoon and the ensuing adventures and life lessons.

My mom had a dream of living in the country and sort of farming while my dad would bring in an income that would support this. As time went by we did end up moving to a rural area and had many pets over the years including several racoons (Racoon Welch, Rosemary Cooney, Oscar Wilde...creative bunch aint we?). For some strange reason my little brother became intent on adopting a skunk...I thought the idea stunk, LOL...eventually the opportunity came up and he became the guardian of a very young baby skunk.

Our adoptions had been most successful when the babies came to us as a result of some accident that had killed the mom bringing the babies to us w/ eyes closed- that way they were confused and believed we were their parents, etc, poor things, imagine their relief when they found it wasn't true. This skunk came to us w/ eyes open. I was about 17 so not too interested in a skunk, especially one that wasn't tamed. It was cute and was young enough that it didn't have the capacity to spray anyone; my brother was negotiating w/ vets to have the critter de-skunked at some future point. The little skunk would run through the house at night when it was dark...I think that my brother and mom felt that allowing it to be uncaged would help w/ the taming, otherwise I have no idea why they let it run the house at night. Personally I was terrified because I was sure that my ankles would be history if I woke up and needed to get out of bed in the middle of the night.

Wow I am long winded, anyway, one morning my mom was sitting at sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and for some reason my little brother had picked up the skunk. Something frightened it and it clamped down on one of my brother's fingers with a vise like grip! It was fairly painful and it didn't seem to interested in letting go. My mom in her infinite wisdom tried to pry the jaws open w/ her teaspoon and when that didn't work smacked it over the head w/ the spoon; all of these attempts only made the jaws clamp down more. By this time my little brother was experiencing significant pain and he was more than a little upset w/ my mom and her efforts; my mom was becoming a bit hysterical because she had no idea how to get this creature off her baby's finger...it was more than a bit commical and somewhat tragic. Finally my little brother (14 or so I think), who had been holding the skunk all this time. was so frustrated that he set the critter on the floor where upon it immediately released my brother's finger.

Neither my brother or mother recall that as a comedic event in our family history, I apparently am the only one with that sort of sense of humor- but you have to picture the actions w/ the level of hysteria...

Enjoyed every moment of the story April! You can tell a great story.....about the only way that story could have been more tragic and comical is if the skunk had sprayed also!

You think your family is full of fruitcakes? My dad is Scottish with very thick accent and my mother was from Louisiana (her maiden name Jayreaux--get my drift?). Now let me tell you; when they would get to argueing with each other, it was a regular UN convention with him busting into Gaelic when he got really mad and her in French. My older brother and I, who understand some of both, would try to follow as best we could and enjoy the show. Needless to say, I think I know every derogatory Gaelic phrase there is....we also travelled a lot in the summer when I wasn't "mucking out" the horse barn. I grew up in Montana (lot of Scottish folks there--A River Runs Through It--Legends of the Fall ring any bells? His birthday, by the way, is on the same day as mine--I'm sorry, off task here--it's easy to get off task where Brad's concerned) and Wyoming. My dad just had to live in the cold mountains--he lives in San Antoine now, go figure ?!? My mother was absolutely lost up there (she used to have her mother mail us mayhaw jelly) and was greatly relieved when he retired from the Air Force.

Very creative ya'll were with the raccoon names!
Debbie

Debbie glad you liked the story. I have plenty more.. I come from a long line of story tellers!

Gee my family arguments don't sound anywhere near as interesting as yours! Yours were entertaining, mone were just ordinary!

By the way, don't keep thinking about Brad it will only break your heart, HE'S MINE!!! LOL, Don't I wish?

I am ejoying both of you stories! lol Keep em going...

This message was edited May 7, 2006 8:34 PM

I agree! Our racoon stories are very tame compared to yours. We only had Walter, and he went to the wild after I tried to see if he would climb DH's leg for a pecan. He would, and DH hollered a lot and scared Walter off. We enjoyed seeing Walter grow up though, after I stole him from the neighbors. (Long story, but I saved him from abuse and he came over ON HIS OWN: I just sheltered and hid him, bottled, and raised him to self-sufficiency.) We may have a few fruitcakes over here too! Love animals!!

I'd be happy to share some racoon stories if you twist my arem a bit.

Consider it twisted April--I'm trying to think of one while I do the laundry...I manged to work outside all day with only one brief A/C break. Let me tell you it was getting hot and the humidity was so thick it was "chewy".

Here I'll give you a start:

We once had a raccoon that was so strange it would....

aawww Pat, how sweet! now you know when you start something like that, you have to tell it all. btw Pat, what part of texas are you in? We got a newbie over in the Hosta forum who lives in Houston and wants to grow Hostas in the Houston area.

ps I only have snake Stories

This message was edited May 7, 2006 9:44 PM

Well I won't be any help to her, Hostas hate me. They always say "hosta la vista" and lay down and die.
:)

I worked outside most of the day too, just getting to my dinner. I will get to a story soon.

So far as fruitcakes go, I will put my fruitcakes up against yours anytime!

Oh we got the fruitcakes! My older son, who escaped to the good life in California, told me he had fallen from the family tree and was crawling away as fast as he could! I wished him luck!

Walter, the coon, was a small baby living across the street with a family with young children who had been throwing him in their wading pool and watching him swim out. They went out of town for a long week-end, and he escaped from his cage and came over chattering about his abuse. My DS was washing his car out front and brought Walter in. He was burped up on after Walter guzzled a whole bottle of milk (may be why I have no grandchildren yet!!!) We took him to the ranch; he was so much fun, following us everywhere. He learned about going to sleep in trees and falling out and climbing out on small limbs, etc. He did go back to his natural habitat after DG hollered so about his leg being climbed. But it was time. He was beginning to go around the kitchen windows with his fingers and check for a way in. Not good to have a racoon in the house! But his little hands were so soft and constantly moving and checking everything.

Sylvia, I live in the very middle of Texas, and I have not told hostas they are not supposed to like growing here!

Patricia

I love the Walter Story... when you put him to the wild, did he not try to come back?

Your stories are great and I have a possum story to tell you, but not tonight. I've pulled too many weeds today and I still need to eat. Later.

I think hostas like most people, they just hate me, in particular.

;) Debbie

Walter may have visited at night to eat from the dog's feeder. Robert thought he saw him once. Though we bottled him and played with him, he was still a wild animal. If he wanted to be put down, he would roll like a Tasmanian devil and bite. The night he left, we both were yelling loudly as he had climbed past the artificial part of Robert's leg, and I was bitten a bit trying to pry him loose. Walter thought I was taking the pecan away from him! Even as a little bitty thing, he would grab the bottle from us. Once he pulled the nipple off and soaked himself in milk.

We were living in town when he found us, but we had taken him to the ranch when he was weaned. We were raising goats then and were out there all day every day. There were many other racoons in the area and lots of open country, so it was a perfect solution for him to choose to leave us when he did. When he started working on the window screens, I knew it was just a matter of time before we would have to take him somewhere and turn him loose.

That was always the ultimate end (returning to the wild) to our racoon adventures and though it was sad even as kids we knew it was the right thing.

I do remember their soft little hands/paws- they were affectionate in their own way but when they wanted what they wanted, watch out!

1 of many:

My parents had 2 couples over, as a teenager I was not such a fan of my parents friends, these were particularly offensive to me because they were sooo bougois- please don't check the spelling. The wives were stay at home moms I believe, one husband was an atty the other a furniture designer (years later he left his wife and came out of the closet) but I digress.

The 6 of them were all in the living room drinking coffee and whatever, eating dessert when ever so quietly the sliding glass door opened...(yes those hands were soft, but also VERY skillful). Slowly, quietly Rosemary Cooney crept in and suddenly appeared. Everybody was apparently startled as she jumped on the couch to see who was there, what they were doing and of course what they were going to feed her. My mom called for my little brother who came in to get Rosemary.

Rosemary jumped to the floor, further startling the group and apparently in response to the tinkle, tinkle of my little brother's dog tags (don't know why he wore army dog tags around his neck but he did and they rattled when he moved) Rosemary struck a very familliar pose, head down nearly to the floor, back side up- this was aggressive posturing for her and she did it very rairly at 1st but more often as progressed to complete reversion to the wild.

As she assumed the position she began to "chortle" don't know if that's the real name but it was a funny throaty type of noise. As she chortled and growled a bit, still in the same position, she charged forward toward the adult group, then back, then forward, then back...

She was incredibly fast and if you'd been sitting on the couch even knowing her as well as my mom did, you would have been right to have been more than a little frightened, she was after all a wild animal no matter that she'd been bottle raised and w/ us since before her eyes opened. Not only that but racoons are extremely strong for their size and their jaws are very powerful; you would not want to be the object of a racoons frustration, rage, annoyance, etc.

All of these women, uppity, snobby types, dressed in their designer like clothes (we didn't have designer clothes for the masses so much then) had jumped up on the couch and were screaming. Couches are not meant for standing on or jumping on, the cushions are not really stable, so all of these women were sort of stumbling/falling into one another off the couch, screaming, etc. which only got Rosemary more aggitated making her capture by little brother an impossibility. It was one of those viscious little cycles that couldn't be broken...none of the brave husbands on the other side of the room were able to react, they stood their in shocked silence...the deer in the headlights phenomenon.

Finally Rosemary decided she'd had enough of these shreiking folks and ran back out the door and after that my mom started locking the sliding door. That was a bit disappointing because back then we didn't have cable TV and my parent's friends were rather entertaing. LOL.