New Optimaras

Robin, that's a good point... but even when plants aren't overcrowded, there just seem to be some varieties that are prone to growing upward like that... and other varieties (like some of the Buckeye series) that want to droop downwards...

Yes true. Some grow upward when they are reaching for light too. But in AVSA reading and study when nothing else is wrong crowded plants and stands cause many problems and one is the plant foliage growing up straight and tall.
I've grown several Optimaras and have had a dozen or so Annabelles and couple Isabelles and mine have not grow tall.
The Buckeyes and foliage that grows down or you see with large growing plants often I like to use a leaf ring suport.
Bigred where is your store ? Do you sell on line ? Where did you get all your beautiful plants and the pots from ?

Robin,
I'm in Ashdown,Ark. or actually outside Ashdown on Millwood Lake. Don't do mail order as it's only me running the greenhouse/nursery(wholesale and retail), hub's works out of town a lot so I also have all our property including two rental properties,livestock,a big house and yard....anything that's gotta get done,get's done by me. Right now I've looking at plants and seeds for 3 veggie gardens that I need to get to work on. Three mornings a week I teach fitness classes(when I have enough people interested,none now)two nights a week, I teach areobics,next month I'll start doing farmers market at least once a week until the end of June(then I'll do 2 or 3),pres. of our garden club,I'm a vol. firefighter and 1st.Responder. Whew! I'm going back to bed...LOL

P

WOW what a nice place to shop ! I see the soap and cute little antique bath tubs !
The pots you have the African violets in are beautiful !
Oh I see you have a lot of Optimara's watermaids ! Do you use them yourself ? How do they work for you ?

All of those flowers are gorgeous! I whish I could go shopping there, the other things in your shop look interesting too.


Sue

The shop is really small,16x16 if you don't count the porch that wraps around 3 sides. Hub's calls it my playhouse but I a pretty good variety of dust catchers....even have stuff hanging from the rafters.

I have a few of the watermaids in use. Work pretty good if you remember to put water in them....*G*

P

Well .... we all know where to go to shop if we are ever in Ashdown, Arizona!!!

Bigred .... I feel like I just finished one of your aerobics/fitness classes just from reading all that you have to do on a daily basis! Makes me feel soooo guilty - Ok, Fess up .... what brand of vitamins do you take?? I NEED to know so I can go out tomorrow and buy me some! You are an inspiration!


Lin

Lin, do ya think we would feel not so guilty if we asked her how old she is??? If she says she is close to my age, then I'm really going to feel lazy!!!!

I feel like I've been run over by a mac truck today. Struck about 4000 cuttings yesterday.I weinied out on aerobic class last night and we did mostly rubber bands,stretching with just a wee amount of aerobics.

plantladylin,
you'd be hunting me a while if you went to Arizona...I live in Arkansas*S* I've been taking Relacore for a little over a month because I have just a little "STRESS"! Also it has done away with most of my hot flashes and gives me energy but doesn't seem to help much with the insomnia.

Gessie,
I turned 58 this passed March.

I'm taking the day off from the greenhouse so I can get one of my market gardens started.

P...is for Pooped

:) .... Yep, I'd be way off course, wouldn't I .... AZ vs AR .... Hey! Knowing me I'd end up in Alaska! ( AK ).

Now, I REALLY feel guilty ... you are a year younger than me! I turned 59 on March 7th! Where do you get all that Energy! Sounds like you do in one day what it would take me 3 months to get done! Amazing!

Listen to you .... taking the day off so you can get a garden started!


Hey Gail .... we need to teach Bigred about "Taking a Day Off" .... hee hee .... like a little "Retail Therapy" - that's what I'm taking the day off to do today!

Bigred, slow down.............I am 65 .......Lin and I are helping one another to slow down.............the harder I go, the more revved up I get...then i just crash like i did this morning and slept until 8:30.......
I treated myself to a little "retail therapy" like Lin is talking about yesterday......(LOL)

plantladylin,
You could really hit some nursery in three states...LOL
AMAZING! My birthday is March 7th.too!

gessie,
by the time I slow down,I'm too pooped to retail shop so I shop on line.....mostly for more plants...LOL

I think it comes from watching my mom spend the last 10 yrs or so of her life bed ridden and house bound. Mostly her fault because she didn't take care of herself when she hit her 50's.

I didn't get everything planted yesterday but I did manage to get out 30 okra plants,29 tomatoes,dz.or so pepper plants and about 90-100 ft. of pink-eyed peas sewn. Still have about 15 tomato plants, about 36 cukes and squashes left to go today in the first market garden. Wasn't the planting that did me in but the tiller. Can't plant the second market garden until hub's is home because it needs to be disc'ed and readied for planting. It's too big for the tiller.We'll plant corn,melons,purple hulls,egg plant, and more okra,tomatoes,peppers,cukes and squash over there.

I start doing farmers market later when it's to hot to work out in the yard but this year I'm putting up a "pick your own peas" sign. I think I picked 50 bushels of peas last year not counting the ones I pick for personal use. Only one guy picked his own peas. At any rate I picked and sold enough to pay for a new couch and love seat with just a wee bit of help from the household funds.

P

birgred,
always let people pick their own.......we have a pea sheller and put up black eyed peas every year along with corn......
Maybe you could let people sit there and clean their own black eyed peas or a price.....it really goes fast.....don't be too hard on your mom......my mom died early as she developed clinical depressions as she got older and she didn't take care of herself....there was simply no motivation to get up and move around.....
When I am really tired, i think it is important to listen to our bodies...my body is a good friend of mine.....
Blessings and good luck with all your endeavors,
gail

I picked and shelled ph peas last year for other people and got $5.00 a quart for them.Since I have to shell and put up for us,I don't mind shelling some for others.

P

I think people were charging (and paying) nearly twice that amount here... I seem to remember seeing them ar $4 or $5 per *pint*. Good for you, paying for new furniture with your "pea profits!"

Holy cow critter! I'm bringing my peas to your state...I need a houseful of new furniture...LOL

Yesterday was a good day for avs. Sold several standards and the little minis ...even some episcias. Lost some of the minis. Weather changed just as they were shipped out and I think that's what did them in...too cold. BUT the rest look just fine.

P