I'm with Vossner...to hire temps indicates your former boss thinks that doing your job involves watering and weeding...what an IDIOT!!!! Temps he hires??? He will soon SOON learn that the job requires talent, knowledge and intuition and a heck of alot of work that you don't get from the average gardener!!! Heck...I will write him a letter and tell him so!!!
On the other hand, you could mow messages in the grass to be read by passengers in airplanes... I could think of a few choice things you could say......
Aloha, Brah
End of an Era
Kyle, I hope you have a portfolio of the lovely planters you have shown here over the years. You have an extraordinary talent and it needs to be recorded. How about offering your services for a container workshop at a good local nursery. If you do it for free once, they might call you back on their dime next time and in the meantime you could distribute business cards to the participants for your custom container business.
Does the midwest have a regional home and garden magazine like the south has Southern Living and the west coast has Sunset? I can envision an article on container gardening featuring your creations with quotes from you on the how to's. Heck, I am thinking too small - the readers of Horticulture or Fine Gardening need to see your containers. Any of our DG writers up to this?
One more thought, you have a professional relationship with Logees; I hope you have networked with them on your situation.
Ardesia, A friend of mine is the Garden Editor of Better Homes and Garden magazine.They are based here in Iowa.As of yet they seem to use only THEIR designers.Its a work thing. So I'll just wait and see what happens.I went downtown at lunch and so far the NEW planters are ugly ,dry and planted like a hodge podge...time will tell.Will give me more time to work on my own yard for a change.Trust me I didn't leave them a whole lot to work from when I got through at the greenhouse.Most of the plants were mine I bought or collected over the years. :-) I still have 160 kinds of crotons(hybrids) many hibiscus and most of my palms. So things could be worse.They could have made me leave all of them there.Like THAT would have happened!!!LOL
Pic is a seedling cross. I Called 'Lava Flow'
Kyle :-)
That plant is really stunning. I wish I could figure out how to grow them.. they seem to die for me. Guess they like a lot more humidity than I can provide.
I am so glad to hear you did not leave a lot for them to work with.. serves them right.
Lovely Croton, Kyle...I really like them!!! Instant color and carefree!!! Glad you weren't generous with them...but where will you grow them????
Carol
that plant is awesome. So odd that all yellow leaves are on top and all maroon leaves are on bottom. Do the yellow leaves eventually turn to maroon? I have never seen anything like it.
Auntie Kalola, I'll put them in the windows this winter and under lights in the basement.
Vossner, crotons usually have the new leaves be either green or yellow and as they get older the leaves change to the color of the bottom leaves.On most but not all kinds.
Kyle :-)
Kyle, have you had good luck with Crotons under lights?
I ve tried in the past, but only can successfully grow them in my south window during the winter...in real sunlight.
Since I've collected more than can fit in that south window (Ü)...I'm curious to know what kinds of lights, etc... you use.
Nan,
I use shop light fixtures with full spectrum bulbs.The main thing is to keep the humidity up and not let them get TOO dry.The lights should be about 30 inches above the plant tops.
Kyle :-)
Kyle...I have just planted a bunch of Wilii's Gold (Ti) seeds hoping something really sexy will come out of them. If so...maybe we can trade!!! For your Croton?
There is a job opening with the Forestry Department here....for a year...interested?
Well...it is not well paid (GS5) and it involves working in dry forest restoration...tough work in a desolate area...
Auntie Kalola, after I get all the crotons outside for the season(next week) I'll get you some pics of my new ones.Job wise, I still get $23 phr and all benefits here,plus retirement, so I'll hold out for a while longer.At least the area where I work is quiet. Its a GRAVE situation....business is really DEAD!....LOLOL
Kyle ;-)
Oh groan, that is pitiful! :-)
Hey, maybe you could get a second job as a stand up comedian.......
I am glad you have your plants at home to keep you busy... maybe you can approach some businesses that have planters and do theirs.
Do you take your oija board to lunch?
Just don't get caught 'laying down on the job'.
Kalola, I do take my ghost hunting stuff with me, we have a huge old mausoleum at the entrance that has two ghosts in it. BOOOOOO!!! LOL :-)
LOL @ happy 1..
Kyle
You don't scare ME! But I bet you cause terror in the hearts of the people under you.
UGH!
We are supposed to have lots of ghosts around here and most of them are even friendly (or so I have heard, LOL.)
http://www.charlestonlowcountry.com/about/ghosts.html
Thanks for the info, Kyle....so you overwinter Crotons this way regularly and they do well?
Do they defoliate at all?
Does sound as though you've still a pretty good job, despite it's not being what you had in mind.
Better wages than many of us Wisconsinites are making! (at least *this* Wisconsinite and her DH!)
nan, the key is to keep them from getting bone dry,keep the humidity up and give them warm, not cold temps in winter.Crotons hate cold and wet or hot and dry. Does that make sense? :-)
Kyle
pic is new croton seedling 'Fantastic Voyage'
Nice new one!!! And to complicate everything, crotons thrive here and we get 160" of rain a year!!! But they are planted in mostly cinders so don't have soggy slippers!
Yep, makes perfect sense, as the same rules apply when they're in the window! (Ü)
Thanks for bearing with my questions, Kyle.
I have a NO ID that looks much like that one.....less yellow, more green.
It's been a real good grower for me...bought it at a small Variety store that carried plants.
Kyle,Great to see you haven't lost your sense of humour lol! good to know your new job does still have some positives.Stay happy my friend!
Kyle, I just found this thread. I was saddened to hear your woes. Tis a shame, indeed.......Your former boss will soon realize your worth.....
I HAVE always enjoyed the pics of your planters, various plants, decorating projects.
take care
Actually, things aren't SO bad right now.The cemetery is quiet most of the time.After Memorial day things will mellow again.I am planting flower beds and still do 42 pots like the ones downtown.That and endless mowing till it gets hotter this summer.So all in all things could be worse...like I could win the lotto or something??LOL LOL
Kyle :-)
So glad to hear that "The cemetery is quiet". But you said "most of the time". What happens when it's not 'quiet'?
Hap
Kyle,
I was sad to hear of your job loss. Hopefully things will get better quickly for you and everyone.
Barbara
Memorial Day here at work is like Xmas season in retail.................busy busy busy,people can't locate their loved ones(graves) etc. the water lines are broke so everyone is upset with that. **SIGH** next week will improve after the holiday.Then I can do what I need to to the landscaping. :-)
Kyle
P.S. Norman Vincent Peale tod a man once.....I can take you right now to a place where 10,000+ people have no cares or worries in the world..he took the man to a cemetery!! LOL
Update..the pots downtown this year are awful, I'll get pics to post next week.They should just leave them empty. ;-)~
They should just hire you back and fire the supervisor!!!!! IMHO!!!!!