by angela@diggingbliss | Feb 7, 2007 | Uncategorized
It feels appropriate to have finished reading Amy Stewart’s new book,
Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers
just before the Big Day… Valentine’s Day. But, hey, maybe her publishers planned it that way so we’d really get it… so we’d already know
which flowers to buy someone,
where to buy them,
when to order them,
how to tell if they’re fresh… and how to send the perfect message.
You’ve heard, “Say it with Flowers.” Amy’s book tells you how to “Say it right with the freshest, hippest, most beautiful and lasting cut flowers that also may happen to have been ecologically raised.”
What I also learned is that cut flowers are incorporated into daily life in some countries. Ahem, Americans, you holiday-focused flower buyers. Live a little dangerously every now and then and buy flowers for your soul, not just the souls you’re obliged to buy for.
After following Amy on this information-packed journey in which she takes a flower’s path from conception (in the hybridizer’s mind) to growth to processing to shipping to marketing and finally to its final destination, you will not only be exhausted for Amy, you will be much more savvy about the freshest, hippest, most meaningful and most extravagent floral offerings in the U.S.; and you’ll know where to get the cheap stuff. Hey, nothing wrong with a budget bouquet… except that it might not last very long and it might have been treated to a pesticide drench. Don’t eat the daisies. Really.
You will also become acquainted with a new form of labeling signifying higher ecological standards. Dare I say “guilt-free” flowers? Amy even touches on a store near you carrying high quality flowers at bargain prices. Any guesses?
Delving into post-harvest flower conditions, Amy tells you how to spot the freshest displays and how to maximize vase life once you get those babies home. You’ll also come to understand why cut flowers can be so danged expensive at times, and you’ll learn about the hidden and not-so-beautiful environmental costs and considerations.
I came away from Flower Confidential with a much keener sense of the business of flowers and a desire to buy organically grown and ecologically managed flowers when given the opportunity. Organic food is becoming mainstream because more people buying it… and more grocers are selling it… because more people are buying it. Now is the time to push the cut flower industry toward organic and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices, and toward providing better working conditions and benefits for flower factory workers.
Still, knowing “…the Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful…” about the flower business does nothing to dim the feeling I get when I walk into a florist shop or the floral kiosk at my local grocery store. Pure romance. Pure swoon. And to the flowers? You’ve come a long way, baby. No really. Holland? Ecuador? You look like you could use a drink.
Check out this video snippet of Amy talking about Flower Confidential:
Be sure to catch Amy on her book tour. She may be coming to a bookstore or garden show near you! Read all about it on her blog.
by angela@diggingbliss | Jan 28, 2007 | Uncategorized
Successive frosts and freezes and a rainfall deficit means the garden is looking pretty ragged right now. I’m not cutting anything back till frost danger has passed… except my roses, which I should have already pruned but… haven’t. If I do it in the next couple days, the rose police won’t have anything on me.
If you won’t pet me and scratch my head… I guess this shrub will have to suffice.
Fine. Be that way.
‘Tropicanna’ canna is looking more like ‘Freezorama’ canna
Persian shield looooves heat and haaaaates cold.
Violas looking cute but not growing much
Orchid cactus looking surprisingly unmushy. I think it’s in a lucky little microclimate.
These pansies and tulips are loving being tucked up against a stucco wall on the southwest corner of the property.
Ooh… Mexican bush sage, lavender and sedum looking fabulously awful.
Succulents in foreground doing ok, but hibiscus in background looking pretty crispy.
Blech.
Impulse purchase from awhile back doing ok up against a west-facing wall
by angela@diggingbliss | Jan 25, 2007 | Uncategorized
Wine industry lifts glasses to vanishing glut
By Jim Downing – Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1
Happy to have done my part as an Amercan cizen… hiccup… an Amer-i-can Ciz-it-en… hiccup!
by angela@diggingbliss | Jan 24, 2007 | Uncategorized
A friend and I saw… and fondled… these gorgeous new biodegradable
EcoForms pots at Emigh Hardware the other day. They’re really cool and I’m going to get some. They’re made from rice hulls!
Check out their FAQ’s.
How long will EcoForms™ last?
Under normal conditions, an EcoForms™ pot will last five years.
What are EcoForms™ made of?
Grain husks (primarily rice hulls) and natural binding agents (a combination of starch based, water soluble binders and biodegradable additives).
Can I plant EcoForms™ in the ground?
No, EcoForms™ are meant to be used and reused above ground only. They will degrade in the landfill.
What colors do they come in?
We currently list 6 colors: Natural, Avocado, Harvest, Sand, Mocha and Ebony.
Can they handle freezing conditions?
Yes, EcoForms™ show no damage when exposed to freezing or thawing conditions.
Are EcoForms™ organic?
Although they are not certified organic, they are ideal for organic production. They contain non-polluting, earth-friendly ingredients.
Where can I buy them?
Call John Hoffman at (530) 320-6829 or Sweetwater Nursery at (707) 566-8133. You may also send e-mail to sales@ecoforms.com.
by angela@diggingbliss | Jan 23, 2007 | Uncategorized
Just wanted to let folks know that Jim Cockcroft, who designed and manufactures Plant Defender cages, has refined the design and now has a website offering online ordering. You may remember my snail and slug battles last spring and how thrilled I was to find something that would help my basil and pepper seedlings survive the slimy onslaught. In fact, the Plant Defender was exactly what I had been hoping someone had invented… and someone had!
As a recycle-minded organic/IPM gardener who much prefers pest barriers over pesticides, I thought about using soda bottles or berry baskets, but soda bottles weren’t well ventilated or wide enough, and berry baskets were too small. The Plant Defender is really clever because it takes the ventilation of a berry basket and combines it with the size needed to cover a plant from seedling to maturity. I left my cages on all season.
I first ordered Plant Defender cages through Peaceful Valley Farm Supply. After losing seedling after seedling to slugs and snails, it was great to finally see my plants mature enough to tolerate snail attacks. Is there anything more heartbreaking than rushing out in the morning to check on your newly planted seedlings only to find that they’re gone? Not just injured, but gone… vaporized. Ok, so there probably are greater heartbreaks, but it still hurts.
Thanks to the Plant Defender, I won the battle and last summer’s veggie and herb garden turned out great. I would like to try the Plant Defender on bean seedlings too. A cage around each bamboo pole of my bean teepee might do the trick. Snails find tender, heart-shaped bean seedlings to be quite delish. I had to place a second seed order with Renee’s after losing nearly all of the first batch of seeds I planted. Some snails even had the nerve to stick around long enough for me to catch them in the act. But did I kill them? Of course not. I simply moved them to a less tasty part of the garden. Moving literally at a snail’s pace, I knew it’d take the little gluttons for…ever to get back to my seedlings. Mwa… ha ha ha haaaaa.
The cages are really easy to use. You simply place them over your seedlings, firming the base against the soil surface. In my blog entries, I mentioned that the copper-painted rim on the old design didn’t seem to be repelling slugs and snails. I solved that problem by adding copper tape around the base of the cage. That worked beautifully, but it was a pricy solution. Jim replaced the copper with a moat and I’m very anxious to try the redesigned Plant Defender in the spring/summer garden. Break out the beer! I’ll try water too and see which works best.
I haven’t had problems with larger varmints like deer, birds, or squirrels, but Plant Defenders are supposed to deter them too. My biggest pests have been snails, slugs and earwigs. Hey, I wonder if the moat deters earwigs…
Additionally, a new removable lid now means you no longer have to cut off the top of the cage once plants reach the top and makes the cages very reusable. So your $3.99 investment (divided over several seasons) pays off considering how many trips back to the nursery you won’t be making.
Oh, and they’re not just for veggies. Use Plant Defenders on your prized ornamentals too. I use them on my Annie’s Annuals splurges.
In addition to the Plant Defender, Garden Products, Etc. also sells The Sprinkler Mate and Row Markers.
