prison flowers

Unbeknownst to me there is a local plant sale that is amazing.  I think it is whispered about at garden clubs, but the average green thumb knows nothing about it's amazingness.  Word on the street is that the inmates at our local prison grow flowers for the State to use.  (I guess when you're doing "twenty to life" growing flowers is a good way to while your time away.)  Whatever is left over is then sold to the public.  I got word of this sale a while ago and have been anxiously waiting for the big "flower sale" day.

Yesterday was the day, I knew it was THE day because it was 40* with pouring rain and occasional snowing, which always makes me think of gardening.

I arrived at the designated spot 10 minutes before the sale began.  I should have registered then what lay ahead, when I had to park 2 blocks away in a mud puddle.

After dragging Reb, Houdini and our wagon through the mud filled street to the sale location, I was told to wait in the warehouse.  Entering the warehouse I found that approximately 100 people where already in line.  I listened to the lady behind me advising her companion, "Whatever you do, watch our flowers, because other people will try and steal them!  And don't let go of our cart, cause they'll take that too!"

It was like 5am on Black Friday at Walmart, except in the plant world.  I tightened my grip on my kids, worried that someone might possibly mistake Reb for some kind of fluffy flower and cart her off.

Over the loudspeaker we heard the following, "There is to be NO RUNNING.  If you run, you will be escorted off the premises by the guards."  Duly noted.  No running.  No flower stealing.  No cart pilfering.

When they opened the gates, the chaos party began.  People began quickly shuffling (NOT running) over to the masses of flowers.  There were amazing deals to be had.  I could sense the hysteria in the air, "Quick!  Grab that Geranium before that other lady!  Ohhh  look!  Pansies!  Quick! Put dibsies on the entire flat!"

People were wading through foot deep water puddles to get to their prey, I mean flowers.  So what if it was still snowing/raining?  Cheap flowers!

I bought two flats of Geraniums, 36 flowers for $60, which is $1.66/ plant.  An amazing deal.  I also bought one flat of 48 Marigolds for $10.00 which comes to $0.21/plant and a flat of 24 cute orange daisies for $0.63/plant.  Score!  I wanted to get more, but the kids where quickly loosing their enthusiasm for our cold/wet outing. Party poopers.

The rain/snow continued and Reb decided she had had enough, so I packed her into the car along with Houdini and the four flats of flowers.  As I was closing the last door a wild eyed lady approached me, "Is that your wagon?"

"Yes," I replied, "I brought it from HOME (just to be clear.)"
"Can I use it?"
"Well,  my baby is screaming and I'm leaving."
"I'll help you put it in your car if I can just use it for 5 minutes!"
"Uhhh, my baby is SCREAMING.  I'm going home."
(dejectedly) "Oh, ok."

Sorry lady, didn't you hear this is a BYOW event?  I brought my own wagon and my own screaming child, so you're out of luck.

So despite the mud/cold/rain/snow/panic/crazy wagon lady, I got the (pictured above flowers), 108 in all, for $85.  Would I do it again?  Yessirrebob!

~

In a completely unrelated note, this bird was in our yard when we got home.  I think he's straight from the amazon jungle.  He must have stopped in our yard for a siesta because it felt so much like home, warm and jungley what with all the snow and rain.

2 Comments

undefined:

where the heck are you?
i tried to email you but i think i erased your email address.
are you guys coming back here or did you sell your house?

undefined:

Just a cool FYI. Linus put a bird feeder in our tree this week and has been dutifully "bird-watching" every day. We had 14 of these same beauties the other morning and since. She has identified them as the "western tanager." Aren't they cool?? We have been feeling very tropical too! She says they like dried fruit and oranges so she has been hanging orange slices on the branches too. We haven't seen them eating any of the food but the seem to enjoy nibbling on the sycamore itself.

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