Addict.

It's true.  I have a problem.  I am a self-proclaimed plant addict.  Yep.  I love them...want them all.  How could I not?!  All of those pretty new varieties that come out every year?!  Gosh...and what about all of the neat, old varieties that I haven't tried yet?!  I can't resist.

But...alas...I must.  Why??  Well...You see, I'm getting married in May...and so are our finances.  My addiction has now been Dave Ramsey-ified by the workings of Financial Peace University.  We now know (and keep a watchful eye) on how much money is going to each particular category of our spending and saving.  It is nice to know that we are being responsible with our money and know exactly where it is going...but it also makes it a bit more difficult for me to justify my addiction.  Bummer.  Every addict needs a way to justify their addiction....right?!

I am going to need to work on the justification part...but for now, I do have a small portion of Seeded Earth's budget set aside for new foliage for bouquets!  Good thing...check out these hosta that Plant Delights Nursery is offering!  I love them!!  I think their leaves would be b-e-a-u-tiful in future bouquets!...don't you?!

Oh...and if you have any ideas on how I can justify squeezing in the millions of other plants that I'm eyeing into the budget...  ;)

 

Heirlooms

Last night, I helped my aunt repot & clean up my grandma's hibiscus plant that she rescued from my grandfather.  It's hard to believe that Grandma has been gone over 5 years.  She sure loved her flowers!  I have her to thank for being one of the main reasons that I love flowers, gardening and the outdoors so much! 

Me with Grandma

Every spring, Grandma would get flowers to fill her planters in the front yard.  I loved walking out to get the mail with her and seeing which flowers were blooming that day.  One year, after hearing Grandma talk about butterfly bushes, I (with the help of my mom) bought her a butterfly bush for Mother's Day.  I will never forget the joy & smile on her face when she saw it! 


Little, simple things made her smile.  I think she saw beauty in nearly every living thing.  Tears fill my eyes and I miss her so much as I think about all of my memories with her...

Having these same emotions last night after cleaning the large hibiscus for my aunt, I decided to try to take some cuttings from the soft, new growth that I had trimmed off in the cleaning process.  I sure hope that these little cuttings take root.  It would be pretty neat to be able to pass on one of Grandma's heirlooms & the memory of her love for flowers to a few of her other children & grandchildren!  

Soft hibiscus cuttings

Please root!

Flowers and plants trigger many emotions from many different memories.  For me, butterfly bushes always make me think of my Grandma Morris, intensely scented lavender roses make me think of my Grandpa Gruemmer (he loved his roses & always let me take flowers home with me) and large-flowered chrysanthemums make me think of my Grandma Gruemmer...thankfully, she is still in my life for me to maybe get a little cutting of those mums!!  ;)  

For all of these memories, I know that I will always love flowers.  I wonder what other flowers will evoke such emotions for me in the future?...my wedding, the birth of children, etc. 



What flowers or plants have special meaning for you?  These are your heirlooms to always cherish.



Me with Grandma



My fave pic of Grandma -- rollerskating with my cousin.



Get Creative!

I am currently working on a revised business plan -- revised because things have changed quite a bit since beginning Seeded Earth in June of 2009. 

The 2010 season brought a few new challenges, but also many new, exciting and refreshing ideas!  In my six years of professional green industry experience, I have learned that you will always, always, always have new challenges...and that you will never overcome those challenges or improve if you don't accept them as an opportunity to learn and grow.

In my hunt for new information, I have discovered some amazing {free} resources!  There is so much out there just waiting to be discovered!...and if you are a bit creative in your thinking, you can even find some extremely talented people to help you fairly inexpensively and within your {very} limited budget.

I understand that the job market is still a difficult one and that I am very lucky to have my full-time job to support this venture...

...BUT...

For anyone out there who is currently out of work, I urge you to be creative!  What are you passionate about?  How can you turn your passion into profit?  You can do it, you know?!  If you are interested in anything involving the green industry {or any other industry may overlap, too}, please contact me!  I would be happy to share some of my thoughts & findings with you!

Good Luck & Wishes of Success!!