Good news!!!

I got a new job all!!! I feel so bad for leaving the large wholesale nursery that gave me a chance and provided me with so much experience. They just don't work around my school schedule. I thought it would be different and that once I started they would understand that I go full time to school and that work will be second. But last week it was very difficult for me. On Monday and Wednesday I went to work then to school then back to work then home for 2 hours then to school then home for 2 hours then sleep. Other days except for Friday I got to work then home for 2 hours then to school then home for two hours and then sleep. It's really hard to do anything while you are home for 2 hour intervals. I hardly have time to make food shower clean or anything really. Experiencing this I knew that I would have a very hard time doing homework. Besides that I was begged every day to stay later to work on Saturday and I'm working on labor day. Really I just can't I have school and extra time to devote to work. I don't like feeling guilty when I can't work when they need me. I don't like having to say no I can't work later or on the weekend because of school and then being told I'm so spoiled and special, because I am not. Other people that work there don't go to school after work so they can stay later and only have one day off a week. I was sick from driving around so much and not being able to eat enough or rest enough. On Tuesday of last week I said I'm quitting sorry all. So my last day would be September 9th but the prop manager told me I could leave this week on Thursday after everyone comes back from working in other areas. I really wish I could leave earlier I am so exhausted.

How did I already find another job. I have been looking for weeks really or even a month or more for something that would be more flexible with my hours. I applied for the Botanical Gardens but did not get even an interview the 3 times I applied. It was for the best since it is further away and wouldn't really work out with school. Then a the landscaping for the condo did not work out. I have been landscaping on the side and it has been fun but also a physical challenge. I found an ad for an herb farm that was looking for a person to fill in a propagation spot. I emailed and was asked to come in for an interview last week on Monday. I went in and filled out an app, got the tour of the area and asked lots of questions then offered the position and to start asap. I was excited. They will be working around my schedule and have no problem if I need to change it for whatever reason. I can add more hours or take more off or work different days. It's great and I'm excited, plus I'm getting .50 cents more but could be getting even more if they see that I know what I am doing. Another great thing is that is up the street so it really does save me gas.

Hopefully I will be staying at my new job for as long as I can. I really do want to stay at one place for a decent amount of time. I seem to only be able to stay for under a year or even a few months before something comes up and I just have to leave or find something else. Everyone has said it is a great place to work and I will more than likely like it more.

Working and Purchasing

Columbine foliage

Today was my first day of work. I was unprepared as I usually am for the first day. It went good besides that I did not have gloves. Moving around all those plastic containers for 5 hours really worked a number on my hands. My finger tips are sore and I'm scratch up on one hand from meyer lemons. Besides being scratched up and in pain it went well. So merchandising went good! I'm excited since I'm always nervous on the first day of a new job. I'm always feeling like I'm going to stink at it and it's going to be horrible. Moving plants was not difficult and was as simple as I had thought. It was really windy today and cold so it was not ideal conditions. I'll be going back tomorrow but this time not so early in the morning. I'm a night owl and waking up at 5:30am is not ideal. My normal bed time is 1am. My normal waking time is 11am. I don't have to be in until 9am tomorrow so happy for more hours of sleep.


Terracycle

After work I went inside to look for some gloves. All the gloves that were available were not my size. My hands are tiny so buying one size fits all gloves does not work. I'm sorry, but one size fits all does not fit my size so it's not one size fits all. My fingers are short and I refuse to be uncomfortable with long finger tips. Instead of buying gloves at work I bought Terracycle. I've been in need of fertilizer badly. It's been far too long that I have been using orchid fertilizer for everything I have. Shame on me for not wanting to invest in something else. I've read about Terracycle and really wanted to try it. I've already used the whole bottle and I have no idea if it's supposed to go that fast. Next I want to try some bat guano tea or fish emulsion.


Womenswork Gloves



After not finding any soil conditioner or gloves I went to the garden center. There I found soil conditioner, soil, a bulb, and gloves. As excited as I was to find garden gloves made to fit womens hands and in size small, I was not excited about the price. I am broke and a cheapy at heart. The 19.99 tag made me want to cry. What would make me cry more is working with no gloves tomorrow or even again. So I sucked it up and got the gloves. I'm happy they are pretty and have reinforced finger tips and they are my favorite color BLUE!



I could not resist getting a caladium bulb. I love caladiums they look beautiful all of them. My container by my front door is suffering and needs a shade plant to spruce it up. The Astilbe plant I potted in the container did not make it. The hosta hasn't done well but the chocolate chip ajuga has been fine. I would like the ajuga to spread more but it has not yet. I'm not sure if it's the soil or not the right light conditions. I had my hosta going okay for awhile then all the leaves died. Maybe that is supposed to happen with hostas. I believe I got a White Wing Caladium. I really didn't look at the name I just plucked one up. I was upset thought because I wanted one for the sun. I know there are sun tolerant varieties but could not remember their names or their characteristics. I remember seeing the white queen at the botanical gardens but it was not in direct sun so I wasn't sure about that one. When I went up to the counter to ask that person said there were none and all those were for shade. I knew she was wrong but had no internet in front of me to check. When I was checking out I glanced over at the box I picked from and saw white ...... I thought this would be easy to find because how many Caladiums start with White and some other word and are white on the inside and green on the outside. Well I think it's White Wing or it's Aaron. I don't think it's Aaron even though the picture I remember looked more like Aaron. I specifically remember the name starting with White and some other word. No red on it and the leaves are outlined in green and the center all white. Really White Wing looks like the only one it could be.

My dream came true!

I've been waiting 6 months for this dream. One day it came to me that I should stop settling for less then what I want. I have worked in dead in jobs ever since I started working. It was always disheartening when I tried to apply for something that I really wanted to do only to be told I didn't have any experience. Last year I quit a job I had and decided I would not settle for any other job if it was not what I wanted to be in for years to come. That job to me was working at a nursery or something along the horticulture lines. Sine then I did get another job but it didn't last. It was taking photographs of houses but it was just a dangerous job that I was not comfortable doing.

After applying to anywhere nearby 2-3 times I finally got what seems likes a promising beginning to getting my foot into a horticulture career. I filled out paperwork to work as a plant merchandiser at lowes and thought this would be a great start. My high hopes were soon crushed when 2 months later I still had not started. Communication with the manager was rough. He never called when he said he would and ever week was supposed to be the week I started. With all this stringing around I got the courage to go directly to the wholesale nursery I really wanted to work for. It is the only place around that I can see myself working at for many years and reaching a position I would like to stay at. To my surprise they did have positions open for entry level jobs. I filled out an application 2 weeks ago.

I start working tomorrow or sunday or monday. It depends if they need me now or if they can wait until monday. Of course I'm excited. I'm just starting out doing merchandising, this time for home depot. The merchandising position I will be doing until May. Once I get out of school I will start my internship! The internship will last through the summer. During the internship I will get to experience all the different areas of the wholesale nursery. I'm very very thrilled to do the internship and wish I could start now. After that I'm not sure what will happen. All I can hope for is that they will want me to stay afterwards and have a place for me. It's difficult since I go to school and it is inevitable for me to have a day class. Most of their positions are full time and I wouldn't be able to do that with a day class. Also most of the department managers don't approve of people who start later in the day. I'll have to see when the time comes. Until then I'm happy I have my foot in the door and finally some money coming my way. Plus I get discounts on plants!

Grape Hyacinths and more...

Grape Hyacinths

Recently I complained that my Grape Hyacinths (muscari armeniacum) had no signs of flowers yet just foliage. Well yesterday while inspecting seedlings up close and personal I saw the signs! Quite a few of my Grape Hyacinths have the flower scape peaking up out of the center of their foliage. I purchased these in November or December maybe even Jaunuar I really don't remember. I got them on sale at lowes. Purchase them to force inside but had so many that I planted tons in any free space in my pots that I had. So I have tons of grape hyacinths to enjoy. The photo above are grape hyacinths I planted for forcing inside but put outside to receive more light. I never realized my apartment didn't receive that much light until these started yellow at the ends.

Muscari armeniacum (Grape Hyacinth)
fragrant
4-8 inches tall
deep cobalt blooms
flowers in mid spring
attracts bees
Great for indoor forcing, borders, cut flowers, rockgardens, beds, borders, and under shrubs and trees.

There are different varieties of Muscari armeniacum. There are the muscari armeniacum which is cobalt blue also the one normally called Grape Hyacinth. Album is white, Blue Spike has double florets and is flax blue, Cantab is sky blue with a slightly larger bloom, and Fantasy Creations double flowers with blue blooms that gain green with maturity. These are all fragrant.

There are over 30 different species of Muscari.


Today I have an interview/meeting to more then likely get started doing merchandising for a large wholesale nursery. Well the merchandising is at home depots I believe and lowes and those other stores. This is only for the spring. After the spring in May I'll start an internship and that I'm more than positive is a sure thing.

After my meeting when my husband gets home we'll be going to the Home and Garden show at the Alamodome. I'll be bringing my camera in hopes of great things to photograph.