Echinacea

I think I should just change the name of my blog to Flower Flower.

Happy Thursday

Monday Mix #41: What a fine life we are living

It's getting harder and harder for me to think of leaving beautiful BC. Yesterday I learned that this beautiful haven exists a mere half hour away from my house. I went canoeing and hiking here with some friends and now want to spend all of my weekends here.

It was cloudy in the morning and rained a bit on us (surprise surprise) during the canoe trip in but it cleared up in the afternoon.

So freaking gorgeous. My feeble point and shoot did not to the bluey-green water justice.

All I have to say is Milwaukee you better bring it.


Some new discoveries, old favourites and one ridiculously catchy new pop song that I can't stop listening to on this week's mix.

(Don't worry, it's not Ke$ha)

(I may or may not have already been sucked into that swirly vortex of infectious pop and vapid lyrics but it's not too late for you! Save yourself!)

Have a good one!

What's that? More pictures of plants?

Wow, I so did not see that coming.

Have a good weekend!

We got pitcher plants in stock today! I was so psyched when I saw them but my coworkers seemed less excited about them after I explained why I think they are so cool.

When he's not saving the city, Spiderman enjoys gardening.

A little illustration of this kid that was shopping in the garden center the other day with his mom.

Oh look, I actually sat down and drew something.

One quarter of my daily intake of protein is probably fulfilled by inhaling bugs at work. It was a very mild winter and the bugs are out in full force now. So delightful.

(Done while watching copious amounts of Lost. Why did I ever stop watching this show?)

Flower power

Just a picture from work today. Happy Tuesday.

"Just look at it. All so... f***ing green!"

Driving Lessons anyone?

Sorry my posting has been sort of spotty. First full week back working at the garden center and every night I seriously crash at 9:30 I'm so tired from running around all day at work. I rented three movies on Wednesday (Ponyo, Where the Wild Things Are, and Coco Avant Chanel) and I have yet to finish watching any of them because I keep falling asleep!

Here are a few things I spotted this week:

I've been hearing frogs around the pond at work for the past few days but didn't see one until yesterday. This little dude was hiding in a flat of pots that I was rearranging that wasn't even near the pond. I decided to place the pot beside the pond but then the frog didn't move for the rest of the day (at least a good solid 3 hours). I started to wonder if it was on some great trek eastward and I screwed up all his plans by moving him west to pond.

This coleus looks like it's from outer space. Love it.

I work in freaking Fern Gully. Seriously.
This is only a small small fraction of the garden center.
(Hi mom!)

A robin egg I found in a hydrangea bush.

Artinis logo

I was recently commissioned to design a logo for a benefit that my aunt helps to organize. It's called Artinis and Appetizers and it's a benefit for the arts in Ottawa. I was really excited because this was my first real commission. Here's the logo they decided to go with:

And here is my favourite out of the logos I designed:

Just has a little more shazam doesn't it? Oh well, final decision's not up to me and from what I've heard they are happy with the final design they decided to go with so that's what really matters.

Last Day

My job at the garden center finished today. They're closing for the season in a couple weeks and things are slowing down. I have this awesome croton plant to show for my time there (a gift from one of my coworkers). As well as many gerbera daisies, begonias, stock, coleus, some orchids and many many other plants. I learned so much at this job and I can easily say that it is by far my favourite job that I've had. I'm going to plant up some containers for the back deck tomorrow hopefully (weather permitting. I think my rain dance finally worked and we may be getting some precipitation here. About damn time!) I also start training for my new job tomorrow!

The story of a slug named Doug

You know you are bored at work when:

• You spend a good fifteen minutes trying to determine whether the woman this cute guy is shopping with is his mother or his girlfriend. (I am 86.4% sure it was his mother).

• You organize the window box displays in the colour of the rainbow. Roy G. Biv, baby.

• You keep a plastic tray on the bottom of your cart with a slug you found on it so you can watch it slime around for entertainment.
• You name the slug. Doug.
• You are slightly devastated when you think someone has put the plastic tray with Doug on the recycling cart.
• You are a little too happy when you realize someone just put a couple more trays on top of Doug's tray.

Picture from here

Some work-related observations, musings, and experiences from the week

picture from here

• I love people whose voices don't match their appearance. There was a customer this past week who looked sort of like Josh from that Nickelodeon show Drake & Josh (holy man that kid has lost weight. He looks good. He's the one sitting down. And there were much more attractive pictures of him. I just wanted to show him how I remember him on the show). So yeah, he looked like that but sounded like Ray Romano.

• A lot of customers don't even bother with the "Do you have.....?" part of the question. They'll simply state the flower and make their voices go up at the end and hope you point them in the right direction. "Salvia argentea?" "Bacopa?" It doesn't bug me. Just something I noticed.

• It's amazing how many questions I can answer just by reading the tags. Seriously, people. Open your eyes a little. Stretch those optical muscles. 

• A lot of old people come to the store. And I mean A LOT of old people. Bus loads. They make a day trip out of it and all come together. I love it.
  

Work, work, work

Some shots from work.

Pretty dahlias. I keep saying "dah-lia" like the murder instead of 

"day-lia" like they are actually pronounced, apparently.

I designed this display all by meself!

Flowers and stuff

Doodles I did during break at work this week.

I don't know squat about plants, I just stock the shelves.

I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of floral-themed posts this summer. I started working at a garden center yesterday and learned several things:

1. I picked a crackerjack day to start work. Day before Mother's Day so everyone has a sudden need for flowers.
2. I was born sans green-thumb. I don't have a green bone in my body.
3. Not to wear my spiffy Converse to work because, while they may look snazzy, they are not ideal footwear for walking what felt like miles and miles on concrete. At the end of the day, my feet and ankles felt like what I imagine a pregnant woman's to feel like.

My mom is the manager of the outdoor section of the garden center so I pretty much spent the day putzing around and getting flowers from the back to restock. My t-shirt read "Staff" on the back but I really wished it said "I don't know squat about plants, I just stock the shelves." I don't think I was asked one question that I knew the answer to. All the plants are organized by their Latin name so they either sound like a dinosaur or a fatal disease.

You know how when you are making cookies with a five-year-old and you want to include them but not screw it up so you give them something harmless to do like stir the batter? That's what I felt like. But I'm being trained on cash on Tuesday so I won't have to stare blankly at people asking me plant questions anymore!

It is awesome being surrounded by all the beautiful plants, though. I just wanted to snap a bunch of pictures and sketch all day.