Fungi Perfetto!

Last Thursday, my last day as owner of The Flower Tree, was one of those life changing events. So where does this "always a garden girl" choose to go on her first week as a "part timer". To a nursery of course. Bob and I packed up the apartment and off we went. My good friend Melissa who owns Every Bloomin' Thing in Susanville has been my mentor, partner in travels and very dear friend for the last 12 years. She had just returned from a three week trip to Italy, so over a fabulous dinner and some amazing vino, we viewed the many photos and a couple videos from her journey.

Right now I want to talk fungi though. Dinner tales. Mel has been growing this giant oyster mushroom for awhile now. She has already taken many cuttings off of it, and there are new starts on it now as well. I think this little kit may be on my Christmas list this year.
Get the recipe from Ms. Martha here, 
Roasted Potatoes and Mushrooms with Taleggio Cheese


 the SIZE of this thing was amazing!!

added some extras for contrast
some people bring back souvenirs of Murano glass or silk fabrics from Italy~  Mel.......cheese, olive oil and wine. We substituted this Pecorino, a cheese made from sheep's milk, for the Taleggio. The entire outside was crusted with peppercorns and it was layered throughout. Melted up beautifully in with the fungi....yummmmmm!!


Mel, a certified foodie, always comfortable in the kitchen
long walk before dinner just as the sun was setting, it was a beautiful way to remind me that I will have plenty of adventures to fill my time 

Churchill does BRANDY

First full day of being semi re-started, Bob and I take advantage of me having a Saturday free and we decide to head out of town seven miles or so to the farm land where Churchill Vineyard resides. Today is the first day they are sampling their new brandy to the public. Available only since yesterday, November 1st, we already have an order in with our distributor so we can carry it at Red Zinnia.

FIVE long years in the making, it is now ready to pour.
Ashley takes us on a tour of the original fields of grapes that were planted more as an experiment than a commercial venture. I have fond memories of the days back in 2001 when Charlie would come out to The Flower Tree and we would spend an hour or so talking about the huge undertaking that he was creating. He was so passionate about the future of the crops and how much less water it would take than alfalfa, the main crop here then..and now. Churchill County Grape Growers, a non-profit, was formed and we sold their excess plants for them at the nursery the first couple of years. 
In the midst of our tour of the vineyard we hear that a flatbed truck is in the process of unloading the massive new parts needed to start their next endeavor, SPIRITS. Whiskey, Gin and Vodka are in the plans and we made our way around all the packing material and watched as Colby, the epitome of "A Kid in a Candy Store" tore through the plastic to unravel the beautiful shiny copper parts underneath. From my understanding, this machinery is from the same company that supplies to Jack Daniels, and the truck driver told us a story of delivering to them several years ago.  It was an amazing time to be there for the arrival of this new part of Churchill Vineyards expansion, and all of us at Red Zinnia look forward to pouring their latest.   

From that excitement it was on to the tour of the foundation for the new building that will not only house the newest productions of spirits, but also the visitor center. Rising high into the sky the front window will showcase the bright shiny copper "bubbles" of liquid.  And we love how Ashley has plans for a shady awning and "lazy day" rockers on the expansive front porch. It is obvious that her background is in marketing. She is not only skilled in presenting the winery at its finest, but she also knows how to make it so comfortable, we don't want to leave.

We listened as Colby described the cycle ......they plant the corn, harvest it, grind it, distill it, extract the alcohol, THEN IT GOES TO THE DAIRY right next door to feed the cows, (apparently the feed is so special - ethanol extracted - that the dairy has had to have shipped in from Iowa) then it comes back as manure to FEED THE FIELDS FOR SPRING. The excitement as Colby describes this full circle can only happen here, on a farm, and not in the city. Makes this nursery girl very happy! 



  one of Colby's next projects....VODKA, this one will be infused with cantaloupe from Workman Farms here in Fallon and onions ????? from Yerington. 
time to sample the brandy....warm and wonderful, look for it on our shelves next week!

 Colby and Ashley.....join us on December 11th at Red Zinnia when they will be pouring their wines, and brandy, during our "Evening of Wine".


Maiden Voyage

This was the maiden voyage for what is now known as "The Apartment". Bob and I spent months and months and MONTHS trying to decide what we wanted to do with part of our upcoming re-started life. He retired in May, after 31 years of military/federal service, one of our businesses sold this month, and we knew that the time would come when we wanted to just set out and explore this amazing country of ours. ....and so begins "The Maiden Voyage".

I came to the realization over the last few months, that much like you hear in life, you sometimes really do end up being a lot like your Mom. Lucky for me I had an amazing and encouragingly kind soul for a Mom. My Mom and Dad spent 12 years full-time on the road before they settled in the little house on the river behind the nursery. It was some of the best years they ever had in their life's, and marriage, and I always marveled at the stories and photos they shared of their travels. We owned an Airstream for years, but always found it while ~ WAY up there on the COOL factor, it was WAY DOWN there on the practical side. Hence we didn't use it very often, other than short trips out to the desert close to our home. After stepping inside and trying out what seemed like 1000's of  different styles of RVs over the last year ~ we hit the right one. We are set. We are going. Often. Join along, I promise to show you some sites that may seem a little off the beaten path......after all.......I will be traveling with Bob.

Lake Tahoe, up to this point in my life has been one of my "go to" places to relax and reflect. When we planned our first trip in the apartment it was to go to Susanville, Ca. But I came home last week and Bob said, "How about we take it up to Tahoe for a day or two and make sure we have everything we need before we head off for a big trip" ....really....was I going to say No!

Couple of hints for the future....check the weather and come prepared. While we knew there was a slight.....storm forecast for the area we didn't really expect to wake up to 5" of snow on the ground. But all worked out for the best. It showed us that we could really spend three days in close proximity and survive. We still got in some walks, but the bikes never made it off the rack. It was a great first trip. The first of many!

 the BBQ grill didn't get much use...but it sure was pretty the next day

  Came home to find that Fallon also received the first white blanket of the year. I spent some time out in the garden cutting the last of the summers blossoms.



April in Autumn

Last night I got invited out to join in a "beet harvest" with Kevin and Jaime. They had given some seeds to a fellow artist and gardener in hopes that she would plant them for all to enjoy. April and Bob Oakden's rich garden soil produced a bountiful crop and we get to reap the harvest. Three bags full later, we wandered around their beautiful farm enjoying the late autumn light as the sun set through the giant cottonwood trees. Such a lovely evening.









  
April and Bob, married over 50 years, it is so obvious that they celebrate each day on this perfect little piece of paradise they have created. 


This bucket of rusty old tools and handle faucets fascinated me. Calling to me from across the yard, it sits posed overlooking an alfalfa field. I mentioned to April that I had one or two more to add to the bucket if she would like them ~  and that is when the story unfolded. Family history can be found in the most unlikely places. All of these faucet handles were from her parents old homestead. How many times must her Mom have turned on the water faucet to wash her hands after a day in the garden. There is no need to give her any of mine......she has plenty of memories of her own wrapped up right here.

  



A day in the park


Spent the day with my good friend Kathy at the Wilbur D. May Arboretum. Located within San Rafael Park in Reno, it is a beautiful location to put on your list for the first week of Fall. We hope to be back sometime this next month to capture more of the fall colors in the maple grove.
One reason we chose this location for the day trip......I finally made a decision on a new camera and unpacked my Nikon D5200 this week. I will be on a steep learning curve for the next year I am sure.  I started the morning out in my garden taking sunflower shots, and finished with the sunset after we got home from the park. A beautiful day.
 
 
 




 
 



 rainbows.....clouds.....and sunsets. 3 of my favorite things...





Questioning Change


There have been numerous questions coming into the nursery about the new owners and the changes that may or not be happening over the next few weeks. I am going to try and answer a few of them here.




Will my unused gift card still be good?
Yes, your gift card will not expire with the change in ownership. However, they will expire on November 1, 2014. So if you have one in your wallet, if you have given one as a gift, make yourself a mental reminder to get it out and use it up sometime during the next year.

Will they still carry my favorite products?
YES, they will still carry all the products you know and love. How do I know this? Because I am still doing all the ordering for next season! Sooz and I leave for the trade show in early October to pick out all our best sellers as well as actually look for some new favorites. Of course there will be Lawn Restore, and they also want me to expand on the DR. EARTH line! So rest assured, if we have carried it during the last year or two, you will see it again next season.

Why does it look so empty around here?
Many that have visited the garden center over the last few weeks seem real concerned that it is starting to look really empty around the nursery. We ALWAYS sell down our plant stock this time of year. For those new to our nursery, I have always felt that it is better to find new gardens for the plants and trees than have them sit in pots and possibly freeze out over the winter months. We are discounting a little bit earlier this year though, and that is a great benefit for you! All plant stock from this season is now at 40% off, and will stay at that level through the next month. New and special orders are at 20% off.

Also, we are selling down ALL the outdoor bagged product so it doesn't have to be tarped and protected through the winter. A complete NEW SHIPMENT of all your favorites, including all the Gardner and Bloome products like Harvest Supreme and Soil Building Compost, have already been ordered and will arrive in January of 2014.  (BIG BUY 3, GET 1 FREE ON ALL OUTDOOR BAGGED PRODUCT Sale starts October 1st )

The "Green Room" where we keep all of our everyday gardening products will also start to be reduced in price to help clear out product, making way for all NEW items to arrive in December. I don't know anyone that doesn't like to re-do their new home, and the new owners are no exception. Look for some real positive changes to take place over the next few months.

Will the Gift Shop still be there?
YES! The gift shop will continue to carry your favorites like Salt City Candles, Naked Bee, upscale gardening accouterments, tools and local products like Churchill Vineyards wines. Holiday merchandise has already started arriving and during the transition period between October 24 and November 1st, the nursery will be closed for inventory and more important, for Lucia to get into the gift shop and work her design and merchandising wizardry on the gift shop. The new owners will open with full holiday merchandise and stocked with all your favorites.

Will they still do special orders?
YES! You will not see any major changes to the ordering system. They will still do "Pre-Orders" specials in spring and fall for trees and shrubs, and I will actually be going with them to the growers to show them what has always worked well for us. Start planning your wish lists now for Spring!!! I would love to "hand - tag" for you one more time.

What are the Garden Girl's going to do?
This seems to be the most common question I hear daily, and I guess it just seems natural that you would want to know why I am giving up something I love so much. I am going to continue doing what I love, gardening, visiting my children, photography, building on Red Zinnia and pursue my writing. No I am not moving back east, my health is excellent, and yes.....I will miss all of you, more than you can ever imagine.

As for Sooz, I am happy to say that she will still be playing here in the garden with the new owners. Her love of the plant world, knowledge of your needs and favorites as well as her expertise in everything roses will prove to be invaluable to them. Lucia has plans to continue sprucing and designing the gift shop, Michelle will still be teaching a class or two during the season, and Jaime....while you may see her here shopping for new perennials or herbs for her own garden, her time will now be spent pursuing her true love and incredible talent...creating more art.

Since I bought the nursery in 2000, I have been on a 15 year plan. I am just moving on a year earlier then expected. When the opportunity came up to pass this business on to not only a committed grower, (Green Team Growers actually holds the #2 growers license issued in the State of Nevada) but a local person with strong ties to the community and a passion for plants it seemed like the time to let go and leap into the next adventure. I hope I see you along the path often.
See you soon, Susan



Blues & Brews 2013

Saturday evening could not have been more perfect. The sunset, music, and one of the best gatherings of like minded blues-loving people made for a spectacular evening. Thank you one and all for making this last concert of ours so special.  The icing on the cake was a surprise visit from Melissa from Susanville.  She has been my mentor as a fellow garden center owner and one of my biggest sources of encouragement these last 12 years. It was an evening I will remember always with a smile. As for the big announcement of the night, the new owner of The Flower Tree joined Michelle and I on stage. Just in case you missed it.....scroll down to the bottom and see who it is.












 Blue Haven ROCKED IT!!!!! For the 10th year in a row
Once again Michelle created an awesome original watercolor for our posters. 
Mel surprises me at the gate 
Brooklen took all of these beautiful photos. FIRST time she has every used a camera like mine, I think she may have a new career and passion.  

 and the new owner is.......Mike Bailey, owner of Green Team here in Fallon, the grower and supplier of Northern Nevada's tomatoes these last 12 years. Watch for him to not only carry on the traditions of The Flower Tree, but to expand on his growing selections. 


Lovely evening at the farm

Thank you Korena and Bill for hosting one of those magical evenings of late summer. From the "made to order" cloud filled sunset, to the bountifully filled table and garden tour, to the end of evening bonfire. A beautiful evening....had by all. 


 


 

 September 12, 2013 Mewadlt's Organic Farm, Fallon, NV.