From The Old Farmer's Almanac.
When I went over the our neighbor's to let their dog out - they own a pub and are at work until late - the lunar eclipse was at its height. 
This year, February is not as gracious as 2006 in this picture. Today, no golden light before the blue of twilight deepens. Still, the winter here is generous compared to where I grew up.
Caring for my bougainvillea has been a journey in foolishness right from the start. In essence it was more about my lack of respect for this plant that almost bought it undone.
My disrespect for bougainvillea began as a result of myths I had heard from other gardeners. Their 'wisdom' expressed that these plants needed very little to care to help them grow and once in the ground would virtually look after themselves. Their comments were partly right, but there are a heap of things that gardeners can do wrong to ensure these plants won't succeed.
Our faux pas was to plant it at the same time as many other plants in our new garden bed. I had trellised some wire along the fence to give it some support - which was good - but then inadvertently planted some faster growing plants in front of it.
It wasn't until our front garden makeover that we discovered this plant even existed having not seen it for nearly two years. The amazing thing about this bougainvillea was that while it had been ignored, hidden and competed against, it still survived. Sure, it didn't grow and it never flowered - but it was still alive.
So, this season I decided to ensure that this battler of the warmer climate garden was permitted its far share of growing opportunities. And it has not let me down. At the beginning of spring, some five months prior, it weighed in at a little taller than 60cm. Today, it has surpassed the top of the 6ft fence and has branched out along some of the trellis wire. Plus, it is even flowering.
And not to get too confused with the semantics, the bougainvillea picture above is not of its flower. Its merely the colourful bracts that we all admire. The flower is hidden inside and is quite small and insignificant.
So, what changed in the care that I gave this plant that allowed it to succeed?
While I failed to care for this bougainvillea in its early life - and had there been a Department for Plant Cruelty I'd be punished severely - it has been most forgiving. I look forward to sharing more pictures with you in the coming years - and maybe a story of how it took my appreciation for granted and took over the garden completely! Who knows?
I received an e-mail from a friend in the retail nursery business. She will speaking before 60 people today. Like most of us in the business she realizes it’s important, but that doesn’t make it any easier. She really just wanted to be reminded of what all of us know, public speaking is a great, but scary way to reach potential customers. Here is the e-mail I sent back to her.
Your right! Its too important not to do this. I don’t know if you are taking props along, but I have found that when I have something to hold in my hand it helps. I almost always bring some samples of plants, gardening tools, or some fertilizer thats new. Also I like to have some type of handout that everyone can take away with them, of course with our name, phone number, web page, and address on it. Encourage questions right from the get go. Get a couple of good questions, and its just like being at the nursery. As a matter of fact you have to be careful about the questions, since the next thing you know you have run out of time! Also if possible move around a bit. Don’t just stand behind a table. It helps keep the blood flowing and keeps the audience aware.
We know it but its hard to quiet that little, sometimes loud voice in our heads. You have to embrace your fear! As hard as it is to do, the times when my business or I have grown is when we have done something that made me nervous, or frightened. The results we’re so worth it! So many people miss out on the great things in life because of fear. Think about how great you will feel when its all done and its achieved the results you wanted.
After being in the business as long as we have we forget that we are the experts! You’ll be fine, and at the end the audience will want to come up and tell you just how great your talk was. In addition other offers to talk will arrive, since its so hard to get anyone to speak. I use to try and space these talks out because I just didn’t like the fear component. Now I will jump at the offer to talk to just about any group. By jumping right back in it starts to become just a regular thing that I do, and the fear diminishes over time. Never completely gone, but much diminished.
Our small garden center works just too hard to stay in business that to miss out, or allow someone else to speak to all those potential customers just will not do. It’s amazing what you can do when the survival and growth of your business is at stake. If we don’t get out there and spread the word, no one else will. Or, the competition will finally figure it out and do it themselves.
Here is a link to another post on public speaking.
