PAX plant sale, j.c. raulston arboretum, raleigh.

sunday, september 26, was the nc state chapter of pi alpha xi's fall plant sale. i had the pleasure of working at it and spending time with some really great people. pi alpha xi is the national horticulture honor society, and each semester they hold a plant sale at the arboretum. proceeds from the sale go right back into the university's chapter, as well as the nc state horticulture club.

i was nervous about this endeavor. at this point, i'll be the first to admit that i still do not know much about these plants. but, this seemed like a great opportunity to learn as well as get to know my peers in the field better. so, what the heck. i dove in.

what started off as a slow day picked up quickly. many people (including my mom and dad!) stopped buy to make some plant purchases, and the sale was quite successful. as i was working, documenting the event was a challenge. however, i must say, the selection was impressive and the organization clear and helpful. i got away with two scented geraniums, which i was very pleased with.

at the end of the weekend, packing up the leftovers was a challenge once the heavens opened and the rain came pouring down. everything got cold and wet fast, but the people i worked with were an inspiration and all of the necessary tasks were accomplished with speed and accuracy. i dipped out due to prior engagements, but the rest of the team stayed late into sunday evening to ensure the unsold plants made it back to their homes. i was inspired by the experience, and i cannot wait until the spring sale. i will be more prepared and better equipped by then!

fall plant & craft festival, duke gardens, durham.

plant & craft festival!

this past saturday, my mama cj and i paid a visit to the duke gardens' fall plant and craft festival!

i happened upon the festival last year, while helping my friend jess prepare for her fall wedding. the wedding took place at the gardens, and during one of the weekends prior to the event, my friends and i went to duke gardens to scope the place out since we were helping jess with decorations for the ceremony and reception. that day happened to also be the day of the plant and craft festival, so after we got our business sorted out, we perused the goods. i had a great time, so when i found out the day of the 2010 plant and craft festival, i made plans to go.

mama at the festival.

mexican bush sage.

beautiful pitcher plants.

an amazing orchid vendor!

we left with one eucalyptus, one lipstick plant, and two soaps. it was a great way to spend a fall saturday morning, and i'm so glad we were able to go. there will be another plant and craft festival in the spring!

meet cindy, the venus fly trap.

we have a fly problem, and swatters and strips are ugly.

intense discussion resulted in the mutual agreement that a fly trap was an absolute necessity.

upon acquisition and re-potting, we deduced that this plant is AWESOME. i was overjoyed at the sound of a fly suffering from within. i swear my eyebrows arched as i menacingly rubbed my hands together like a mad scientist. it's an inevitable reaction when you bring one of these fine specimens home. truly.

we purchased cindy, the fly trap, at the southern states in carrboro. that is also where we got our unique planter. the fly trap needs an especially moist and humid climate, so we looked for a container that would help provide this climate. andrew found the cube-shaped, self-watering pot in the pottery section. the interior pot was broken, so they sold it to us for $1.50! we had to find an interior pot that wasn't broken, so we found the blue one in a clearance section for 47 cents! bam.

according to several web sites, the fly trap will be entering its dormant stages soon. it will appear to dying, but it is not; at that time, it will need slightly lower temperatures, between 55 and 70 farenheit. interestingly enough, this is just like the north carolina climate. that is because the fly trap is native to north carolina! sounds easy, right?

i'll keep you posted.

i love the campus farmer's market.

it might have been hot out. and there may have been only 8 or 9 booths. and i may not have had much cash or ability to carry anything more than the 45 pounds of bookbag i already had. but. the farmer's market opened in the brickyard on campus yesterday and i was super pumped about going.

there was a peanut farm stand, fruits and vegetables, fresh homemade salsa & pepper jelly, COOKIES, jewelry, apples, and homemade soaps and lotions. i loved it. you could smell the soap from 100 feet away, and students were walking around campus with huge slices of watermelon. i knew i wanted to buy soap, so i visited there first. moondance soaps is right outta raleigh, and they offer homemade soaps, lotions, lip balms, and more. everything smells wonderful, and they get their herbs and goat's milk from farmers in north carolina. i purchased a lemon verbena soap and a lavender, milk & honey soap. andrew smelled them and approved.

i had about 5 dollars left, so i found it necessary to prioritize my next item to purchase. obviously, i got cookies. the cookie people had clear glass displays of humongous and buttery-looking cookies, so i naturally gravitated like a raccoon to a piece of aluminum foil. i was extremely proud of my ability to ignore the 4 for $5 deal (because we all know i would have eaten them all before i got home) and i only purchased two (AND i brought some home to share): sugar with icing and sprinkles, and a chocolate chip cookie. THEY WERE THE BOMB. i will be back.

the campus farmers market is such a neat thing that happens at state, and i look forward to stopping by every wednesday. next week, i'll be a bit more prepared. bit more cash, maybe an extra bag. a camera to document. it's great to note, though, that some of the vendors do take cards!

to read some more, the technician (nc state's newspaper) wrote an article and took some pictures.

jc raulston arboretum & nc state horticulture club!

sunday i was bummed. it's the weekend. andrew is home. jane is home. little buddy the cat is home. and i am home and we're all in the house, and we are supposed to be enjoying the day and hanging out before the work week begins again. but, i'm in the office. doing homework. i. was. bummmmed.

after a couple hours of work, the door creeked open and andrew stuck his head in.
"how are you doin?"
"fine," i said. i was not fine.
"what's wrong?"
"i want to do something fun."

he asked if i wanted to go out and walk through a nursery. yes i did! what a wonderful guy. upon further consideration, i suggested the arboretum. neither of us had been, and i had to go to do a class project anyway. it was beautiful. i brought the camera along:

i can't wait to go back. it was a hot day, and andrew's stomach was talking, so we headed out after about an hour. (lunch at jasmin mediterranean bistro on hillsborough. super good.) i want to learn about how to get involved and what kind of programs are offered. i've been stalking the website since we got home: http://www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum/index.php. i highly recommend visiting. they also hold a plant sale in september, sponsored by the horticulture honor fraternity. i'll definitely be there!

last night, i attended the first nc state horticulture club meeting of the year. i really enjoyed it, and i am looking forward to the next one. the club goes on a few field trips each year to different gardens and nurseries. this fall they are going to ASHEVILLE (!) and in the spring they are going to THE NETHERLANDS AND GERMANY (!!!!!!). and they just roam around reveling in horticulture! i was geekin out last night. i prattled on to andrew and my mom and dad and to myself in the car on the way home. i would absolutely love to go, so i can't wait until the organizational meetings for the trips start happening to that i can find out more.

tomorrow is the first day of state's campus farmer's market. i am pumped.

little pitbull's first trip to logan's!

last week, jane and i ran some errands in seaboard station, including a walk around logan's! it was super hot, but worth the stroll. jane found shade under some perennials and laid down. she also got an ear-rub and some sweet compliments by some logan's employees. we'll be back!

on another note, TOMORROW IS THE FIRST DAY OF CLASSES!

gym? or logan's?

today was my last full-time day at my job. it was anti-climatic, but now that i'm home and cozy on the couch, i feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. this is it: i am a full-time student. i am extremely stressed and stress-free at the same time, and it feels pretty good.

i left work around 3:30 with a bag stuffed with my laptop, some papers, and random odds and ends from my desk that i deemed valuable enough to save: two tubes of hand cream, some photos, and pens and highlighters among them. with a packed gym bag in the back seat, i set out to get a nice, end-of-the-week workout with potentially a yoga class before my vacation at the beach tomorrow got underway. but, as i approached the Y, i thought about the house.. the planter andrew had created from the old gas tank, and the void the poor gas tank felt due to the fact that it was plantless. so. i decided to forgo the gym. i took one for the team so that i could seek out the perfect plant to fill the emptiness in our lives. i went to logan's on the way home.

logan's is located near downtown raleigh, in the seaboard station shopping center. this place is my playground.

visit logan's online!

this is where andrew and i purchased our hydrangea, our shamrock, our hen & chicks and our basil. i had never visited logan's until this year, thanks to the thoughtful giftcard that andrew's mom gave me for christmas. since then, it's a treat every time i walk through the doors.

succulents! i can't get enough of succulents!

raleigh wolf at entry to logan's.

so, to celebrate my last day of work, and to also find a plant for the sad gas-container planter, i stopped by logan's instead of going to the gym to find a new houseplant. meet fern:

fern, at home in her new planter.

i feel terrible that i talked to the helpful woman at logan's today for a substantial amount of time, but I can't remember the exact type of fern that this is. ideas?

tomorrow i will leave for a vacation at wrightsville beach, so i'll be MIA for the next few days. i feel really good about that! however, i am very excited to have the opportunity to visit airlie gardens, in wilmington, while i am there. stay tuned for photos!

inspiration: literature!

last night andrew brought me two new books! it was such a thoughtful surprise. i am going to the beach with some girlfriends next week, and he wanted me to have some new things to read. i am very excited about both books.

the first is farm city by novella carpenter. ms carpenter moved to oakland and started a farm - in the abandoned lot right next to her house! the book has received great reviews and is full of anecdotes and advice, which i'm really looking forward to reading.

i also got chlorophyll in his veins by bobby j. ward, which is about nc state horticultural legend, j.c. raulston. the j.c. raulston aboretum is right around the corner it seems like, but i have yet to go. i'll make it my reward once i complete the book, perhaps..!

visit author bobby j. ward's website!

once i complete the books, i'll let you know how they were. time's runnin out 'fore all i'll be readin are dense textbooks!