Report From PIA – November 13
I worked at the garden center today, and at one point I went up to the office, where I found Nanette on the telephone. She turned to me as I walked in and asked if I could help the caller. It seemed that a cake maker was on the phone, wondering if we had any edible flowers for sale.
The only edible flowers that we have in mid-November pansies, and we couldn’t swear that these were grown without any harmful pesticides or growth regulators. I knew that I did have organically raised, edible flowers in my own garden right now, so I took the phone from Nanette.
The caller explained that she was a cake maker, and she needed to show examples of cupcakes decorated with flowers for a potential client. “I’ll be home by four o’clock,” I said. “Come to my house and we’ll gather some things you can use.” I gave her my address and phone number, and we said goodbye.
Sure enough, she arrived just before dark, and we cut roses, rosebuds, nasturtiums and lavender flowers. I threw in some sage as well, because the foliage is so beautiful at this time of year.
The client’s wedding, it seems, is in April of 2010, so we talked about violas being the edible flower of choice for a spring event. I gave her The Roseman’s
contact information, in case he had some greenhouse-forced, organically grown roses in April, and she tried to give me some money. “Don’t be silly! It’s my pleasure,” I said, and the baker said thanks went on her way.
I love this type of connection. I so appreciate times when one person, a perfect stranger, says “Can you help?” and another freely says, “I’d be delighted.”
We are blessed to have occasions and plants that bring us together.
Despite a couple of frosts, there are many nasturtiums still in bloom in and around the veggie garden.
There are many roses and rosebuds too. We cut them all, because they could be cut down by frost any day now, and besides, the baker should have as many as possible to play with.
