|
Home > Archives > In the Greenhouse |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
Yesterday's Roses for Today's Gardens
|
In the Greenhouse: These excepts from Roseaholics Unanimous journal the evolution of Vintage Bloomers over the last few years. Presented in diary format, they are collected here by request from my list members. |
|
August 6, 2002 Time to come clean with you all: The 'hobby greenhouse' I've been propagating my roses in is, in fact, a very large old aquarium with a broken bottom and a piece of Plexiglas on top. Not very impressive, but perfectly functional for microscopic-scale production. Needless to say, I've outgrown my aquarium! This past Saturday my husband and I began construction of a 10' x 14' greenhouse! The frame is built and the skin goes on this coming weekend; by September my baby roses will be in their palatial, if utilitarian, new digs. Yippee!!! |
|
August 20, 2002 Dratted delays – does nothing ever go exactly as planned? (The answer is usually an emphatic NO, right?) My husband has been working the past few weekends so my greenhouse is still a bare frame. However, I have been keeping myself very busy taking cuttings for spring – come on, greenhouse! |
|
September 6, 2002 I have a greenhouse! It's not quite actually finished – we still have the finishing touches to do – but my plants are moved in and it's functional. It's not a pretty greenhouse (OK, it's actually rather ugly) but it was relatively cheap and easy to make. It's constructed from PVC pipe covered with 6 mil clear plastic sheeting. It's 10' x 14' with a steep pitched roof. The first bench is in, built from tight-grained old-growth lumber salvaged from my neighbor's porch tear-off. When my husband married me he also married my table saw and power tools, so we were able to knock the first workbench out in a weekend. I sure hope some more neighbors start remodeling so we can build some more benches! Note: I'm a firm believer in recycling and old-growth wood is as good as it gets - I'm not just cheap, I'm practical! |
|
January 29, 2003 Once the grow lights were installed in the greenhouse, the joint started jumping! With over 600 plants representing almost 100 varieties, I will be able to offer a much better selection this spring with many that I wasn't able to offer last year. Last year was a real learning experience and I'll be able to do an even better job this year. My plants will still be growing in 4 inch pots or paper bands, but will be more mature, branching and growing new basal shoots – fat and sassy, just the way we like 'em. |
|
January 31, 2003 After what seemed an eternity since I stopped listing rose auctions for the winter, I am tickled pink to be back - ahead of my schedule! Grow lights are wondrous things indeed. I am so excited! I can't believe how great the roses are growing - they have lots of new growth, basal canes and roots galore. They are fat and sassy - just like me! (Well, DH says I'm not fat... but not arguing with 'sassy'.) They are even better looking than last year's plants - I think I'm getting the hang of this. ;-) |
|
April 9, 2003 Well, Spring is sproinging all over in my neck of the woods, and I've been madly weeding, mulching and planting every chance I get! I hope all is rosey for you as well. :-) |
|
May 8, 2003 As you may have noticed, I took a week off from listing. I'd had some computer problems and decided to give myself a small break to get caught up. This has been a very, very busy spring so far - not only with eBay, but getting my garden spruced up, planting, and now building a new bed with rock walls. I've got about two or three weeks until it will be time to take cuttings, which will be all-encompassing for a little while, so I'm trying to get prepared. I am going to have an incredible selection this fall and next spring. And now for some some sad news... Theoretically, I knew this day was coming. I tried to prepare, to steel myself against the inevitable. It didn't work; I was still taken by surprise. Oh, the sadness! The dismay! What, you may wonder, is the cause of all this angst? I'm running out of roses! I know it's temporary and that more will be ready soon. I know that there will always be fluctuations in my supply and that in time I will learn to compensate. It's 'Growing Pains', that's all. I tell myself that the slow time is actually an opportunity to get caught up on other projects, like Roseaholics Unanimous. I tell myself that the extra time to work in my garden is to be cherished, and I remind myself that digging rose beds and hauling rocks is a good way to work off the 'eBay butt' I grew over the winter. Oh, sure – I tell myself all these things… but I don't listen to myself any better than my 13 year old son does. These words are an emotional Band-Aid, yet every bit as real and necessary as the ones I go through by the boatload during pruning season. I know that, in time, the emotional bandages will become smaller as I learn to accept the seasonal fluctuations inherent in this biz. Come to think of it, I didn't use as many big bandages during pruning time this year, either. And let's face it: if running out of roses is the biggest problem I have, then my life is rosey, indeed. |
|
June 13, 2003 I hope that your gardens are flourishing. We're having an unusually dry Spring so far - I don't remember ever having to water this early in the past. Neal and I finished building a new raised rockery bed last weekend - here's a couple of photos if you'd like to see it: http://vintagebloomers.com/Garden/MermaidBed1.jpg and http://vintagebloomers.com/Garden/MermaidBed2.jpg. Please excuse the mess - I hadn't cleaned up yet when I took the pictures. It's all planted now - 13 roses have now been released from the 'Pot Ghetto' and are happily in the ground. Which roses? 'Mermaid' (she'll eat the garage for lunch), 'Ulrich Brunner' (commonly sold as 'American Beauty' in the USA), 'Francesca', 'Buff Beauty', 'Frau Karl Druschki', 'Danaë', 'Paul Neyron', 'Gruss an Teplitz', 'Applejack', 'Vineyard Song', 'Gourmet Popcorn', 'Goldmoss' and 'Marbrée'. |
|
July 16, 2003 Well, my vacation was a nightmare - my hubby's mom had a heart attack and we had to come home early, then we were burgled the night we got home, while my mom was asleep on the living room sofa. I'm more grateful (and relieved!) than I can say that sis-in-law found her mom in time (she got out of the ICU yesterday), nobody was hurt during the robbery and they didn't take my 'puter - it could have been much, much worse! We're hoping to try over again in September. Thank goodness my mother did a fantastic job rose-sitting while we were gone, despite near-record highs. The next few weeks will be a frenzied orgy of cuttings, doing the 'mad Felco dance' and finding healing amongst the blooms. It's hard to feel too sorry for yourself when you are surrounded by so much living splendor, and Neal and I find ourselves spending as much time as possible in the garden. Roses are good for the soul. |
|
August 14, 2003 It's almost Back To School time (my son starts High School on Sept. 3rd - yikes!) and that means more uninterrupted gardening time! In my climate it means a halt to the fertilizer, a nice, thick layer of organic mulch (I put down alfalfa hay, followed by a layer of partially-composted wood chips) and taking yet more cuttings. Winter protection isn't necessary in my climate, but the mulch will decompose over the winter and provide food for the spring. Gotta feed the soil! |
|
September 8, 2003 After over 60 days without appreciable rainfall, we have finally had a real rain! I've never been so glad to see the 'liquid sunshine' and my roses are breathing a heavy sigh of relief. The break from dragging the hoses around is welcome too (must install that irrigation system!) I finally got a good digital camera and have been taking lots of photos - some are already in place on my auctions. I have added a Photo Gallery to my personal website at http://vintagebloomers.com/mylife/rose_photos.htm. So, if you want to slobber over rose photos I invite you to check it out. I will be adding to it continually, so check back often. |
|
September 26, 2003 It's officially Fall... so why does it feel like August? WHEW - is it ever HOT here right now. I do love the Fall blooms though, as they tend to be more richly colored than those of Summer. I've joined a terrific rose-related online community - Rosarian's Corner! There are a lot of experienced rosarians there (even some rose breeders) - it's a terrific resource and it doesn't cost anything to join. Another fun place is Junkers Garden Home: http://www.junkersgardenhome.com - there's a forum for roses there, too. I hope you'll check them out! I post as Robin D. - I hope to see you there. I've added a bunch of new rose photos to my gallery (http://vintagebloomers.com/mylife/rose_photos.htm) if you are in the mood for a little eye candy. Well, I've got a date with a shovel - those darn rose beds refuse to dig themselves. Have a rosey weekend! |
|
February 4, 2004 Vintage Bloomers has officially returned to eBay for the 2004 season. The break was nice (this was an eventful winter in 'real life') but it's sure good to be back. I hope that you and yours had a wonderful Holiday season! This has been an interesting winter here in the Pacific Northwest. I rarely see snow in my little microclimate, but I sure did this year! The temperature was all over the map as well, from 'unseasonably cold' to 'practically balmy' and back within days. My poor roses didn't know what to make of this weather, but other than a few frost-nipped tips, all appear to be hale and hearty. Whew! I've even had to begin pruning a bit early. I'm working on the next edition of Roseaholics Unanimous, and I think you will enjoy it. I'll give you a little teaser: this issue will contain some info of special interest to rose collectors, like me. :-) |
|
February 19, 2004 I hope you all had a rosy and romantic Valentine's day! My brother was visiting (he lives in Iowa) so we spent the day up in Seattle, playing tourist. 'Twas a great day! |
|
March 21, 2004 On a personal level, March has been a challenging month. It began with having to put my beloved cat Casper to sleep (the fat white cat in my Photo Gallery), and the next day my mother-in-law had a major stroke. We didn't discover her until Thursday, when her vet called us because she didn't come to pick up her cat Reggie who had had major surgery (she's now in a rehabilitation facility about 5 minutes from our home.) So we took Reggie home with us, but he suddenly died a week later and was buried in our rose garden. We all had a run-in with the projectile flu. My dear Neal found out that his best friend Rich has inoperable brain cancer, and this past week there was a death in my family. So, you could say that March has pretty much sucked… except that somehow, in spite of it all, it hasn't. Spring has sprung with a vengeance! There are flower buds on all the roses that didn't require heavy spring pruning and my bulbs are in full bloom. The cranesbills, vinca and rockcress are showing their colors, and the Tea roses are ablaze with gorgeous new red canes and foliage. My weeping cherry tree was glorious this month. The ground is soft and easy to work and the grass is growing (we've used our new lawnmower for the first time.) I got a new garden cart (8 c.f., 1000-lb. capacity) – a wagon for grownups – and some new gardening tools. I found my gloves… then lost them again. We've had some really lovely weather (and some not so lovely) and have gotten more of the back yard prepped and planted. We finished the trellising on our backyard fence. The grow lights are down in the greenhouse – it's time for Ma Nature to pay the lighting bill. The baby roses in the greenhouse are busting with new growth (and aphids, ack! – I had to buy a sprayer). I didn't lose a single rose over the winter – not even any of those that over-wintered in pots outdoors. Vintage Bloomers has been able to offer a lot more roses than last year, and I've opened the new eBay Store. The garden is coming together nicely this year! The house is an utter disaster area, but who cares? I don't. Everything relating to Vintage Bloomers and the garden has gone spectacularly well… so in spite of all the icky stuff, March has been OK. It's been eventful… but all the hardships have bonded Neal and I even more tightly together; they say that God never closes a door without opening a window. I am glad that March is over, though – whew! Like my garden, Vintage Bloomers is growing. We're using our annual July vacation time (and budget) to put up a bigger, better greenhouse (a real one!) and we're really excited about that. The future looks very bright! So in spite of all the emotional hardships of March, life is still very, very rosey indeed. |
|
March 24, 2004 Spring has finally sprung, and I hear the Siren Song of the garden. It's raining cats and dogs today though... it figures. Thank you to all who expressed their warm wishes toward my mother in law. She's now in a stroke rehabilitation facility right in our neighborhood and was doing better... but she had another mild stroke on Monday and is nearly back where she started. We're preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. I received an overwhelmingly positive response to the idea of my opening an eBay Store - thanks to those of you who took the time to respond to my poll. It is definitely going to happen... as soon as I make the time. I'll be sure to let you all know when it's up and running! |
|
May 6, 2004 I want to thank all of you for your kindness during the last troubling month. Our dear friend Rich passed away from cancer on Friday; his funeral was yesterday. It was a very moving service. His illness has been a large dark cloud, but now that the waiting, uncertainty and the heartbreak of watching him suffer is over, it's time to move on. My hearfelt gratitude to all who emailed their support; it means far more to me than I could ever express. |
|
May 13, 2004 I do love this time of year; everything is blooming (or getting ready to) and the greenhouse is filling up with cuttings again. The weather is gentle and I get to spend lots of time out in the garden. My camera's been getting a workout as well. I do love spring! |
|
May 27, 2004 Things are busier than ever here at Vintage Bloomers. My husband's daughter Felisha is getting married June 12th, plus we're beginning preparations for tearing down my ugly temporary greenhouse and replacing it with a bigger & better one early in July. The new one is 24' long! Yay!!! I've begun working on the next newsletter, too. I'm going to do a bit on the evolution of my garden with photos going back 3 years to show how well own-root roses grow. I think it should be fun and interesting. As always, I welcome ideas and input. What would you like to read more about? |
|
June 12, 2004 My stepdaughter became Felisha Mittelstaedt today. It was a lovely ceremony, despite the fact that the bride is almost ready to burst! Her new husband Matt is a terrific guy and we wish them the very best. |
|
June 24, 2004 I haven't listed as many roses this week, as we're getting ready to tear down my ugly temp greenhouse and put up my gorgeous new one. Well, I've finally found something that vies with pruning roses for sheer quantities of blood lost - pilling kittens! We've got two sick (but recovering) 14 week old kittens (Festus and Velcro) who's mother, Jinks, died suddenly and was buried on Monday. Her babies came down sick as well, so off to the vet they went. They are going to be fine (they were climbing the chain-link fence for sport yesterday) ... but jeebers, are those teeth ever sharp! 2 kittens x 2 pills/day = about a quart of blood lost per week, I'm estimating... and I've got almost two weeks of this to look forward to. Ah well... just as with anything beloved, they are worth a little pain and suffering. Every gardener needs a kitten; they are so entertaining to watch in the garden. The follow me everywhere, skulking through their rosey jungle world... everthing's an adventure, and a potential plaything. A leaf - get it! Oooh... a twig! A flower! A BUG!!! Pounce, pounce, pounce all day long... then crash on my lap while I work at the computer. How did I ever get by without them in my life? |
|
July 2, 2004 I've been cutting back on my listings so as to lighten the workload while we're switching greenhouses (the leprous old one is coming down this weekend!) It's also due in part to the natural ebb and flow of my inventory, which will begin to swell again as the season progresses. I'm anticipating a terrific selection for the summer/fall season! I'd like to express my gratitude to those of you who emailed with advice and well-wishes for my sick kitties. They've finished their antibiotics and are once again fat, glossy, sassy and full of mischief! Festus has resumed sleeping on my head at night, while Velcro gnaws on my toes (they team up on me.) Believe it or not, I really missed that while they were feeling puny. So now that the pilling time is over, more of my blood can go to feed my roses, where it belongs! |
|
July 8, 2004 Tomorrow evening marks the official beginning of my husband Neal's vacation, and the week I get my new greenhouse! Although it will be 'business as usual' for Vintage Bloomers, I have been cutting back on my auctions so as to lighten the load during this time. This project has been rather consuming for me, and I am looking forward to its completion so I can once again devote my full attention to my business. This new greenhouse represents a quantum leap forward and will allow me to provide even more roses, and a wider selection, in the coming seasons. I want to thank all of you for making this possible - I honestly couldn't have done it without you! |
|
July 21, 2004 The new greenhouse is up, although I'm not moved in yet - we still need to finish it off (plumbing, wiring, benches, etc.) Fortunately, the roses are doing very well outside right now. |
|
August 2, 2004 I know I'm a bit late getting this out, but it's been an unbelievably hectic week. My stepdaughter has been having contractions off and on for days but our impending granddaughter (grandchild #1) refuses to budge, so it looks like they will be inducing labor either tonight or tomorrow. The poor girl is enormous and extremely uncomfortable - she's just a little scrap of a thing, herself. I swear - her belly is almost as big as the rest of her put together! We got the gravel floor, plumbing and the first 24' bench in the new greenhouse. We're hoping to get the second bench and the sink done by the end of next weekend. Once the benches are in we can run the electrical. It's coming along - slower than we'd hoped (as always) but definitely coming along. I just want to get all the plants back into one place and organized again! |
|
August 4, 2004 Neal and I are grandparents! Neal's daughter Felisha gave birth to a beautiful 8lb 4oz baby girl on August 3, 2004 at about 10:30pm. She had an easy delivery, although I'm sure she doesn't think so. :-) Introducing Sariah Athena Mittelstaedt! |
|
August 11, 2004 The new greenhouse is progressing, although slower than we'd hoped. Weekends just aren't long enough! The electrical is going in this weekend (knock wood) but it's been such a hot summer that working outside isn't much fun (neither is working inside - my house is a disaster!) After watering almost 250 rose bushes (plus all the babies twice a day) by hand during the driest summer in 50 years, we have promised ourselves that an irrigation system is going in by next spring at the latest, without fail. Ugh! |
|
August 26, 2004 I know I've been very quiet lately, but I felt the need for a bit of a break. We finally got all the benches and the sink installed in the new greenhouse (the automatic watering system goes in next) so I'm finally beginning to move in. It will be such a relief having all the plants in one place again - it's mighty difficult to manage with them scattered here and there throughout the joint while the greenhouse was in progress. Actually, it's still in progress, but at least it's usable now. Well, Summer is just about over. It's Back to School time - my son starts his Sophmore year next week. They sure do grow up fast, don't they? It will be nice to have the computer to myself during the day again, though. I hope you've all have a wonderful (and bloomiferous) summer! |
|
September 1, 2005 Now that September is here, those of us in mild climates are getting ready to start planting again. I love the Fall - the weather is cooler, the air is crisper, and there's enough rain to keep the garden happy. It's much nicer weather for working in the garden. |
|
September 22, 2004 I apologize for the silence over the past few weeks - it's been one of those times when life hits the fan and there just doesn't seem to be enough time and energy to get it all done, and I never got around to emailing you. I kept running out of tomorrows. A Personal Entreaty I know that many of you are cat lovers, like me. Those of you who may be so inclined, please say a prayer for my 6-month-old kitten (and garden mascot), Festus. On Friday night, Festus got out of the house and was hit by a car. I try not to let him and his brother (Velcro) out at night because they are black and difficult to see, but he slipped out. I found him on Saturday afternoon. He has a badly fractured jaw and a piece of broken bone tore a hole in his esophagus, his only injuries other that a black eye, superficial bumps, bruises, tattered claws, etc. Our vet performed surgery on him on Monday, he came home yesterday afternoon and he is expected to make a full recovery, unless his fractured jaw is reinjured. It was a very bad, dislocated break (multiple fractures) and is very susceptable to reinjury, so he isn't allowed to play with his brother for about a month (they play rough) and is on very soft, lappable food. If he wasn't so young and healthy, I would have had to have him put to sleep, due to the severity of his injury. Festus sleeps on my pillow at night and has "happy feet" in my hair (while purring like a big-block Chevy) - I awaken in the morning with the most incredible hairdos! I love him very much, and am naturally concerned that he may be reinjured - if that were to happen, the vet tells me that there's very little he could do for him. The last few days have been difficult and while I am grateful beyond words that he wasn't killed, I am terrified that I will lose him to a reinjury. I would be very grateful for prayers and well-wishes for his safe recovery. I am also praying for grace, as the little stinker loves to rub on my ankles and get under my feet and I'm terrified that I'll accidentally kick him in the head. Before the accident: http://vintagebloomers.com/images/Festus6472a2.jpg http://vintagebloomers.com/images/Festus6476a2.jpg http://vintagebloomers.com/images/FestusSkulking5719a2.jpg "The Boyz": http://vintagebloomers.com/images/TheBoyz6488a2.jpg Festus Yesterday: http://vintagebloomers.com/images/FrankenFestus.jpg I also would like to know if you have any personal experience with Pet Health Insurance, as we are considering it. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. |
|
October 6, 2004 Before I get to this week's roses (including one new rose!), I want to share something that several of my cold-weather customers have told me about. As you know, fall and winter are often the best time of year to plant in the warmest states (generally Zone 7 and up) but can be risky (at best) for the colder states. Several people have emailed me to report success overwintering in their house under a grow light - their baby roses grew well (and sometimes even bloomed!) over the winter and were fat and sassy when the spring planting season rolled around. For a single plant, an inexpensive clamp-on swing-arm lamp with a grow bulb will suffice - for several plants, a cheapo flourescent shoplight fixture with full-spectrum bulbs in an affordable solution. The main things to be careful of are 1) don't leave the pots sitting in water in the saucer (roses need good drainage) and 2) wash the plants periodically to prevent spider mites (the sprayer on your sink works well.) I thought I'd pass this info along, since it does broaden the possibilities for the greenhouse-deprived in cold climates... and provides a rosey project for those cold winter months. Festus Update Thank you very much to all of you who emailed me with your prayers and well-wishes for my kitten Festus, who has been recovering from a car accident that shattered his jaw. His stitches (staples, actually) were removed this morning and his vet is astonished at his progress. His fur is beginning to grow back as well, so he won't be so funny-looking much longer. I mentioned before that Festus sleeps on my pillow at night and has "happy feet" in my hair (while purring like a big-block Chevy) - I awaken in the morning with the most incredible hairdos! I thought I'd share a couple of photos of his handiwork (vanity is overrated, right?) http://vintagebloomers.com/images/FestusHead6627.jpg http://vintagebloomers.com/images/FestusHead6711.jpg http://vintagebloomers.com/images/FestusHead6722.jpg As you can see, he is an incredibly skilled hairdresser. :-) From the bottom of my heart, I thank you again for your support - it means more to me than I can possibly express. |
|
October 14, 2004 The rose season is winding down for the year and I will be taking some time off around the holidays (early December thru mid-January). I will not be shipping during this time, largely because of the likelihood of delivery delays due to the holiday shipping crush. Naturally, you will be kept abreast as the holiday season approach. Over the winter I will be working on my website and implementing a system that will allow me to integrate a web store with my eBay sales. It just makes sense to make these changes during the slowest season so I can be poised for the following Spring. I am frantically filling my new greenhouse with cuttings for next Spring, and anticipate offering a much wider assortment of old and rare roses. While I am looking forward to taking a much-needed break for the Holidays, I am really excited by the possibilities for next year! Festus is healing well, and feeling friskier every day. His hair is growing back as well, so he won't look lopsided for much longer. Thanks again for your warm wishes for his safe recovery! |
|
November 12, 2004 Well, the season is nearing the end for the year as all sights are turning toward the holidays. I will keep my eBay store up but I am suspending shipping in December and will resume mid-January - the flood of holiday shipping traffic makes it risky. I also will not be shipping Thanksgiving week. I am going to use the down time this winter to revamp my website and add a shopping cart, plus updating my personal site - I have a lot of roses and photos to add to it. Vintage Bloomers will be even better in 2005! I have to start thinking about the whole holiday thing here as well - time to start making candles for myself and for gifts. Busy busy, just like everyone! I'll have to break down and (gasp!) clean my house for the holidays - it's gotten pretty bad since I've been spending most of my time with the roses. I may need to rent a backhoe. This is a great time to plant for those of you in the South! Of course it's too late to plant in the colder areas, but have you considered "feeding the need" over the winter by growing under grow lights in the house? I would love to hear how those of you in the cold regions overwinter your baby plants for Spring planting - I'm always looking for new ideas that I can share. Festus Update: I'm still getting inquiries as to how my doofy cat is recovering from his near-death experience, and I am touched by your concern. Thank you! Festus has recovered very well and is back to his old mischievious self! He's wrangling with his brother to their hearts' content and he is becoming quite a mouser, too (his brother Velcro is too lazy to chase mice). He's caught 3 that I know of so far - there may be more, but he's proudly brought in three pitiful little mousies so I can oooh and aah over his feline prowess. His fur is growing back and he's looking far less lopsided as well. All is well in FestusLand. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for a wonderful year for Vintage Bloomers. |
|
November 21, 2004 I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by! It's been an interesting and productive year (a few highlights: new eBay Store, new greenhouse, new son-in-law, new granddaughter, Festus' broken face (& vet bills) and it's time to wrap it up. Therefore, this week's rose auctions are the last until January, although my eBay Store will remain open. Please remember that November 30th is my last shipping day until January 18th, as posted in my eBay Store. I guess this means I'll have to start thinking about the Holidays, right? Ewwww, that means cleaning this pit... and I hate housework!!! I'd rather hand pick slugs and snails without gloves. Blech! |
|
February 8, 2005 The Spring Season is just around the corner already. Can you believe it? I've spent the winter working on a major project for Vintage Bloomers - a brand spankin' new website, complete with a *gasp* shopping cart! The new system will integrate website and eBay sales, so you will be able to shop both places in a single purchase transaction. Automating many of the routine aspects of my business will free up a lot of time for things like answering questions, working in the garden and making more baby roses; this new site represents a quantum leap in efficiency for Vintage Bloomers. However, the ultimate goal of this new site is (hopefully) a more pleasurable shopping experience for you! Once the new site is fully functional and the bugs are worked out my domain (www.vintagebloomers.com) will reflect the new site - there will be no need to update your bookmarks. I know I'll be making tweaks and changes to the site over time, but as my dear hubby Neal reminded me, I'll never get it exactly as *perfect* as I'd like it so I'd best just get on with business. He knows I'm a bit chickenhearted about launching the new site... he's a wise man and knows me well. You are hereby invited to an OPEN HOUSE Promotional Event! As a member of my email list, you will receive 15% off your first order (no limit) from my new store (excluding eBay auction items). Why the discount? Because I want to thank you all for your past business, of course! But also, well... I need guinea pigs, er, Beta Testers. I need to become comfy with the back-end systems, and the only way to do that is through practice. Also, I suspect there's bound to be a few bugs that will need to be addressed and I'd much rather work them out with those of you who are familiar with me (and hopefully more willing to cut me a bit of slack while I get a handle on all this) than with complete strangers. I want to get a handle on things before I begin launching eBay auctions, redirect the URL to my website, etc., although these things will happen within the next few weeks. So the 15% discount is really a bribe, er, incentive for you to visit my new website and be my guinea pig! To receive your 15% discount:
I would really appreciate constructive criticism on the site itself, as well as its functionality from a shopper's perspective. Any and all comments, suggestions, etc. are welcome! This new site is a huge step along the Vintage Bloomers growth path. Thank you so much for your past support; I'm looking forward to the new season. I think you'll like what you see this year |
Unless otherwise stated, this site and all contents, including photographs and graphics,
(c) 2005 Robin Delargy/Vintage Bloomers. All rights reserved.
|
all roses |
modern roses |
roses by use |
|
climbing roses |
old garden roses |
sale promos |
|
miniatures |
other garden stuff |
training & culture |
