A LOOK BACK AND A LOOK AHEAD

   

It all started twenty-six years ago with one greenhouse. In 1982 the kids were little, we had no money, we didn’t know what we were doing and we had funny looking clothes and strange haircuts. Now we have fifteen greenhouses and the kids are all grown up. Everything else is pretty much the same. While it’s very hard to recall what happened in the world back then, we are somehow able to remember this past year’s highlights.

Vice President Dick Cheney’s daughter Mary Cheney and her partner Heather Poe welcomed their first child, Samuel, in May. Despite much speculation, the child appears to be human.

The Air Force shot down a dying spy satellite in danger of spewing deadly fuel upon entering the atmosphere. Vice President Cheney was sub-contracted for the job.

Due to his bathroom tap dancing, Sen. Larry Craig’s career in politics appears to be over, but he has found new work as the national spokesman for the Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation.

Unscrupulous rivals of Miss Puerto Rico slipped hot pepper spray into her evening gown during a Miss Universe contest in an attempt to sabotage her performance. This backfired big time, inadvertently adding a wiggle to her walk that was just enough to cinch the crown for her. In other beauty pageant news, Miss Teen South Carolina gave one of the most incoherent answers to a ‘meaningful’ question in all of pageant history. This landed her a spot on the Today Show but unfortunately she lost her chance for the Teen Tournament on Jeopardy.

Since Iran has supposedly stopped “nuculer” weapon production, President Bush has backed off plans to attack that country. He still doesn’t like Iran’s President Ahmadinejad (well who does?) and now reportedly has secret plans to douse his clothing with pepper spray. If this fails, the U.S. and its allies will threaten sanctions to force the Iranian leader to wear a necktie.

The Advertising Slogan of the Year award goes to Robitussin for “More than just mucus ™”.

Al Gore’s son, Albert III, was stopped for driving without headlights and was found to be in possession of marijuana. He was driving a decidedly un-green Cadillac but fortunately the weed turned out to be certified organic.

After forty-nine years, the devilish Fidel Castro resigned as president of Cuba. He still plans to write his monthly column for Cigar Aficionado and sources close to El Presidente have hinted at a possible pitching tryout with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

A perky little beagle by the name of Uno won Best in Show in the Westminster Kennel Dog Show, a first for the breed. Unfortunately, the poodle and the cocker spaniel have made accusations of illegal steroid and Canine Growth Hormone use. The beagle claims his trainer told him it was only flax seed oil.

Ok, let’s talk about this year and all the cool new plants we’re growing for you, and even though they may look like it, none are on steroids. New and better perennials keep coming along including gorgeous coneflower Tiki Torch (bright orange), painted fern Silver Falls, and all summer-blooming black-eyed susan Rudbeckia Early Bird Gold. The best new tropical plant this year will be Siam Ruby, a beautiful banana with burgundy leaves flecked with lime green. Of course we’ll have lots of new begonias and coleus. We’ve also added some stunning Cajun hibiscus varieties and heat-tolerant African daisies (Osteospermum). New tomatoes include heirloom Black Crim and new heirloom-like Tomande from Burpee.

We’re very excited about this year and we expect it to be our best season yet. We’ve even got a perky wiggle in our walk.