SHAMPOO AND UH, HYDRANGEA, ANYONE ?So one day I walk into this beauty shop in a nearby neighborhood and ask for a hair cut and color. The young girl they assigned to me, Anita, shampooed my hair and as she was trimming it she asked, " Haven't I met you somewhere before ? Do you work around here ?" " Yes, as a matter of fact, I do, I work up the street at the garden center a few days a week and I always walk by on my way to work. "
" I knew it ! " , she said, " That's where I saw you. I'm there all the time. " I want to fix up my front and back yards this year, but I can't afford a landscape designer. Would you be willing to trade services - I'll come to your house and do your hair and you come to my house and do my garden design.?" Well , some two hundred dollars later when I got the bill, I eagerly agreed to trade services.
That was three years ago and Anita and I have become close friends and gardening buddies. Her garden, I'm pleased to say, is the envy of the neighbors. And my hair, I get a lot of compliments. And I don't have to sit in a salon for hours on end, a big time saver for me.
The thing that makes me happy most about our arrangement is the love of gardening that Anita has gained and the pride of accomplishing a beautiful landscape with her own sweat equity.
She and I share a love of hydrangeas ( that's her most recent purchase Limelight behind her ) and a loathing of plant-eating rabbits. The first year I designed and we planted her front garden the rabbits ate it to the ground over the winter , mugo pine and all. I didn't know that rabbits liked roses, thorns and all !
So we've embarked on a war on rabbits. We're trying a product called Plantskydd which is a spray with bloodmeal in it. The difference in this product is that it is emulsed in an oil binder base and is guaranteed for 4 months in the summer and 6 in the winter. Unlike regular bloodmeal you're not suppose to have to reapply it each time it rains. I'll believe it when I've tested it and that's what we're doing right now.
More on our test results later.
Carolyn - what an awesome idea! My girlfriend owns a hair salon in Memphis and she is constantly getting offers to trade hair cuts for all sorts of things. In my line of work it would be illegal to offer a trade ;) Hey, guess what? MY HEDGE ROSES HAVE ITTY BITTY BUDS! PS what the heck is a "blog roll". I noticed some people have "blog rolls" AND "blogs I read every day" lists. What's the difference?
ReplyDeleteHey Gina,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the rosebuds. Can't wait to see the blooms.
Blog rolls or blogs I read are a list of blogs , articles, etc. you share with friends and visitors. Go to del.icio.us.com and it will explain how to get it. Once you have all your blogs listed, you need only to click onto one to go there. It's very convenient.
When you see my blogroll, click on to it and you'll see My Skinny Garden and other blogs I visit. If you click on to any of them it takes you there. These are links.
I have nothing to barter with anyone, but that is a great idea!
ReplyDeleteThank you , Carol. Have you had any rain in Indiana yet ? It's been very dry here as well.
ReplyDeleteWow, who is that sexy woman in he picture! She looks very familiar:)
ReplyDeleteYour blog is pretty good looking also! See you soon. Paul Torgus
Yeah, real anonymous Paul. Your wife is very pretty as well. Thanks for the compliment on my blog.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great arrangement you have with your hairdresser. Would love to see the garden you designed for her.
ReplyDelete