October and November Shop and Sips

11/13/2023 5:32 pm

 

Our insatiable appetite for plant shopping and socializing was in full force in October and November as unseasonably warm temps increased our cravings beyond reason!

 

We hit up Gwinnett Tech Horticulture's Fall Sale on a Tuesday to get some seasonal color and some nice grasses. Pickings are leaner here than at their fabulous Spring sale, but we managed to spend some dough and retreat for some good Mexican food at the nearby Taqueria Los Hermanos.

 

A couple weeks later, ten or so of us spent a Sunday morning with Eric Mack exploring the many temptations of The Kai Garden, leaving with quite a few. (A couple of you escaped the group picture -- like Jeff Potter, Patrick Ardiff.) Many of us continued on to the Wylde Center, where we dropped a few more bucks on plants from a self-service stand. Then we headed to lively Oakhurst for BBQ and Brewskis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, we shopped till we dropped at Grower's Outlet in Mid-November. Thanks to Maryke for warmly welcoming us with beverages and snacks as well as a surprise lily bulb each. Dr. Armitage even dropped by!

 

 

The grand prize for most shopping went to Sandra Sandefur. She and Jim ditched us for lunch as Jim needed to get started digging right away to finish planting those 3 (?) cartloads before Thanksgiving!  Kathleen Dumitrescu ran a close second, but she claimed many of her plants were "for others". We're still waiting on the proof that they ever left her garden.

 

 

We enjoyed a lunch at Fratelli's where we had some fun making up wild stories for the waitress about who we were and why we were eating together. A special shout out to our guest, Elijah Dumitrescu, who brought a little male energy to lunch as well as great information about trees and microrrhizae. Supposedly some of Kathleen's plants were for him, but we remain skeptical. He definitely earned his keep!

 

 

 

 

 

Each event had a different cast of characters and all were low key, plant-nerding fun. If you haven't been to one, join us in the future. We can at least guarantee laughter.