I stumbled across the following posts while doing some research on cutflowers on this forum. My partner and I own an upscale floral shop in Minnesota. We like shopping for some of our flowers at local markets when they are available. I was curious to see what some of the market growers were considering for this season. I have to say I am pretty amazed and shocked by what I read by some of the following posters especially in this day and age.
Because I happen to be gay does not mean I possess an esthetic appreciation for flowers. Where would one ever draw that conclusion? We shouldnt think that anymore than concluding being opinioned is an inherent gene in brunettes. And, for the fellow in Wisconsin who was yucking it up about the two gay floral designers falling all over his flowers. Do you honestly think this is professional behavior? And, SuzieQ should perhaps heed some of her daughterÂs advice. Your comments come across as very narrow minded.
My partner and I happen to think Gladioli do not belong in mixed country bouquets as featured in some of the photo shoots on this forum. They are formal flowers that belong in very large arrangements or standing alone. Never haphazardly put in with sunflowers and other peasant flowers. That is my opinion. It isnÂt attacking who you are as a person. You, however, obviously felt free to make assumptions about gay people without even knowing anything about them.
Next time I would hope that you think twice before posting such offensive trash on a forum for all to read.
 Posted by: Jeanne_in_Idaho z5 N.Idaho (My Page) on Wed, Jul 28, 04 at 14:45
Steve, there are lots of people, men and women, who can look at the most beautiful flowers in the world and not be overwhelmed by them, in fact barely notice them, or not notice them at all. I'm married to one of those. I'll point out a gorgeous new lily or a stunning wildflower and he'll put on the 'humoring-Jeanne' expression with the little smile and say 'uh-huh' or 'that's nice' or 'Pretty' in a tone of obviously fake interest. It amazes me that he not only is willing to be the major breadwinner so I can do my flower thing, he even helps me with it when needed, considering how little appreciation he has for the flowers. Show him an iris, and he is as likely as not to call it an orchid, or a dahlia. He has tulips, sunflowers and roses down, but that's it. Everything else is a generic flower.
I have a sister like that, too. It's not only men. In fact, a lot of gay guys have exquisite taste in flowers and appreciate them greatly. I wonder if esthetic appreciation is somehow linked to the genetics of being gay? Anyhow, it seems to be a rarity in straight men, so I appreciate it when I see it!
Jeanne
________________________________________
RE: Neat article on Farming
 Posted by: clink IA-5a (My Page) on Wed, Jul 28, 04 at 15:56
One of my best customers --is a straight man. He is here twice a week always. And always buying at least 2 buckets of flowers. But he is a rarity.
I have to laugh at my husband though. He has had to learn the names --just in case, I'm not home. It's funny to listen to him stumble over --"Amazon Neon Duo" dianthus. He does have lisanthus and painted-tongue down pat!
I think I'll keep him!!
Cathy
________________________________________
RE: Neat article on Farming
 Posted by: Jeanne_in_Idaho z5 N.Idaho (My Page) on Thu, Jul 29, 04 at 19:54
Only one of my steady customers is male. He appears to be straight - I've met his wife and grandchildren. His taste in flowers is undiscriminating - he's as likely to buy daisies as lilies - but hey, he buys them! My gay hairdresser, on the other hand, doesn't grow anything but always has exquisite flowers in the house and knows the name of every flower I've ever brought him. Then there is his sweetie, who is about as flower-illiterate as my husband. And then there is Steve, married, who can appreciate a wildflower prairie (no doubt "weeds" to my husband). And my sister, who might know the difference between a rose and a daisy, but has never noticed either unless somebody else pointed it out. And most of us on this forum know the difference between daisies themselves -Shastas, Painteds, Gloriosas, etc. Our differences ARE fun, aren't they?
Cathy, I'm pretty impressed by your husband's knowing lisianthus, never mind Amazon Neon Duo! I'd keep him, too! - but I'll keep the one I've got. He tries.
Jeanne
________________________________________
RE: Neat article on Farming
 Posted by: goshawker z4WI (My Page) on Fri, Jul 30, 04 at 0:04
Jeanne, LizaLilly and Cathy,
What is so much fun for me now is that my little girls love the flowers. It seems that no matter how much I work out in the fields they don't resent me for it. They love to learn the names and try and teach their friends about them. Or try and show off to Grandma and Grandpa their knowledge of the Native Prairie and all of the flowers and grasses of said prairie. We just hatched out 7 monarch butterflys that they found as caterpillars on the Asclepias Tuberosa and fed them until they turned into a Crysalis. I am hoping they love cutting stems as much when I start to enlist the child labor in a few years before they get interested in those things, what are they called, oh yeah....boys.
And you are right about the gay men Jeanne. Two of the florists have gay men as designers and they fall all over themselves when I show up with my stuff. They are exceptional at putting arrangements together as well.
My dear wife loves to get dirty in her vegetable garden and likes my flowers as well. She is incredibly supportive of my entrepenurial gene and helps me to foster it when she can, by giving me new ideas and such. She also has the Masters Degree and the "real job" with benefits. She got her Masters so she could work 2 days a week and make the same money as she did working 5 days, but now she gets to be home with the kids 3 days a week plus the weekends. I still ask her a few times a year why she took pity on me and said yes when I asked her to marry me.
I am so glad that I stumbled into this cut flower business and so grateful to all of you for your advice and knowledge, as my daughter would say "The Garden Web Rocks!!"
Steve
________________________________________
 Posted by: SusiQ NETX, Zone 7B (My Page) on Fri, Jul 30, 04 at 17:06
Steve--I wish I had a Master's and your wife's job! Sounds great to me! I work 2 days a week too, but the income ISN'T the same, I'm sure.
My husband recognizes tulips, daffs, and roses, but they have to be in bloom, first! On the other hand, when he starts talking bits and bytes, and RFI, and radio or computer language, I'm glassy eyed before he finishes the first sentence!
He helps some in the yard, but grew up hating yardwork and hasn't changed his mind since. And now, since he has smoking related asthma, his activities are more limited. He still gets on the roof and cleans out gutters, tho, and hangs Christmas lights, etc. And, on occassion, he can remember the name of certain flowers.
Two of my customers are husbands who've ordered for their wives, one of them twice. I almost said "I've had 2 husbands...." but that's NOT my story! LOL! A third man, older, currently single, (NOT gay!) almost ordered a church bouquet for this weekend, but when he first called, I didn't think I had enough flowers. Turns out I did, but he went ahead and had the florist do it, but will order from me again.
My oldest daughter has many gay friends. When I ask if so and so is a decorator, she gets SOOO mad! "Mo-om, you CAN'T make that stereotypical assumption! Not ALL gays know about decorating!" Harumph!
But it wouldn't be a stereotype if there wasn't some or a lot of truth in it. A gay decorator came to the nursery the other day, getting plants for his client. He spied some short flamingo-ish faded celosias we had (that I thought looked pretty sad!), and he just raved about them. No one else has commented on them all summer!
I just love to see the gazanias come to the nursery each spring. I've never grown them, but the texture of their petals feels like silk, and the colors are amazing. Well, ALL flowers are amazing! I'm taken aback by the cones of the purple coneflowers, the markings on lilies and foxgloves, the scent, of course, of roses and daffodils, well, everything about ALL of them!
Well, almost all of them! Some customer brought in a star cactus the other day, that had a bloom, and that flower smelled like puke/compost/rotting food/and any other bad smell you can think of! EEEEwwww! It did have interesting texture and coloration, but NOT something you'd ever want in any garden, or farm, or ANYWHERE!
Susi.
jennifer_mn
jennifer_mn
Related Professionals
Chattanooga Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Waunakee Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Elgin Landscape Contractors · Waterbury Landscape Contractors · East Haven Landscape Contractors · Emmaus Landscape Contractors · Indianapolis Landscape Contractors · Lemont Landscape Contractors · Long Beach Landscape Contractors · Matteson Landscape Contractors · Mission Bend Landscape Contractors · New Braunfels Landscape Contractors · San Benito Landscape Contractors · 07920 Landscape Contractors · Golden Valley Landscape ContractorsGrassIsEvil
Poochella
susiq
jennifer_mn
goodscents
barb5
Noni Morrison
goodscents
jennifer_mn
bryan_ut
Noni Morrison
Belgianpup
Jeanne_in_Idaho
goshawker
DanaVG
jpw_chi
flowerfarmer
lmariesteve
kristenmarie
DapperDahlia
goodscents