Friday, March 15, 2013

PLANT SALE March 30-31st!!!

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Great house plants are hard to find; I know because it's my mission in life to fill every square inch of my house with unusual plants. And now it's my mission to help you do the same. Sure, I've got my motives...

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Numero Uno: I need to make some cash for our farm. Pronto. It's a long story that I can tell you sometime if you're interested (I do love to talk about business) - but the short of it is that we scaled back our wedding work big time this year in order to become flower growers and cash flow has suffered. Now we are gearing up for our first real growing season at the farm and we need a tractor amongst other things. We hope we can sell enough plants to raise the money for a down payment on a sweet used 4wheel drive manual 50 horsepowered dreamboat with less than 1500 hours on the gear box.

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In addition to funding our farm, my mission in general is to get more people gardening... more people appreciating plants and flowers. It's good for my work obviously, but it's also good for the world, in a macro sort of way. I believe that, and I hope your eyes are not rolling right now...

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Before I ever thought much about plants or flowers I lived in an apartment surrounded by pavement - pavement which I pounded - like no one else - I might add. Around 2004 I got the spring fever and came home with a window box of herbs. Two weeks later they were fully infested with thrips; they soon shriveled and died. Herbs are quite difficult to keep inside, especially for a novice. What I really needed at the time was a good old Peace Lily, or the indestructible Mother in Law's Tongue (also known as Snake Plant). Slowly, I advanced. The best way to learn about houseplants sometimes is to kill a lot of them. I learned about the dangers of overwatering, the importance of drainage and the quality and quantity of the light in my apartment. I've come so far! In a thrilling recent episode of houseplant drama, I rescued a lemon verbena and Datura from the onset of a white fly infestation - a few drops of Dr. Bronners in a spray bottle, rinse, repeat - now they're thriving! For good measure I nestled a distantly perched potted Geranium in the giant Datura -- I like to think the geraniums potent oils acts as a deterrent to bugs.)

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I want you to feel the same satisfaction. And maybe tap into the quiet, methodical - dare I say meditative - experience that watering and caring for your plants can lead to. I've said before that I feel flowers might be a sort of mascot - a symbol - for the great challenge of caring for our environment. The more people turn their heads toward gardening the more likely they will tune into the complexities of nature ... the more likely they are to act as stewards of it.

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You know its small actions that amount to bigger ones over time. A flower leads to a plant leads to a garden leads to a farm. We always need more people growing things. I hope I sound sincere right now, because there's nothing I believe in more.

Come buy a plant and I promise to give you sound advice on how to keep it alive.

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THE PLANT SALE.

Saturday March 30th and Sunday March 31st; 10-6pm

Saipua Headquarters:
147 Van Dyke Street (between Conover and Van Brunt)
T: 718.624.2929

Featuring unusual houseplants for novices and advanced plantspeople. Ferns, Begonias, Succulents and more. All profits go to The Farm at Worlds End for purchase of a tractor!

Advice given free of charge.
No reserving plants in advance.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

No thanks, if I have any extra money I plan to contribute to victims of Sandy. The ones that lost their homes.

Jo said...

I agree with you. Somehow, cultivating a plant lends to cultivating ones own soul.

Also, on a personal note, I think that Anon needs to stop being snooty. No one is asking for donations, here. You get a plant for your money, people. Easy trade.

Good luck on getting a tractor and keeping Worlds End growing.

Sarah Ryhanen said...

Anon - let me know when you have that extra money! If you did your homework you'd know that here in our Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood we were flooded and lost thousands of dollars of inventory and personal belongings. So you can make that check out to me and send it to us in Red Hook. THANK YOU for your continual concern and support!!!

Unknown said...

I will be there to gladly contribute to the cause, Sarah! I saw myself in your description of a plant novice, and am reliving those same ups and downs with Caitlin (who will be out of town), who has graduated from windowsill to Carroll Gardens front yard plot. What fun we are having...

Anonymous said...

Maybe you can contact FEMA for help because you had to buy some bleach.

Sarah Ryhanen said...

OK Anon -you clearly have some issues with me and my work. Want to talk it out? Call me (718.624.2929) or send me a personal email (sarahatsaipuadotcom).

But I'm asking you seriously now to leave me alone here and on the worlds end blog. Please respect this.

Anne said...

Sarah, your plant photos are lovely - I wish I wasn't in Seattle or I'd scoop armfuls up. Good luck with the sale and your farm venture!

Anonymous said...

G, I'm a serial killer of house plants (damn forced hot air heat). I rotate nurseries in my hood to cover my tracks...If I can make it I will. Whether you need a tractor or not, I'll buy. Biz is biz.

Stacy said...

Oh so pretty! Can't wait to hear how you love that rig. Consider an FSA loan (Farm Service Agency) at 1.5% to get the farm some skrills for capitalizing some infrastructure and equipment. It will make the difference in the end to have systems that function well sooner rather than later. Happy plowing.

Erin said...

Sending loads of good juju to the sale. If I were closer I'd come and drop a bundle of cash. Elora is a houseplant hoarder too ; )

So, so happy to see you stepping boldly towards this dream. You are doing amazing and are such an inspiration!

Tell Eric hi from us all and a big hug to you : )

This tractor will change your life!

Saya said...

Sarah you will make it happen, you are so incredibly talented and generous, in everything you do. How about doing a Kickstarter fund? My cousin's band funded their US tour this way: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/451939035/the-go-round-goes-on-tour-fall-2011

In my mind there are few more noble causes than creating the most beautiful flower farm to supply the US market with the most gorgeous heirloom flowers ever. Is there?

If you need help with admin stuff that can be done remotely, I will gladly give my time, no strings attached.

Unknown said...

No eye rolling...just a mighty AMEN.

Kay said...

as one would be flower farmer to another..i hope your plant sale is a sell out...xx

Anonymous said...

Tractors are a ton of fun! One day, while my husband was napping, I actually lifted and moved to another location, the 12' x 12' floor of a building! It takes only five minutes to till up a 4' x 100' row. You will have the power to grow!! You will love it! Good luck with the sale, and Brava!! for your brilliant vision!

Wendy C said...

Amen, sister, wish I lived closer to buy some plants, I know they would be amazing. Good luck with your sale.

Bare Mtn Farm said...

Love the lushness of the greens. Hope you are hugely successful!

pyrus said...

Hooray for you Sarah, every single person that starts growing ANYTHING will get that same bug that gripped us Pyrus girls (and clearly you) and once you've killed a few things, sorry a lot of things, that first wee guy that suddenly turns around and flourishes feels like the start of something big. And well, it is.

Flower growers of the world unite! Mighty oaks from little acorns grow and all that... vive la revolution!



pyrus said...
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Anonymous said...

Great ad picture!
Fanchon Lorne

Anonymous said...

I'll be there. I'm anon too but not the snooty one up top. I'm so excited for this!

Anonymous said...

will you be selling plant pots too?
would rather buy them from you than home depot!

joelle said...

Sarah, I'm sure it'll be incredible, I hope to be there! Will you be selling any outdoor plants at your sale?

ariele @ brooklyn to west said...

Wonderful! I will definitely be there to purchase plants and help a teeny bit with the tractor fund! :)

ingrid said...

coming from the outer boroughs to your sale! very excited! Here's to your tractor, lady.

Unknown said...

I missed this post when you wrote it but I can't help commenting now.

I grew up surrounded by women who gardened gently, amateurly but so well and naturally. As a kid I ran around gardens so beautiful I wish I could go back to appreciate them but I had no idea or interest apart from trying to get butterflies to land on my hand or climb the apple trees.

And then in my thirties I moved to an old 17th century barn in the English countryside with half an acre of old field and a river for a garden. And I got the bug, and I started growing and learning and my whole world changed. With plants, one thing leads to another, the passion is very forward moving, just as you say and now my garden is full to bursting with flowers and I sell them in bouquets in the summer. I just wanted to say that I totally understand the connections you make about the love of plants and respect for the natural world, that appreciating beauty makes you concerned for its security and makes you desperate for others to have the joy and adventure too - my eyes aren't rolling at all, it is exactly how I feel. And I think the more people that get their hands in the soil, see a seed become a seedling and become a flower that is so perfect you want to cry over it, the better we will look after the world and eachother. YES! And I am sure the farm is not the full stop in your story, new things will stream from that too, I am sure. Thanks for your inspiration.

rs gold buy said...

will be there to gladly contribute to the cause, Sarah! I saw myself in your description of a plant novice, and am reliving those same ups and downs with Caitlin (who will be out of town), who has graduated from windowsill to Carroll Gardens front yard plot. What fun we are having...buying gold for runescape