the dark and the cold

I finally came in out of the dark and the cold (ehhh, not so cold) five minutes ago after sticking 40 cuttings of Cornus alba 'Ivory Halo' in 20 one-gallon pots. All or most of them should take and be sellable by May, possibly even April. This is one of our favorite bloodtwig dogwoods, more burgundy than bright red in the winter, beautiful light green leaves with a broad, irregular white margin and a lower growth habit (6'x6' max, usually lower) than its big brother, C. a. 'Elegantissima'. We'll probably retail the gallons for right around $10.

I know you can do the math, and you're perhaps going, "Oh, nice racket, Jay! Clip up a bunch of twigs and stick 'em in pots and...wow, that's some profit margin for a short afternoon's work!" Yeah, well, let's do some more math. I suffered in the dark and the cold (ehhh, not so cold), spending precious time that could have been used for cancer research or volunteering to help flood victims...I mean, if I did that stuff. Besides, the savvy shopper will realize this is not only a fair price but OMG, Becky, if both cuttings take - it's a two-for-one deal. That's right: if the pot you select has more than one stem coming out of the dirt, split the root ball and plant TWO PLANTS after paying for just one...and congratulate yourself for your smart shopping!

Everybody wins. We like that.