[Artemisia] A word about merchants & flowers

[LadyPDC at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/28/2007 3:50:58 P.M. Mountain Standard Time,  
dtavares1 at hotmail.com writes:

It's one  of those sad ironies that the physical and temporal demands of our 
events are  better suited to modern plants than their period predecessors. All 
the Old  European rosebushes I've planted in my garden confirm that blossoms 
without  that infusion of Hybrid Tea DNA just don't last long as cut flowers. 
(By the  way, I have lots of OER catalogs and reference books with 
mouth-watering  photographs if you'd like to see them.) 



Plant strawberry plants in among your roses.  It is one of the  things the 
gardeners did in period which modern day science has confirmed.   They are 
"companion" plants, which means that they support one another.   What one puts out 
as "waste" the other sees as food and vice versa.  Your  roses will bloom more 
often and the blooms will last longer and the strawberries  will give you 
more and bigger berries than you thought possible.  And one  additional wonder, 
aphids don't like strawberries so they will avoid your roses  if they are 
planted among strawberries.
 
Some things those medieval gardeners did were better than "modern science"  
can duplicate.
 
Insofar as the question of Country Rhodes.  I much enjoy the period  ambiance 
that both your product and your encampment bring to any event.  I  would not 
like to see it lost forever.  On the other hand, I have enjoyed a  time or two 
when you were at an event and not merchanting.  The simple fact  is that you 
have more time to sit, chat, share, compare when you don't have to  keep an 
eye on the merchandise and the front door.  I say that if you want  to "attend" 
without selling that is your choice and all of us will benefit no  matter 
which "road" you choose for a particular event. 
 
As far as which type of flowers to use.  I have seen your talents with  all 
types and believe that anything you present will be both close to or  matching 
period persuasions and beautiful to behold.  Anyone who has used  those 
talents for the last minute forgotten favor or gift is lucky both in your  talents 
and in your generosity.  I certainly hope that you have received  the thanks 
due you for these last minute "fixes" and offer my gratitude at the  very least. 
 

Mistress Constance de la Rose, OL
Barony of Loch  Salann
Kingdom of Artemisia




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