Labor Day 2010

This weekend the weather has been unbelievably nice. Unfortunately, for me, I had to work all day Saturday as we are receiving holiday merchandise on top of regular fall fill ins and a huge Fall bulb order. Fortunately, for me, one of my co-workers brought 2 of her 3 daughters in to work on these orders. She said the 3rd daughter would come in Monday to finish. This is not the first time they have helped me out and I hope to buy all of them a thank you gift when we are in China. These next 2 pictures of close ups of Rudbeckia and Pansy in our window boxes off the kitchen.

Our Monday morning spinning class was cancelled because of Labor Day but we went to the gym to work out anyhow. We have just 2 weeks before the Douthat Race (John = 1/2 marathon and a 5 mile for me).

So after the gym we swung by the new neighborhood coffee shop, Bowtie Cafe. Yeah the coffee is good! This cafe seems to have a lot of potential to be an interesting place.

Then we worked in the garden. This next picture was taken after John cut the grass and I sucked up the leaves with the leaf blower. I also cleared the bed with the spent Rudbeckia. It's a little early to do this but I did it just in case we have a referral party this month. I think this party will more likely happen in October.

Here are some of the fall bulbs I have purchased from Krohn on Saturday. I'm kinda bored with Apeldorn tulips and only planting odd tulips species from now on. This red one is Couleur Cardinal. I also bought this Sorbet blend.

And then I'm going to plant these naturalizing tulips where the Allium were next to the lamppost.

These dwarf Iris, Harmony, bloom really early in spring and were good for us so I bought them again. I will plant these in front of the tulip beds.

For the front ceramic pots I bought these Heavenly blends of Hyacinth, daffodils and muscari. I've got one more ceramic pot to buy a blend for in the courtyard.

Saturday walk in Spring Grove and the city

Saturday morning we went to Spring Grove, John to run the course for a race coming up soon and myself just to walk. Spring Grove is easily the prettiest cemetery I have ever seen. When I first moved to Cincinnati I thought it was so strange that people went to a cemetery for their wedding, graduation, etc pictures. But Spring Grove is different ...as well as historical. The landscape architect who designed it, Adolph Strauch (1822 - 1883) is buried here. It was somewhat of a fluke that he even came to Cincinnati but this city certainly benefited that he did . Strauch designed Mt Storm, parts of Eden Park and Spring Grove. His naturalistic style and rolling views were considered cutting edge at the time. I don't think he fared well with Park Board politics and left his position acrimoniously. But still he is buried here. There are many other famous people buried here including:

1. Salmon Portland Chase (1808-1873) US Senator, OH Governor, Cabinet Secretary during Lincoln's Administration, US Chief Justice
2. Powell Crosley (1886-1961) Cincinnati Red's Owner and automobile dealership owner
3. Andrew Erkenbrecher (1821-1885) Cincinnati Zoo founder
4. Bernard Kroger (1860-1938) Grocery store founder
5. Charles Fleishmann (1835-1897) Yeast manufacturer
6. William Procter (1801-1884) and James Norris Gamble (b1836-1932) founders of P&G

as well as many Civil War Generals and lots of baseball players.

Another famous person buried at Spring Grove is Nicholas Longworth (1783-1863). The thing that surprised me Longworth's headstone is that it isn't old and is relatively modest. This Nicholas Longworth (there were many with the same name in this family) was one of the wealthiest Americans in the 1860's as well as Cincinnati's first millionaire. When he died he left an estate worth $10M. He was many things in his lifetime, including lawyer, land owner and viticulturist. In 1830 he bought the Taft house on Pike Street and I believe this is where he lived while he cultivated his land today known as Mt Adams, one of his vineyards.

People are still buried in this cemetery today. Several years ago John and I took a walking tour and the docent said a mausoleum like the one in the background of this picture cost $1M.

Not a great picture but it was a sweet scene of a family feeding a swan.

Saturday I had a noon hair appointment downtown. It was a gorgeous day and I had time so I walked. This picture is of the bronze cast map at the top of Immaculata and also the route I took to walk downtown. You can't see it in this picture but it outlines in red the route the Catholics take on Good Friday when the "pray the steps".

The Taft Museum from Lytle Park. Starting May 9th (I was corrected in my comment attached)the Taft is free on Sunday's. This may be a plan for us after church this summer. Lytle Park look towards the new tallest building in Cincinnati, the Great American Building at Queen City Square. The "tiara" is supposed to be placed on this building next month. Supposedly the architect, Gyo Obata, got his tiara design inspiration from a photo of Diana, Princess of Wales. Total cost for this building is around $322M and over 1/2 of this 41 story building will be occupied by Great American Insurance Company. According to US Senator (and former OH Governor) George Voinivich (June 2008, Cincinnati Enquirer) this building will stimulate economic growth in our city and also guarantee people will want to move and stay here too. Well I hope so but to me that seems like a strange way to state this buildings importance and impact. Also kind odd timing considering what happened economically in the fall of 2008.

So back to my walk downtown and little bit of Cincinnati history. This blue door is the entrance to the Literary Club and is right across the street from Lytle Park on Fourth Street. It is believed to be the oldest literary club in the country in continuous existence.

The ship outside the Western-Southern building.

The University Club clock with the Reds stadium in the background. My appointment was at noon so I had some time to wander around downtown.

There were some tourist hiring the carriages. I am glad we have kept some of our skywalks but there has been a trend to get rid of them. Some people think they are unattractive. But if we hopefully get people to come downtown again I think we will like ways to move pedestrians around traffic again.

Here is a headline I saw on the street yesterday. It is also what I believe will be one of the things that will bring people, particularly younger, to Cincinnati and get them to stay. Oh, this has been divisive topic in our town but I will go on record (on my rarely read blog) as being all for it.

Mix of old and new architecture.

Irises on Baum Street on my way home.

And the goldfish bath plug I bought for Audrey from the Contemporary Art Center gift shop. I hope it doesn't creep her out but if it does we will use it in our bathroom.

I'm also thinking about buying it for the conservatory gift shop as we have some $ open with this manufacturer and resembles a koi which can certainly pass for Japanese themed product.

Butterfly Show 2010 Japan

Update Friday June 18,2010: I had to be at work early to receive a big order, 860 units, of cacti and succulents. Fortunately the 18 wheeler delivering this product arrived before we opened.

I was also lucky Mark was working Friday as he is the only employee who can operate the fork lift. Pretty good workout and I also got sunburnt. I spent the rest of the day checking in and pricing this order on the back dock. But before this delivery I finally added my wish to the shinto wish wall. Next picture is an explanation of the wish wall.

I attached my wish (2nd row from left, top) so I'd know where it was located.

The Krohn Conservatory 15th annual Butterfly Show 2010 opens tomorrow. This first picture is this year's poster on my desk. New this year are: new entrance, 3 show changes and beetles from Japan.

This next picture shows one of the many butterfly sculptures scattered in the park. The Park Board started this last year and I think it is great.

This year Japanese lantern entrance. Next picture Japanese water garden accessory along the entrance path that goes through the tent and around the side of the building to the newly installed pergola. This year visitors will enter through the desert room.

The tea house in the show room.

The Japanese Lantern. The sign next to this explains :"The earliest lanterns came to Japan from China via Korea along with Buddhism in the 6th Century. Stone lanterns were used as votive lights at temples and shrines."

This flower is Clivia and many people inquire about it. Unfortunately it takes forever to bloom and is as far as I can tell impossible to find for re-sell in the gift shop.

One of the glass butterfly feeders made by Neusole artists that we sell in the Gift Shop for $10.00. Last year we sold 600 units. I hope we can beat that number this year.

The horticulturists and volunteers started releasing butterflies this past Thursday.

This is a picture of the showroom while in progress. The hort staff only had 2 weeks to convert from early spring show to B-fly.

The Good Wishes railing. Visitors are invited to write their good wishes or prayers on a paper, fold it twice lengthwise , place it in the box to be added to this Good Wishes Railing.

The lobby and exit from the show.