lust for life

I really can't believe I haven't written about them yet because these are one of my most favorite things about the spring and summer seasons.

My good friend Nabua's daughter Danielle makes the most amazing Hypertufa forms I've ever seen and this morning she brought this year's batch over to her sister's pottery shop. It's dangerous to even think about it, but the shop just so happens to be two doors down from my own shop. I haven't seen Danielle in quite some time and was so excited to see her today, and I'm afraid it may have come off that I was even more excited to see the Tufa. Is that wrong? It is, I know. I'm sorry. I love them so much and if I could afford it I would own a billion more of them. Maybe we can work out a trade agreement. How many handbags does it take to cover the cost of a large, round slab o' succulents?

My Tufa pot has lived in our yard for the past three years, chock full of succulents, and incredibly happy. They're amazingly durable and can stay outdoors all year round...that's definitely saying something because I live in the Northeast and our winters are brutal. After chatting with Danielle, I've learned that she's really interested in mosses now and I feel the need to do a bit of Googling...moss is really cool stuff. Beware, all non-science geeks do not click here, and definitely not here. But if you're a nature dork like myself, you're about to learn something really neat.

Anyway, if you're interested in learning more about Hypertufa, click here:

http://www.plantideas.com/alpine/tufa.html

And if you decide to make some of these luscious little (or huge) pots, please send me some pictures. I adore these things, and even though I almost throw my back out whenever I try to show it how much I love it, they still hold a special place in my heart. I know what you're thinking: This girl hates kids but loves plants and mosses. What can I say? I have a weak spot in my heart for cacti, and apparently now lichen, too.

P.S. I've decided to enter Martha Stewart's "Dreamers Into Doers" contest. Martha recently announced that she's hosting an essay contest for anyone who turned a hobby into a lucrative business and I want to win, damn it! First prize is $10,000 and an all expense paid trip to NYC to be on her show. I personally couldn't care less about being on the show, but I really could use the cash and I'd love to meet her. If you folks don't mind I'd like to use my blog to get some feedback on my essay. It won't be a regular thing, mind you, but I'm not the greatest writer in the world and could use some help. What do you think?