The temple bell stops
but I still hear the sound
coming out of the flowers.
~ Matsuo Bashō
(Voices from Earth)
There is an extraordinary place located in the quiet corner of Connecticut. My sister and I used to frequent Logee’s, a sprawl of greenhouses specializing in rare and tropical plants and fruit trees. But I think it’s been a good ten or twenty years since we’ve been there.
Flowers and fruits are always fit presents; flowers, because they are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. These gay natures contrast with the somewhat stern countenance of ordinary nature: they are like music heard out of a workhouse.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
(Gifts)
Back in February there was a discussion in the comments here about how nurseries in northern climates don’t open until it’s safe to start planting outdoors in the spring. For the first time in ages, this got me thinking about an exception to that rule, Logee’s, and I was delighted to find out that they are still open year round!
The flower is the poetry of reproduction. It is an example of the eternal seductiveness of life.
~ Jean Giraudoux
(The Enchanted)
Tim & I made a trip up there on Saturday and the place was still a perfect antidote to the cabin fever which has been plaguing us. Several linked greenhouses are stuffed from floor to ceiling with colorful, bright and cheerful tropical flowers! The aisles were so narrow that two people could not pass by each other or keep from brushing against some of the plants.
Permission to take pictures was granted and I had a wonderful time shooting right and left, above and below, and at eye-level. An employee was on a step ladder picking fruit from an orange tree, answering questions while he worked. The stifling heat and humidity was a welcome change from the bitter and bone dry air outside.
I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.
~ Claude Monet
(The Fantasy of Flowers)
I came home with two impulse purchases, a climbing onion and a white Easter cactus. We’ll see how well I care for them. After a nice lunch at the Vanilla Bean Café, we went to see a movie, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and enjoyed it very much.
Each flower is a soul opening out to nature.
~ Gerard de Nerval
(The Fantasy of Flowers)
We noticed on the way home that the temperature outside had crept up to above freezing, just a smidgen! It’s time for the mounds of snow to start melting!
What a nice day after being housebound for so long!
To analyze the charms of flowers is like dissecting music; it is one of those things which it is far better to enjoy, than to attempt to fully understand.
~ Henry T. Tuckerman
(The Fantasy of Flowers)
Barbara,
Beautiful ! Yes it is a welcomed joy to see bright joyous colorful flowers. Each year in Philadelphia they have their “Flower Show” which is said to be the largest in the country ! Last week was that time, the flower show is always a sign that spring is near. I did not attend this year yet just knowing that it has offers great awareness of spring!
I am glad that you and Tim had the opportunity to enjoy such wonders!
Thanks, Jeff! I’ve never been to a flower show before – it must be a delightful experience. There are two closer to us, both about an hour away, one in Hartford and one in Providence – but they are in February and most of the time it seems like the weather or other plans thwart our efforts to get to either of them. Spring should be coming soon, though! This weekend we’re supposed to get rain instead of snow. A step in the right direction!
What a tonic for curing the winter blahs. Wish there was something like this here.
I wish you had a Logee’s too, Sybil. This seems to be a one-of-a-kind sort of place – they’ve been in business since 1892!
I was not familiar with Logee’s until just now. What a welcome respite! (I’m thinking none of the pictures look like what you purchased and am just a little curious. Climbing onion?)
Janet, in theory I cannot kill it! I bought one with stems emerging from the bulb. Setting up a table so Zoë won’t be able to sample it…
“Climbing Onion (Bowiea volubilis): This one truly thrives on neglect. A member of the lily family from South Africa, it’s an old favorite that’s easy-to-grow and puts on a fanciful display. In late winter, vining stems emerge from the bulb, or “onion.” With great vigor and determination, they grow up any nearby support. As they mature, dense lacy branches form and give a full appearance. When fall arrives, the growth dies back and the Climbing Onion goes into a period of dormancy.”
Barbara — Oh me. Oh my. These photos are EXQUISITE!
Thank you so much, Laurie!
A+ for both the photos and the quotes.
Thank you so much, Rosie!
I recognise two of these flowers, maybe three….the top two photos are hibiscus and bougainvillea, both which grow very well in my area. There may even be a camellia there, although they are not usually known as a tropical flower. It must have made your heart sing to see so much colour! My garden is beginning to show signs of happy flowers now, the intense heat (hopefully!) has passed, and many plants are feeling more confident in showing off their beauty. I think that you should make a pact with yourself to visit Logee’s at least once each winter. 🙂
My heart was definitely singing, Joanne! You are blessed to have tropical flowers thriving in your part of the world. I was tempted to look at the price tags on the flowers so I could identify them but decided it was best to simply remain captivated by their beauty without knowing exactly what they were. Logee’s also specializes in rare varieties of begonias which my sister was always looking for when we used to go there. Logee’s also has an American Wonder Lemon ‘Ponderosa’ tree – the lemons it produces are enormous, up to 5 lbs.! (2 kgs) I wasn’t able to get a good picture of one, though…
What a perfect antidote to Cabin Fever! I also enjoyed many of these quotes. Glad you enjoyed your flowering day.
Thanks, Kathy, I’m glad you enjoyed the quotes and the flowers! May your Florida getaway prove to be your own antidote to cabin fever.
These pictures are beautiful! Maybe Logee’s would hire you. I remember the name, but can’t remember visiting this place, though I’ll bet we did. Visiting a greenhouse is a perfect antidote for cabin fever, not to mention lunch out and a movie. Lots of these blooms look familar, either from Central America or North Carolina. I’ve enjoyed catching up on all your recent posts. They are always an antidote to whatever ails me.
Thank you, Susan! It would not surprise me one bit if if I suddenly remembered a long-forgotten trip to Logee’s with you. The other place I loved was Caprilands Herb Farm in Coventry, but sadly, after Adelma Grenier Simmons died in 1997, the garden has been neglected and the disposal of the property is stuck in probate court. …sigh… Looking forward to seeing you and some North Carolina flowers in a few days!!!