It has been a bit of a crazy time here at Victory Farm & Gardens, no different I suspect from anyone else and their lives. I am always looking for ways to calm the nerve endings and take it at a regular pace.
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After my work out days of going up and down and down and up the steps to Laundry House aka Propagation House, to give the plants inside a bit of fresh air and liberal waterings, I figured that the rest of the week and on beyond was looking rather mild, enough cloud cover that frost wouldn’t be a problem and neither would sun burn.
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I began to hang the thirty-two planted fuchsia baskets out on Laundry House’s porch on a metal pipe the is held in place by three two-by-four brackets. I even devised some wire hangers to hang a second lower tier. Everything looked great. It was a bit windy late that afternoon but it didn’t seem to effect the hanging baskets that much. Well except for the last one that didn’t fit on the pipe and had to hang out a little farther on the chain where my topsy turvy tomato plants hung last summer.
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In the morning I was delighted to see the lovely dew on the grass and the sun and clouds playing tag. But when I looked toward Laundry House I didn’t see the line of baskets I expected to see. I could see one lone one but where were the rest. I hadn’t put my contacts in and I know better than to panic when I have them out and can’t see what I expect to see, I’ve been met with more than one old-lady-crying-wolf situations because of it.
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I mentioned that I couldn’t see them to vacationing Phil Dirt, so he popped up to the window and mumbled something horrible. But it didn’t really matter because I had already spied what the deal was.
The center two-by-four bracket had given way and this was the mess it created.
And there is my favorite Pink Marshmallow, the one I thought was hanging out in the elements, looking down on its forlorn and broken brethren, saying, “It pays to be last sometimes.”
Some baskets survived by being last to the scene but most others were broken and the plants in them tossed to the four corners of the porch and beyond.
Clean up and rescue took all day. We now have several flats of fuchsia starts and all the baskets and lone plants have been pinched back, or squashed back as some cases may be, to insure lovely bushy baskets. 
don't you just hate it when that happens? i don't have any (but one african violet) plants. #1 daughter grown beautiful plants though.
smiles, bee
xxoxoxoxooxxo
Oh No..double the work to set them back to right again..but they will be bushier! I used to hang mine from special purlins of pipe that had a metal strap every four feet..I never had one that failed..they were buggers to water tho.
I guess it could have been worse..and froze unexpectedly..at least you saved lots of the cuttings:)
gravity is SUCH a pain sometimes – well except for when it keeps us from flying off the face of the earth – glad all's well which ends well and a stitch in time saves nine – but mostly – thank goodness for good handy husbands and senses of humor
Oh, I hate that this happened. I don't have much experience dealing with lots of potted plants but I know from years of sewing, everything is harder to do over the second time! As the other comments have suggested, the plants will be nice and full now. We are finally getting some spring blooms!
We've had a good Palm Sunday Lanny. Sorry to hear about the baskets. What a pain!
Awww heck! What a fiasco. I'm afraid that my "tear" level would have been alot quicker than yours. But perhaps the way it worked out will be alright after all. Hey, it'll be a guessing game to see if they all bloom the same in the same pot!
I'm glad you found the silver lining in the mess : ) Lovely post below-flowers-and the chairs look so striking by the water.
Sorry that happened to you!
Wonder what kind of a winter mess awaits me in a few weeks when we go back to Washington State after being gone all winter?
Usually a big mess!!!!
Oh Lanny, I'm sorry to hear that this happened. That must have been so frustrating and upsetting to see after all of your hard work. I'm glad you still manage to find the silver linings, though, and that you got things set to rights again as best you could. I guess we all have setbacks that we must deal with. Hope you have a better day today.
That must have been such a disappointment!
All the work of planting the pots then the mess.
But as you said,there is always something to be thankful for even when situations like this arise!
I just have some pots of geraniums sitting on my back deck right now. I have wintered them for two years and am delighted at how large they have gotten and when they bloom they sure present a lot of color for me to enjoy.
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That is awful… but it is wonderful you can find a silver lining.
sounds like some major fuchsia doctoring going on! whew, what a mess.
I hope your week ends on a good note. What a terrible thing to wake up to. Sorry that you lost some of your basket, but glad that you didn't lose them all.
Oh, too bad about the broken plantings. It all comes with the love of gardening……doesn't it? Have a wonderful Easter. blessings,Kathleen
Just stopping by to say Happy Easter Lanny!