Glads are back!
Just as wine lovers await the annual arrival of
Beaujolais and tomato fans can't wait for the first Creoles, many who love
having fresh flowers at home delight in the appearance of Michigan glads.
That time has come! The season lasts from late June until the first frost
in the upper Mid-west.
Gladioli (plural of gladiolus) may be the best buys among
commercial flowers. And, among glads, the field-grown Michigan version are
the least expensive. There's lots of "bang for the buck" at the cash and
carry price of $11.93 for 10 stems.
Glads have had an interesting history in recent decades.
Long the work-horse of the industry, they fell out of favor in the 1960s
because of overuse in funeral designs. Thanks to being featured on the
cover of Architectural Digest in the mid 1980s, however,
they became quite the rage.
Ah, if only someone could do this for the poor
carnation. It's a perfectly wonderful flower. It has nice texture, comes
in many colors and lasts a really long time. But its fragrance is its
downfall. It is, we believe, subconsciously associated with one's visits to
funeral homes. Unless some grower finds a way to mute or change the
fragrance the carnation will likely be spurned forever.
More Notes from the Past:
Magazine Street has lots of charm, it is true. But in
the 30 years harkins, the florist has been a part of it, the nature of the
street has evolved. Some of the old time merchants (like us?) would say
that those along the street have become a bit too enthralled with being a
chichi place to be. Is Magazine in danger of losing its funk? Let us hope
not. Hooter's Store, down at the corner of St. Andrew, still remains as a
symbol of Magazine Street Shabby. But there are new owners after three
generations of Hooters. Its future is uncertain.
Going back in time to the 1359 Magazine part of our
history, local color abounded. And this charm was in large part due to "da
folks" of the neighborhood. Chief among them was one Leonardo Salvaggio, our
across-the-street neighbor. "What the hell do you want?," was the greeting
when this writer encountered him after crawling through a window of 1359 to
check out the building. Mr. Sal, as he was known, came with the building.
He spent his entire life in the 1200 and 1300 blocks of Magazine. Owners
came and went with 1359, but he made money from all of them.
Born at "twelve-ought-seven," currently the home of
Bridge Lounge, Mr. Sal was of the second generation of the wave of Italians
into the neighborhood in the late 19th century. He was small in stature
giving him, some would say, a Napoleonic view of life. His trusted pistol
was always in his pocket, and frequently he brought it out to insure respect
from the neighbors.
He was very talented with his hands, able to make or fix
almost anything. He worked at shipbuilding in Avondale during World War II,
claiming to have been patted on the back by FDR when he visited. He spent
many years working on Royal Street making "fake antiques." Mr. Sal said the
owner would bring in a genuine antique and ask for numerous copies.
My favorite Mr. Sal story was his description of the
period when the Black Panthers moved into the neighborhood. "Jawn, it was
turbul. Dey was running around here throwin' dem mirliton cocktails!"
Mr. Sal was always at odds with the bureaucracy for
one reason or another. He had it all figured out. When he was under
pressure he would retreat into his house and refuse to come out. The front
gate was always locked, and his two sons, Leo and Nardo kept the points of
the fence sharpened so that no one would dare to cross over.
Saw horses were always blocking parking in front of the
house even though Mr. Sal never had a car. When
asked why, his response was that in case he ever needed to be picked up by
an ambulance he wanted there to be space available. Sure enough, the day
came when he was dying that the ambulance did use that space.
Mr. Sal always outfoxed the bureaucrats. They would yell
for him to come out, they would bang on the wooden fence along the side,
post notices and, eventually, walk away.
His children didn't pick up on this lesson. They
responded to the bureaucrats, and, ultimately the house was demolished.
Every room was filled to its 14 foot height with junk collected by two
generations of garbage picking. You may have seen the story in the news
last year. The story as reported was only the tip of the iceberg.
Coming up next month: Mr. Sal's sister, Miss Jenny, "the
Queen of Magazine."
The Greening of harkins, the florist, Part 2:
Last month we introduced the idea of recycling vases.
For anyone who missed the announcement, we are offering a free bunch of
flowers in return for three usable floral vases. Here' s an offer to bring
some free cheer to your home while clearing out storage space at the same
time.
Here's another idea: We generate an incredible amount of
green stuff we throw away. Let us know if you would like a garbage bag or
more to turn into mulch.
Care and Handling of.......
Gladiolus
Fun Facts collected
from around the web.....
Louisiana is the only state that
still refers to the Napoleonic Code in its state law.
In Louisiana, biting someone with
your natural teeth is considered a simple assault, but biting someone with your
false teeth is considered an aggravated assault.
Louisiana's first territorial
governor, William C.C. Claiborne had great admiration for the awkward bird that
inhabited the Gulf Coast region. The pelican, rather than let its young starve,
would tear at its own flesh to feed them. The Governor's great respect for the
Pelican led him to first use the Pelican symbol on official documents.
The Harvey Canal Locks near
Westwego connect the Mississippi River to the Harvey Canal. Back in the 1800s
the locks served as ferries to transport railroad cars from one side of the
canal to the other. Workers would then reunite the railroad cars on land. This
service may have sparked the name of the town. According to one local folk tale,
trainmen would shout "West We Go" as the railroad cars were reconnected and
pulled out of the station.
The Saint Charles streetcar line in
New Orleans and the San Francisco, California cable cars are the nation's only
mobile national monuments
The city of Kaplan is referred to
as "The Most Cajun place on earth".
Jim Bowie, the legendary adventurer
and hero of the Battle of the Alamo, lived in Opelousas after moving there from
Kentucky. Opelousas is the third oldest city in Louisiana.
Long before he was a television and movie celebrity, actor Dick
Van Dyke was once the floor director at WDSU Television.
This wraps up another chapter at harkins.
We'll be back next month, God willing. Until then enjoy summer, family, friends,
sno cones and if you're in the neighborhood, come on in and enjoy our cooler!
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