Gertens

After jump starting the Riviera today (apparently, the battery dies if you don't start the car every couple of weeks...), Duane went to buy PREMIUM gasoline to fill it (to the tune of $69.00...ulp!), and dropped me off at one of my FAVORITE St. Paul destinations...Gerten's Greenhouse.

Gerten's is a LOVELY, locally-owned greenhouse with an AMAZING selection of plants...even now, when most other greenhouses are wrapping things up for the winter, Gerten's is featuring $20.00 mixed baskets with mums, chiles, grasses, and other fall flowers, and is currently holding their pumpkin and gourd-fest.

I'm "basil-deprived" this year, since my crop was deemed POISONOUS after some wasp spray dripped down onto it while trying to thwart a takeover of my deck in July.  I ended up cutting it all down and replacing it with a mum...WHICH IS JUST NOT GOING TO CUT IT, CULINARILY SPEAKING...

So...I found a DELIGHTFUL basil plant, which won't even get planted...it'll go into the "herb blend" for herb and cheese scones this winter, a BEAUTIFUL rosemary plant (my rosemary probably ALSO got doused with poison, so I've been afraid to use it)...which will ALSO go into the herb blend, the remainder of which will then die a miserable death at my hands indoors this winter, and a heather plant...just because it reminds me of my trip to England and Scotland a few years back.

If you're ever in Inver Grove Heights, you MUST check out Gerten's...or...if you live too far away, you can get a sample of what they're like at http://www.gertens.com/!

Here's hoping YOU had a chance to enjoy some greenery this weekend too!