If all goes well, then this just might be the year that I am able to finally get all of my fuchsia stock growing well enough to make and grow cuttings from all of them. For the last ten years, all I've been able to do is pretty much just try to keep them alive while I worked jobs and grew lavender to raise funds for the fuchsias.
Selling lavender has proved to be a huge waste of time now that all e-commerce sites have become all about what thousands are searching for and one of a kind or unusual items few people know about are lost completely. I have had to waste far too much time trying to get my lavender wands noticed. So much time that in the end, I don't make any money on it. In fact I lose money after all of the fees, shipping, advertising, etc.
I do love growing lavender and using it to make all sorts of things. But practically everyone with a lavender bush or two sells lavender sachets. Which is why I have always made a practice of just giving them away along with every invoice.
So from now on, I will make a few lavender wands in the summer, as it is something I hope to continue to be able to do way past my retirement when that day comes. I have always hoped my lavender wands would be established enough by then that I could depend on them for a bit of extra income by then.
The focus this year must be growing blooming perennials such as fuchsias. I do love fuchsias and it has always been my hope to preserve as many of the upright heirloom hybrids as possible.
Meanwhile, I do hope that the lavender will sell itself somehow and redeem itself by paying off the funds invested in that effort and maybe even help fund growing the fuchsias.
The fuchsia shown above is 'Annabel' and is in full bloom right now in mid-January of 2021. She is benefiting from the radiant heat of one of the windows here and I can see her from my desk. Along with about 15 other varieties I have put on a shelf high enough to be even with the window.
And of course this also means I get to watch the hummingbirds up close while I am working on my computer! Even a Ruby Crowned Kinglet has come by to look under each leaf for insects.
All of the streptocarpus are doing well too and I hope to begin making cuttings of the ones I chose to keep as stock plants.
