EAGLE COUNTY,
Colorado — This was a life-affirming transformation
occurring about 20 years ago on the spring end of the long
gray, tunnel that burrows through winters in Ohio. I was
on about day 45 of a three-month stretch of all work and
no play. It was probably early April and I was exhausted
— feeling more than a bit sorry about my chosen lot.
The temperature was dropping like a fist-sized hailstone.
A strong northwestern wind was pushing a panicked flock
of clouds like black sheep running ahead of a certain sleet
squall scarring the countenance of the first cerulean blue
sky in months. All above me was turning into, as best described
by my early mentor and owner of the wholesale greenhouse
I then worked, a battle between heaven and hell. Golden
rays of sunshine streamed down amongst the scattered black
and gray clouds marking a spectacular last contest between
winter and spring.
Just that week we had set outside, at no small expense in
effort, frost tolerant annuals to create room in the greenhouses
for more tender annuals to get their jump on summer. That’s
a common bottom-line boost, akin to a rolling dice game
for money that large and small bedding plant operations
play at yearly.
I remember clearly, I was walking outside, head down, absently
watching just ahead of my feet to avoid the puddled ruts
and muddy spots in the gravel shipping lane, on my way to
help the crews bring thousands of flats of flowers all back
inside in a last minute save from the hail of ice that would
surely scar the faces of the flowers. When I looked up to
find the crews, I caught sight instead of a thousand flats
of violas with their faces shining in a clear patch of sun
— purple, blue and yellow heads bobbing in the gusting
wind like rollicking school-kids let out at recess to laugh
and play on the first nice day of the year.
Then I laughed too, at the weather, and the work, and with
the fine prospects of sending these shining flowers out
to people that hadn’t seen bright colors in the landscape
for dull weeks on end. At that moment I knew I couldn’t
improve upon my choice in occupation. All the work was worth
it. I’ve never forgotten that moment, looking back
upon it at least once a year.
This past year they’ve improved upon violas. They’ve
made them more tolerant of the weather. Although violas
have always stood well against cold, inclement spring weather,
Velocity violas are a new type bred to survive the heat
of summer without yellowing or stretching into a limp mass
of vegetative matter.
Although our summers typically lack the heat of the lowlands,
this is no wasted effort here because the breeding adds
a strong measure of insurance for success against uncertain
odds presented by the weather. I like strengthening the
odds in my favor every time against weather that can lay
to waste a lot of hard work and expense.
Velocity violas are raised from rooted cuttings instead
of seed. Because they require more hand labor to cut and
root than does growing violas from seed, Velocity violas
will be more expensive. But, I think they’ll be worth
it. I think you will, too, when you admire their resilience
come the first snows of next winter.
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