Old Coot's Page
Posted: Feb 01, 2005 8:34 pm
Hello, to most of you, to whom I am known as "The Old Coot" My real name is John and I live in Rock Hill in upstate South Carolina with an a asolutely adorable wife, that I love with all my heart, and who is MY best friend (and gardening financier).I came by my gardening "genes" from my Mother and Dad who could make ANTHING grow. Dad grew vegies for the family and Mother grew some of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. She love Calla Lilies, Iris, Coleus and Roses. She had a few Hosta, but at the time I didn't know what they were. Before she died I had the honor of spending a lot of time with her in her garden, and she helped me move many of her things to Rock Hill.
For most of my life I was a working Chemist in Industry, and Chemical Sales. We moved so much, that I really didn't have a lot of ime to spend on gardening. However when we cameto R.H. that all changed. I had to retire early because of medical problems which kept me from traveling, but not from growing flowers My Mother brought a lot of her Iris, Daylilies, and plants that I now know as Hosta and planted them for me.. We had a one acre lot, shaded, but lots of sunny places. I got into growing flowers with abandon . I added Daffodills, Tulips, Caladium, Coleus, Liliums Elephants Ears, and her Iris & Cannas. Every thing was looking good. But later that year she passed away, and my son and I moved 4 pickup trucks loads of Iris, Daylilies, Cannas and other assorted flower down to R.H.. We divided them up among the kids and they still look good in their yards. Her death created another problem though. We inherited a LOT of beautiful furniture that we had no place to put. We solved that, by selling our house (after I packed TRAYS of flowers to be planted when we got NEXT DOOR. We liked the area, lived on the end of the street, on top of a hill with plenty of flower space.I planted heavy that spring after we moved, All in the front yard in the open. The following year all lookedd great, and then the unthinkable happened. I got seriously ill with both heart and lungs problems. Stayed sick for nearl three years. In and out of the hospital, many times not knowing if the Old Coot was gonna make it. His dear sweet loving wife keep telling the Drs. he was, to go fix him. The last time I lost 70 pounds, and was unable to stand or walk when I got out. Had to use a walker for six months. That's when the Good Lord and the Old Coot had a heart to heart I promised HIM that when I got well (no deals asked) that I would try to plant the prettiest flower gardens in Rock Hill that I could, AND that is what I am trying to do. Ther're all HIS Flowers, The Old Coot is just the Gardner.I am now pretty much straight, with a pacemarker and a defibralater.I still have to use Oyygen at night, or in hot humid weather but going strong. And now you know more about the Old Coot than you ever wanted to know
When I firsst came to Perennial Nurseries, I was in search of Lilium Bulbs, and BOY did I get some great ones, I checked out the Forums, liked what I saw, dropped off some others and became a member here and here the OldCoot is... Years Later and liking it better every day.
Thank you Chris for allowing us to tell our story, and for being such a GREAT Host.
That Funny & Friendly Old Coot named John,
For most of my life I was a working Chemist in Industry, and Chemical Sales. We moved so much, that I really didn't have a lot of ime to spend on gardening. However when we cameto R.H. that all changed. I had to retire early because of medical problems which kept me from traveling, but not from growing flowers My Mother brought a lot of her Iris, Daylilies, and plants that I now know as Hosta and planted them for me.. We had a one acre lot, shaded, but lots of sunny places. I got into growing flowers with abandon . I added Daffodills, Tulips, Caladium, Coleus, Liliums Elephants Ears, and her Iris & Cannas. Every thing was looking good. But later that year she passed away, and my son and I moved 4 pickup trucks loads of Iris, Daylilies, Cannas and other assorted flower down to R.H.. We divided them up among the kids and they still look good in their yards. Her death created another problem though. We inherited a LOT of beautiful furniture that we had no place to put. We solved that, by selling our house (after I packed TRAYS of flowers to be planted when we got NEXT DOOR. We liked the area, lived on the end of the street, on top of a hill with plenty of flower space.I planted heavy that spring after we moved, All in the front yard in the open. The following year all lookedd great, and then the unthinkable happened. I got seriously ill with both heart and lungs problems. Stayed sick for nearl three years. In and out of the hospital, many times not knowing if the Old Coot was gonna make it. His dear sweet loving wife keep telling the Drs. he was, to go fix him. The last time I lost 70 pounds, and was unable to stand or walk when I got out. Had to use a walker for six months. That's when the Good Lord and the Old Coot had a heart to heart I promised HIM that when I got well (no deals asked) that I would try to plant the prettiest flower gardens in Rock Hill that I could, AND that is what I am trying to do. Ther're all HIS Flowers, The Old Coot is just the Gardner.I am now pretty much straight, with a pacemarker and a defibralater.I still have to use Oyygen at night, or in hot humid weather but going strong. And now you know more about the Old Coot than you ever wanted to know
When I firsst came to Perennial Nurseries, I was in search of Lilium Bulbs, and BOY did I get some great ones, I checked out the Forums, liked what I saw, dropped off some others and became a member here and here the OldCoot is... Years Later and liking it better every day.
Thank you Chris for allowing us to tell our story, and for being such a GREAT Host.
That Funny & Friendly Old Coot named John,
