A year ago – I told 2011 to bring it on.  Oh boy… 2011 brought it and brought it good for me.  There of course were the awesome and great times in 2011 – however the latter part of the year brought about a lot of rough changes.  But hey, that’s life.   We live, we savor moments and create memories, we move forward, and we grow.  I am so forever thankful for my family and friends that were there to defend the silver lining through it all.

A new year – and a new journey set before me. I am grateful for all those who were able to lend their transportation, their hands, their angry backs, … oh and their beards.  We’re almost done with only a few things left to move but a vast majority of the garden has been transferred.  I’m leasing 1500 square feet of greenhouse space — and at the rate things are going, it mos’ def is not large enough. I’ve had to downsize quite a bit actually! This provides a new environment that I am not familiar with and it will be interesting to see how I will negotiate the challenges of growing plants here.  YES, I do prefer growing outdoors, but under current circumstances for this new season of life, I’ll park my plants here.

This move would not of been at all possible without the support of family and friends.  I wanted to share a few photos that I snapped throughout the moving process.  YES – it was truly insane, but I have this faint glimmer of hope that it will all be worth it.

***

The first plants to move were courtesy of my friend Ruben. The bamboos and a few others plants were the first to go. He loaded up his truck with Phyllostachys, and Yushania anceps.  It literally was a forest on wheels.  I could only imagine what it looked like on the freeway with this thing so full of bamboo…

My homie Jenn let me roll with her Wildflower Farms truck.  This truck has been put to VERY good use – rolling full of plants back and forth 15 or so trips – around a total of 300ish or so miles. (DDEEEEEYAAAAAMMMNNNN!!!!)

Drosophyllum lusitaniucm rolling shotgun.

Sarraceniamobile! Full of dormant Sarracenia that need much cleaning…

During a garage clean out, I found my old Godzilla toy thing from back in my elementary school days.  This dude now has a new home with some anthocyanin free Sarracenia.

Jenn’s truck is indeed fully loaded…

Rollin’ down Linda Mar Ave. full of Sarracenia.  I wonder what that dude behind me was thinking…

As more trips were made going back and forth, an eerie emptiness started to settle in.  I was so accustomed to the yard being so full of plants.  Now these spaces are being filled with memories.

As these places were getting more and more spacious, the new greenhouse started to fill up.

The door to new possibilities.

First plant I moved into the new greenhouse – Brighamia insignis.

Empty greenhouse – about to get pretty full.  There is still A LOT of work that needs to be done.  That’s all part of the fun though.  The space I occupy is only about a third of this particular greenhouse. I hope to one day be able to occupy the whole thing!

A few bamboos and palms I’ll be keeping.  I’ll probably look for some space on my balcony or something to keep a few of these things at my new place.

Derek, the furious beard, and the angry back.

Derek just finished a set of pull ups. Nothing like a good greenhouse workout.  Just kidding, he was actually being an awesome friend and checked the roofing for me.

My homie Mike Wang helping out with a load of Sarracenia.  Yeah, there’s S. “Green Monster” and a few other hawt plants that were rollin’ with the Wang.

Mid move In-N-Out snack thanks to Mike. We needed the calories.  It’s not my typical 4 x 4; I took it easy and just did a double double.

Wiggidy-Wizzaang helping me trim!

My family came by and were kind enough to take some bamboo. Here my uncle is loading up my Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra), Buddha Belly Bamboo (Bambusa tuldoides ‘Ventricosa’ ), Phyllostachys viridis ‘Robert Young’ , Phyllostachys ‘Moso’, and a few others…

Bamboomobile.

Sure would hate to be tailgating this thing…

Thankful for my family who helped me in this move.

This is a portion of what was once the mighty Dahlia garden.  I trimmed them all back as they are now all dormant.

Dahlia pots cleared out…

Yes, MORE PLANTS!!

My cousin Sam seemingly thrilled at the concept of having this forest in the back of my uncle’s truck rollin’ down the freeway.

Dude.

Always thankful for family.  You know, a piece of my garden will always be with them.

Slicing through my forest of Cyperus papyrus.

A void fills what was once the Dahlia garden.  The greenhouse looks so… empty.

This place was once full of Sarracenia and carnivores.

I once thought that this place would be large enough for my collection.  I started off with only a few trays of plants and it exploded.  This place was once my sanctuary where I would go to get away from the daily grind.  There were so many hopes, dreams, and ideas that were born here.  It is indeed sad to see it go, but I hope it will serve it’s next owner well.

The new place, however, is filling up quite quickly…

I know. I need to trim. All these Sarracenia will be mowed down over the next coming months. Spring should be interesting in here.

Yes. I *am* smiling. (I’m just really tired actually.  This is a lot of friggin’ movin.)

Uh… full, already?! … geez. Looks like it’s time to expand again! HAH!

2012 is off to a grand start already.  Sure with all of these changes there is just a bit of trepidation, but also I recognize that there is also opportunity to advance.  Let’s see where this thing goes.  Cheers to the new year and to the new chapter in life that is yet, unwritten.  Give me the pen and let’s do this.

***

[Roll the credits... A few special thanks]

Movin’ aint easy, that’s for sure. I am thankful for all my family and friends for their love and encouragement and who have helped us through this ordeal. As I mentioned before, they truly have defended the silver lining. A special and HUGE thank you to Jenn for the use of her rad rad RAD truck. I’ve made at least 15 trips with the Wildflower Farms truck *FULLY PACKED* over the course of several weeks. (Jenn – that thing is a gas monster!!) But this would not of been possible without you. Thank you to Derek of Plantgasm for volunteering his back, my fellow Sarracenia homie-thug-bro-dude-rouge Mike Wang (dude Mike, start a blog too bro! Ha!), Jerry Addington for all the encouragement – (you have no idea how much you have helped me, Jerry… ), Ruben G of Gomez Nursery; to my family – C.I.L. Jeff, B.I.L. Junior, Sam, Judy, Uncle Boy, Uncle Jessie, Aunt Delia, to Tom and Hep, to my Lolo and Lola… and to mah’ boys Luke n’ Jo, and my wife Dahlia for the steadfast strength, continual inspiration and encouragement to keep on believing, and to always keep on growing.

I am forever grateful for all of you.