daisy jars: merrifield garden center

I haven't had much time to breathe since coming home for winter break. It's been one thing after another and while I'm not complaining, it doesn't leave much idle time for me to do things like make worthwhile blog posts. This is going to be a quick one I guess cause I'm tired and have another busy day tomorrow.
Today my mom and I went out to do a little shopping before picking my dad up at a business-related happy hour he was going to. So, we planned on going to Tysons Corner for a while but by the time we got there we had to turn around and leave cause we got caught up in things on the way, and by "things" I mean we made a stop at Merrifield Garden Center which could have taken all day (I wish). That place is huge and brimming with stuff to look at. Of course I've had a special affinity towards all things growing out of the soil ever since I started my floral design class and started seeing countless (film) photos of greenhouses and potted plants along the way. So when we arrived at Merrifield and I caught a glimpse of stacks and stacks of terra cotta pots and evergreens galore, I knew I'd want to stay awhile. Inside were hundreds of poinsettias in more varieties than I could have ever dreamed of, which was only the beginning. It wasn't long til I found their tropical greenhouse, with orchids visible from the door and a sea of green leaves behind. A walkthrough informed me that there were plenty of cute little cactuses in those charming pottery pots, a whole rack of herbs, and so many other things I can't name. I would have gone absolutely nuts with my camera, but I was paranoid that there were employees lurking in the leaves waiting to leap out and tell me that there are no photos allowed. Seems like you really shouldn't be taking photos anywhere so most of the shots were from the hip, guesswork. Beyond the greenhouse was room after room of Christmas wonderland with so many trees, each decorated with a theme and more glitter than I can ever remember seeing in one place. It was heaven, but we were in a hurry and really couldn't spend the kind of time I'd have liked to spend. I made sure my mother knew that I'd be expecting to make many trips back in the spring and summer when the outdoor sections were blooming like crazy.
I said this would be a quick post, but here I am typing a novel. Guess I better get to the pictures now.