The Greenhouse (Encore)

Get more, nothing much happens, with bonus episodes, extra long stories and ad-free listening, all while supporting the show you love. Subscribe now. Our memories are wide open, and the right environment can make all the difference. That's what I love about Primrose schools. They know this is the moment. The curiosity is already there, so the learning can actually be joyful, hands-on, and full of discovery instead of pressure. Your child is ready to learn. And at Primrose schools, teachers make them most of this time by creating a joyful, purplysful learning experience, unlike any other. From infant to five years, Primrose schools is the leader in early education and care. Learn more at PrimroseSchools.com. If you want a place where your kid can explore, ask big questions, and feel genuinely excited to learn, Primrose is already doing that every day. You already know how much good sleep matters, because when you sleep well, everything feels a little easier. Your mood, your focus, even how your body feels the next day. And when you don't, it can feel like you're dragging that tiredness with you everywhere. That's why I want to tell you about the sleep bundle from cured nutrition, which I've been using as part of my own wine-down routine, and which I gifted to another friend today. What I appreciate about it is that it's designed to help your body ease into rest, rather than knocking you out or leaving you groggy the next morning. The sleep bundle combines two formulas that work together to support deeper, more restorative sleep. It includes there's end capsules, which are made with calming botanicals like zelarian root, chamomile, ashwaganda, and magnesium, along with broad spectrum CBD to help quiet the mind and relax the body. The bundle also includes their CBN night caps or night oil, which support deeper sleep quality through the night. I take them about an hour before bed. Usually, while I'm dimming the lights, getting into my reading, I like that they work with my natural sleep rhythms. I wake up feeling rested, not foggy, and that makes a big difference. Right now, the sleep bundle is already 10% off, and you can take an additional 20% off at checkout. With my code, Sweet Dreams, the discount stack plus all orders over $100 automatically qualify for free shipping, including the sleep bundle. Visit curednutrition.com slash nothing much. And use my code, Sweet Dreams, at checkout for the extra savings, that's c-u-r-e-d nutrition.com slash nothing much. Coupon code, Sweet Dreams. Welcome to bedtime stories for everyone, in which nothing much happens. You feel good, and then you fall asleep. I'm Catherine Nicolai. I write and read all the stories you hear on nothing much happens. Audio engineering is by Bob Witterschheim. We are bringing you an encore episode tonight, meaning that this story originally aired at some point in the past. It could have been recorded with different equipment in a different location. And since I'm a person, and not a computer, I sometimes sound just slightly different. But the stories are always soothing and family-friendly, and our wishes for you are always deep-brassed and sweet dreams. Now, let's train your brain for some good sleep hygiene. All you need to do is listen. Rest your mind on my words, and the sound of my voice. I'll tell our story twice, and I'll go a little slower the second time through. If you wake later in the night, you can play the story again, or just think through any part of it you can remember. The more you do this, the more reliable the response will become. Our story tonight is called The Greenhouse, and it's a story about flowers and vases, and the deep green scent of plants in a warm space in the winter. It's also about a silver wine bucket, music playing while you work, pine needles and mint, and the small and big ways of building a life that you want. Now, it's time to settle in. Pull your comforter up over your shoulder. Get the right pillow in the right spot, and let everything relax. You have done enough for the day. Really, it is enough. Nothing remains but rest, my friend, and I'll be here watching over till you wake. Draw a deep breath in through your nose, and sigh from your mouth. Nice. Again, fill it up, and let it go. Good. The Greenhouse. When I was younger, there was a shop I would visit all year round, though it was most magical in the winter. It sold flowers and houseplants, candles and journals and blocks of French soap tied with ribbons. It was built inside of an old farmhouse, and in each room a fountain burbled, and the air smelled of wood smoke and lavender. Outside of the back door was a pond that filled with tadpoles each spring, and a stony path leading down to their greenhouse. The Greenhouse felt like a miracle on cold winter days. You would trek through the snow to the door, and as soon as you pushed it open, a wave of warm tropical air would wrap around you. Inside, plants grew everywhere. From the cracks in the fieldstones, up the legs of cast iron chairs, a hud of broken terracotta pots on shelves that seemed impossible to reach with a watering can. It felt like they hardly even had to try to grow things there. In fact, it seemed they might be working harder to keep the space from being taken over by the creeping vines and shoots. They'd had a dog that often greeted you when you climbed out of your car and walked comparatively beside you as you browsed, eventually finding a sunny patch to lie in. I think he was a cedar with coppery red fur and gentilize, and though I often left without buying anything, I felt I was always coming away with more than I'd entered. Eventually, the owner had retired and reclaimed the house for herself. And I wondered if the plants still grew like they had before. It's funny how you don't always see the paths that brought you to where you end up. The connections aren't always clear while you're hip-deep in them. But now I realize that place planted a seed in me, pun intended. I'd been young then, just starting out in life. I'd been in my first apartment, trying to figure out what I wanted my life to look like. And each time I would step into that greenhouse, though I wasn't conscious of it at the time. I realize now I felt like I was coming home. I'm smiling at that feeling now in my own greenhouse. It's not nearly as big as the one behind that lovely shop, but it is warm and tropical, and smells of soil and chlorophyll and jasmine. And I feel so lucky to be the caretaker of all of its plants and flowers. Mine is more of a workshop than a place open to the public. But I think I was influenced by the charm and whimsy of that special place. Because I find that we, me and the flora, are happiest when it is neat and pretty. I have a pegboard strung with a couple dozen colors of ribbon for my bouquets and pretty baskets for my tools and gloves. My play music for us. Again, that's me and the plants. And on sunny days, we listen to happy songs, the kind you sing along to in the shower. When it rains and storms, we listen to powerful classical music, full of strings and drama. My own dog, a bass at Hound, whose howl sounded so much like a rougula that I named him that. Scuttled along the stone floor and snored while I worked. I have a long work table that I rescued from an estate sale in a barn a few years ago. Its scrub top has seen many repottings and propagations. And today it was lined with faces that I was preparing for Valentine's Day at the end. For music, I turned on a station of crewners and sirens, which seemed to fit the theme and pulled on a fresh pair of red garden gloves. And began to look through the roses I cut. Each room in the inn would have a small vase of them for the bedside tables. And then I was making a large arrangement for the entryway beside the grand staircase. I was proud of my roses when I walked through their section in the greenhouse and saw how tall they stood on their long stems. The variety of colors when the sweet scent that came from them. I felt like I had really achieved something. Some roses look beautiful, but offer nothing to appreciate when it comes to perfume. Others have sent, but only a thin ring of fragile petals. These roses would last a while, more truly beautiful to look at. And the inn would smell like romance in every room. I had plenty of deep red roses. They are classic and are always requested. But I also grew pale pink, tangerine orange, a deep purple that was almost black. An elegant antique white. Under sweet, periwinkle blue rose. I decided to cut some of each and tuck one into each of the bedroom bouquets. I wondered what the guests would think about that extra bloom of color. I hoped if luck was on my side that for at least a few of the guests, I'd be adding a favorite or something that might spark a happy memory. I built each bouquet with a non-red rose at its center. Adding in some greenery and ribbons. I had a selection of green plants cut to fold in, some that may surprise you. I like to use sweet Annie and silver cardoon leaves. But I also used curly parsley, which held up well and stayed a pretty bright green. Against the red. I had stems of mint, nothing refreshed love, like mint, and soft needle pine branches. All these scents together, saying of winter and romance. For the large table arrangement, I had a beautiful old silver ice bucket. One that had, I imagined, held many celebratory bottles of champagne in its day. I'd started to polish it up and make it like new, but then decided I wanted it to show its years and youth. It felt fitting for the old in. And I started to lay your flowers and herbs and greens into it until it was nearly bursting. I wanted each guest to stop when they came into that grand old entryway and literally smell the roses. I called out to your senses to be enjoyed. When I was done, I stooped down to pet Arugula, who was on his bed beneath the work table. I wouldn't mind some company as I loaded the vases into my truck and delivered them to the end. Arugula was half asleep, but I leaned in close to his giant floppy ear and whispered, I wanted to go for a ride in the car. His eyes opened and he stared at me. His tail beginning to bang out a rhythm behind him. I heard the innkeeper has a new kitty. Maybe we can meet him. He was up on his short legs in an instant. I'd wondered all those years ago what my life should look like. I smiled as I picked up a box packed with vases thinking that if this was it, I'd done well. The greenhouse. When I was younger, there was a shop I would visit all year round, though it was most magical in the winter. It sold flowers and houseplants, candles and journals and blocks of French soap tied with ripens. It was built inside of an old farmhouse and in each room a fountain burbled. And the air smelled of wood smoke and lavender. Outside of the back door was a pond that filled with tadpoles each spring. And a stony path leading to their greenhouse. The greenhouse felt like a miracle on cold winter days. You would trek through the snow to the door and as soon as you pushed it open, a wave of warm tropical air would wrap around you. Inside, plants grew everywhere. From the cracks in the fieldstone, up the lakes of old cast iron chairs, out of broken terracotta pots on shelves that seemed impossible to reach with a watering can. I felt like they hardly even had to try to grow things there. In fact, it seemed they might be working harder to keep the space from being taken over by the creeping vines and shoots. They'd had a dog that often greeted you when you climbed out of your car and walked companionably beside you as you browsed, eventually finding a sunny patch to lie down in. I think he was a cedar with coppery red fur and gentle eyes. I felt like I was always coming away with more than I'd had when I'd entered. Eventually, the owner had retired and reclaimed the house for herself. I wondered if the plants still grew there like they had before. It's funny how you don't always see the paths that brought you to where you end up. The connections aren't always clear while you're still hip-deep in them. But now I realize that place planted a seed in me, pun intended. I'd been young then just starting out in life. I'd been in my first apartment trying to figure out what I wanted my life to look like. And each time I would step into that greenhouse, though I wasn't conscious of it at the time, I realized now I'd felt like I was coming home. I am smiling at that feeling now in my own greenhouse. It's not nearly as big as the one behind that lovely shop, but it is warm and tropical and smells of soil and chlorophyll and jasmine. I feel so lucky to be the caretaker of all its plants and flowers. Mine is more of a workshop than a place open to the public. But I think I was influenced by the charm and whimsy of that special place. Because I find that we, me and the flora, are happiest when it is neat and pretty. I have a pegboard strung with a couple dozen colors of ribbon for my bouquets and pretty baskets for my tools and gloves. I play music for us. Again, that's me and the plants. And on sunny days, we listen to happy songs, the kind you sing along to in the shower. When it rains and storms, we listen to powerful classical music, full of strings and drama. My own dog, a bassit-hound, whose howl sounds so much like a rube-gula that I named him that. I have scuttled along the stone floor and snored while I worked. I have a long work table I rescued from an estate sale in a barn a few years ago. It's scrubbed top has seen many repottings and propagations. And today it was lined with faces that I was preparing for Valentine's Day at the end. For music, I'd turned on a station of cruners and sirens, which seemed to fit the theme and pulled on a fresh pair of red garden gloves began to look through the roses I'd cut. Each room in the inn would have a small vase of them for the bedside tables. And then I was making a large arrangement for the entryway beside the grand staircase. I was proud of my roses when I walked through their section in the greenhouse and saw how tall they stood on their long stems. The variety of colors and the sweet scent that came from them. I felt like I had really achieved something. Some roses look beautiful, but offer nothing to appreciate when it comes to perfume. Others have a scent, but only a thin ring of fragile petals. These roses would last a while, or truly beautiful to look at. And the inn would smell like romance in every room. I had plenty of deep red roses. They are classic and are always requested. But I also grew pale pink, tangerine orange, a deep purple that was almost black, an elegant antique white, and a sweet periwinkle blue rose. I decided to cut some of each and tuck one into each of the bedroom bouquets. I wondered what the guests would think about the extra bloom of color. I hoped if luck was on my side, but for at least a few of the guests, I'd be adding a favorite or something that might spark a happy memory. I built each bouquet with the non-red rose at its center, adding in some greenery and ribbons. I had a selection of green plants cut to fold in. Some that may surprise you. I like to use sweet Annie and silver cardoon leaves. But I also used curly parsley, which held up well, and stayed upright pretty green against the red. I had stems of mint, nothing refreshed love like mint, and soft needle pine branches. All these scents together sang of winter and romance. For the large table arrangement, I had a beautiful old silver ice bucket. One that had, I imagined, held many celebratory bottles of champagne in its day. I'd started to polish it up and make it like new, but then I decided I wanted it to show its years and youth. It felt fitting for the old in. And I started to layer flowers and herbs and greens into it until it was nearly bursting. I wanted each guest to stop when they came into that grand old entryway, and literally smell the roses. It called out to your senses to be enjoyed. When I was done, I stooped down to pet Arugula, who was on his back beneath the work table. I wouldn't mind some company as I loaded the vases into my truck and delivered them to the end. Arugula was half asleep, but I leaned in close to his giant floppy ear and whispered, I want to go for a ride in the car. His eyes opened and he stared at me. His tail beginning to bang out of rhythm behind him. I heard the innkeeper has a new kitty. Maybe we can meet him. He was up on his short legs in an instant. I'd wondered all those years ago what my life should look like. I smiled as I picked up a box packed with vases, thinking that if this was it, I'd done well. Sweet dreams.