Category Archives: Baskets

Need a Valentine? We Can Help!

Mixed Planting with Téte a Téte NarcissusJust a quick post to point out the many beautiful flowers in the greenhouse. Our baskets and containers  are one of a kind…special creations custom made for each order.

Orchid Arrangements

 

 

 

 

If you have a basket, bowl, or other container you’d like us to fill with beautiful plants, just bring it in and we’ll take it from there, or choose one of ours.  Valentine’s Day is this Saturday, so get your order in soon!Orchid Arrangement

 

 

Some of the many blooming plants we have in now, or will be getting in this week, include cyclamen, campanula, primroses, rieger begonias, narcissus, violets,  orchids, hydrangeas, hyacinths, freesias, azaleas, and more. Stop in to browse or give us a call to place an order for pick up or delivery.

 

New Fall Shipments Have Arrived – Pretty Pots For The Holidays or Any Time

We see endless possibilities for these pretty pots...

We see endless possibilities for these pretty pots…

Small urns…

Pots - fall 2014

Pretty pots and cachepots...

Mercury glass and cachepots…

How beautiful would these be as part of a holiday centerpiece?

How beautiful would these be as part of a holiday centerpiece?

Perfect for the holidays...

Perfect for the holidays…

October is a favorite month of ours for many reasons. The garden is changing over from summer flowers to the pretty pansies and more that will shine next spring, and all of the beautiful gourds and pumpkins make their appearance.  In the greenhouse, we know it’s October because we begin to get boxes upon boxes of fall and holiday inventory that Jamie found at market. She, Molly, Pinkie and Angie have been busy unpacking, pricing, moving, and displaying all the pretty new items – perfect to put holiday flowers in for arrangements and holiday center pieces. Let’s take a look…

The shelves are full!

The shelves are full!

 

 

Just the right size…

Pots - Fall 2014

Green and white always appeals...

Green and white always appeals…

Flowers And More For The Holidays…

Poinsettias & KalanchoesThe greenhouse is so beautiful all year round, but it’s especially so in the height of the holiday season. In fact, sometimes there are so many flowers and new plants coming in almost daily that they are literally everywhere – on tables, on the floor around tables, and anywhere we can find a spare space. Never let it be said we don’t have a little something for everyone!

Start with the bulbs of the season…paperwhites for fragrance and amaryllis for elegance. Paperwhite bulbs are readily available and so easy to plant in potting soil or a pretty bowl with pea gravel and water. We’ll also have plenty each week from growers, already planted, up and ready to bloom.

An elegant amaryllis is a wonder gift...

An elegant amaryllis is a wonder gift…

Amaryllis bulbs are notoriously  tricky to time; they will come up when they’re good and ready, thank you very much! If you want an amaryllis for a certain date, it’s really best to buy them a week ahead already  budded.

Many years ago I promised a customer that,  of course, I could have 12 amaryllis, all in full bloom, on a certain date for a big party…oh, did I sweat those! I thought I had all my ducks in a row until the date I received them from the grower. They were beautiful, with tall strong stems and large….buds.  (They had done their best to get them to the right stage of bud/bloom.)

The party was in less than a week, so I put them in the warmest spot in the greenhouse and worked some juju to make them bloom. Thankfully, they cooperated, and my customer didn’t know how close she came to having beautiful amaryllis….in bud. (Wait a minute, who am I kidding? I would have been scouring the city for 12 amaryllis in bloom!)

A 'Shooting Star' hydrangea...

A ‘Shooting Star’ hydrangea…

In the last five years or so, hydrangeas have become a popular holiday flower. Growers force these into bloom for the season, and they really are spectacular on their own,  in an arrangement for a party, or to give as a gift. If I would tell anyone the one thing to remember when they receive or purchase a hydrangea for themselves, it is this – please keep them watered. If they’re allowed to dry out one too many times, there will be brown spots on the otherwise beautiful blooms.

Phaelenopsis orchid...

Phaelenopsis orchid…

Regal cymbidium orchids make quite a statement...

Regal cymbidium orchids make quite a statement…

We have orchids every month of the year, but their beauty is particularly enticing through the holidays. They add a touch of elegance to any setting, beginning with the most common and easy to grow phaelenopsis, or moth orchid. Through December we also carry the impressive cymbidium orchids, with their fans of leaves and huge, drooping buds and blooms in shades of pink, yellow and white. Or you may want to try a diminutive but long lasting lady slipper orchid, whose leaves are often as beautiful as the blooms.

And the list goes on…with the sturdy and bright rieger begonias, the trick to growing them well is to  give them plenty of light and go easy on the water.  Be diligent in pulling off old fading blooms, and they will reward you with many weeks of color!

Pretty cyclamen...

Pretty cyclamen…

Cyclamen are another wonderful winter bloomer, flourishing in cool temperatures and going dormant as temperatures warm in the spring. Be very careful not to overwater (It’s best to water these from the bottom.)  and keep them in as cool a spot as you can.

Ornamental oregano and lemon cypress...

Ornamental oregano and lemon cypress…

These are just a few of the beautiful plants gracing the greenhouse throughout the holidays, Many others are grown more for foliage or scent, such as ornamental oregano, golden lemon cypress,  myrtle, and, of course the poinsettia, a mainstay of the season. There’s simply nothing prettier than a greenhouse in full bloom!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall…More Arrangement Inspiration

Fall Bittersweet Arrangement in BasketAutumn inspires us! The past month we’ve been designing with thoughts of fall…a copper container, a beautiful basket, a heavy stone trough, and even something as simple as a wooden box made wonderful starting pieces for a few of them.

It’s funny how something can sit and not be noticed until a design brings it to life. Jamie did just that with this large basket. It and another like it have been in the greenhouse for awhile now. They’ve held bags of moss or been propped up waiting for someone to notice them. Well, her design certainly does it justice! It’s been the showstopper of the season with her use of bittersweet, giant star pod and Indian corn.

 

 

 

 

Fall ArrangementThis wooden box arrangement was done for a garden club – the customer brought in the antlers! This one was a fun change of pace. Those antlers didn’t want to stay put, and the box was a tad rickety…it reminds us that each day may bring different and interesting challenges!

 

Fall Gourd Arrangement

 

Soon the gourds will be gone for the season…but I’ll remember this arrangement as one of my favorites from this fall. I enjoy the lines of the gourds and the interplay of form here.

 

 

 

 

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

 

Inside The Making Of A Massive Mossed Hanging Basket…

imageOk, this might not be the moss hanging basket for your front porch…in fact, its proportions are massive, at least 30″ across and almost as deep. This basket belongs to a customer who hangs it in in a shady garden area.

imageThis year, she wanted an all white and green foliage basket filled top to bottom with shade loving plants. What a fun project! The basket itself is a heavy duty plastic coated metal frame with openings that plants can be inserted into. Many folks use sphagnum moss or coco liner for these type of plantings, and it works well. However I prefer to use fresh green sheet moss and layer the plantings from the bottom up.

Of course deciding on the plant material came first. I chose plants for their form, leaf color and shape – and, of course, to grow in a very shady spot. I took a walk through the greenhouse and nursery looking for interesting shade plants that would also be small enough to insert into the framework of the basket.

Carex 'Evergold'

Carex ‘Evergold’

I wanted trailing and mounding plants with the exception of the very top of the basket. I started with the variegated carex ‘Evergold’, one of my favorite shade plants. I added some small tassel ferns, Polystichum polyblepharum, for their beautiful deep green color – what a great contrast to the carex! I’m off to a great start…

Of course some ivy – a pretty variegated form worked well with my first two choices. I’d already decided on blue crisp ferns for the very top, and to compliment their blue color, I chose the blue/green pilea ‘Aquamarine’ – all the different foliage colors, textures and leaf forms were looking very pretty together – and not a flower in sight! Next, I added a variegated Swedish ivy – a great addition to shade plantings. It works really nicely as a counterpoint to the carex…and some tiny leaf creeping charlie rounded out my choices. It should meander through the entire planting, adding its dark green and very textured leaves to the composition.image

Now it’s time to plant. This type of container takes time and patience – and a lot of sheet moss, fertilizer and potting soil!

I began by laying a thick layer of moss on the bottom of the basket and up the sides about 6″. Next I added a layer of potting soil, mixed in Osmocote, and started inserting the first layer of plants, alternating to highlight their differences in leaf shapes and color. The Ivy had long runners that I pinned into the moss with florist wire – it will root where pinned and then begin to trail.

Foliage textures...

Foliage textures…

 

After the first layer was inserted, I watered the plants in, pieced moss around the basket again about 6″ up, firmed the first layer of plants in place, and added more potting soil and fertilizer.

 

 

 

The basket fits in nicely with the shade garden...

The basket fits in nicely with the shade garden…

After 5 layers of plants, I was ready to plant the top! Blue crisp fern or bear’s paw fern, polypodium aureum ‘Mandianum’
is a beautiful fern whose fronds will easily reach 3′. This will definitely be a showstopper! I placed it in the center and added the remaining plants, firmed them in and watered everything one last time. Done!

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

 

Arrangements – Happiness On A Rainy Day In The Greenhouse

 

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Recently, on a rainy day, with extra baskets on our hands and plenty of pretty plants at our disposal, these arrangements were the happy result. Rainy days in the greenhouse are the best. When the wind blows and the poly whips across the roof like the sails on a ship, and then the rain starts…there’s nothing like it. That’s when it feels good to work in a greenhouse, the rain rat-tatting on the roof, sometimes so loud it’s hard to hear the phone ring…

image

 

 

But of course there is still work to be done – plants to be tended, orders to be filled, and customers braving the rain to be taken care of. But, between work, there is, shall we say, creative play…

imageAnd there are such pretty things to play with! This time of year, with spring in the air but not quite yet here – this is the time of hydrangeas, calla lilies and sweet alyssum –  the soft colors of Easter mingling and overlapping with the brightness of other, more exuberant blooms of gerbera daisies, ranunculus and the first of the geraniums. So much to work with! So we begin to gather flowers and foliage and perhaps  a few herbs to add their scent, color and texture to the mix.

imageThis post isn’t going to be about design rules, because quite frankly, we sometimes break them. (Maybe we’re just rebels at heart!) No, this is about what feels and looks right to you. And, perhaps it’s more about not being afraid of making a “mistake” – with arrangements, container plantings or your own garden.image

 

So, here are some of our gifts to you, a few creations on a rainy day in March…while the rain rat-tatts on the roof and the poly whips like the sails on a ship…

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Easter Flowers – Lilies and More!

The ultimate Easter flower...

The ultimate Easter flower…

We love the colors, blooms and scents of the Easter holiday…from pure white Easter lilies to the soft purples and pinks of hydrangeas, and the fragrance of stephanotis…this season speaks of new beginnings..

With the upcoming holiday and family and friends gathering for Easter, we have the plants, flowers and arrangements for your table or gifts for loved ones at this special time.

Easter lilies are the traditional Easter plant – enjoy their blooms and scent, and if you have a spot in the garden, plant your lily as soon as danger of frost is past. (Easter is late this year, but please wait until at least the end of April to early May to plant your lily outside.)

hydrangeas in the colors of Easter...

hydrangeas in the colors of Easter…

We also have beautiful hydrangeas…while these are considered florist hydrangeas, for you folks that want to try planting them out in your landscape find a spot with filtered sun, rich soil and a bit of protection. Keep them well watered their first summer in the ground.

The fragrant stephanotis wreaths are beautiful annual vines…they will bloom now and sporadically through the summer – they’re very nice in planters with other blooming summer annuals. They aren’t winter hardy though, so if you’d like to keep them be sure to bring them in for the winter.

Pastel pink orchids float above campanula, violets and selaginella in this Easter arrangement

Pastel pink orchids float above campanula, violets and selaginella in this Easter arrangement

Of course we also have long lasting and elegant orchids – let us arrange a grouping in one of your containers or ours. In addition to gorgeous orchids we also offer kalanchoes, violets, freesia, campanula, calla lilies and more!image

We always have the most beautiful orchids!

We always have the most beautiful orchids!

If you’d rather have an Easter arrangement or basket made up of plants that you can use later in your garden and seasonal planters, we have that as well! Just let us know and we’ll offer appropriate suggestions for you.

From all of us, we hope all of you have a wonderful Easter !

A Valentine’s Day Teaser

Red and white for Valentine's...

Red and white for Valentine’s…

Just had to post one more Valentine’s Day teaser because there are so many beautiful flowers in the greenhouse….the baskets and containers we’ve done are one of a kind – we don’t do any cookie cutter arrangements – ever.

tulips, cyclamen, heather and a fragrant hyacinth mix here...

tulips, cyclamen, heather and a fragrant hyacinth mix here…

Remember too, if you have a basket, bowl or other container you’d like us to fill with beautiful plants, just bring it in and we’ll take it from there.

Some of the blooming plants we have in now include tulips, cyclamen, campanula, primroses, rieger begonias, narcissus, roses, violets, amaryllis, orchids, hydrangeas, pansies, hyacinths, heather, bromeliads and more! So much color and such beauty surrounds us!

Baskets on BOGO!!!

Yes, the Buy One Get One Free SALE on our baskets is continuing the month of February – and there are some great deals on some really nice baskets!

So many to choose from!

So many to choose from!

This would be a great time to stock up on some you think might be good gifts down the road – buy them now and bring them back in later to fill with beautiful plants ( We’ve even planted some with pansies – so pretty!)

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Add Some Color With Rieger Begonias!

Rieger begonias add color and beauty to containers, or are wonderful on their own too!

Rieger begonias add color and beauty to containers, or are wonderful on their own too!

It’s so nice to be able to add some long lasting color to our homes during the winter months.


Rieger begonias do just that, and are long lasting houseplants as well. Give them a bright spot in your home and let them go a bit dry between watering. Get more than one and make yourself a beautiful arrangement like the one above, or come in and let us do it for you! Rieger begonias are available year around, and can be purchased in 4″ and 6″ pots.

Make Someone Happy With A Blooming Basket!

We’ve had recent posts showing pictures of gerbera daisies – well, here they are in action as the focal point of a pretty combination basket – this one went out to someone as part of a birthday celebration…

Pretty gerbera daisies in a mixed basket

Pretty gerbera daisies in a mixed basket

We added a sweet primrose with a touch of foliage – using maidenhair fern and pink fittonia to round out the composition. Add a bow and voila! a lovely gift for some lucky someone! The primroses are also a bright  and seasonal addition to arrangements, but keep in mind they  are available only for a short time early in the year since it will get too hot for them as we get into spring and the warmer months. (Primroses are native to cool, moist climates – while we might have the moist part covered, we certainly aren’t cool!)

Forced bulbs, add bright blooms in this container...

Forced bulbs, add bright blooms in this container…

Here’s another example of some of the seasonal flowers available now – this container shows forced bulbs of tulips, hyacinths, and narcissus, as well as a pure white hydrangea and willow branches to add even more drama…these forced bulbs are, like the primroses, usually available in the early portion of the year. You can plant the narcissus in your garden once they’re done blooming – we’ll talk about that in a later post.

 

More Blooms (and some herbs) for February!

These gerbera daisies could brighten anyone’s day!  They are the  perfect addition to  mixed baskets and centerpieces for a lively pop of color and also make for lovely thinking of you gifts.  Remember also that plants like this will last longer than cut flowers and you can try planting them in your garden come spring – they need a sunny, quite well drained spot if you want to give it a shot.

Cheerful blooms of gerbera daisies

Cheerful blooms of gerbera daisies

We also have a few herbs in stock now – always a fun addition to mixed containers. This basket shows some silvery lavender and a trailing thyme adding their foliage color, texture and scent to this arrangement. Our baskets are still on sale, by the way – buy one get one free. Stop in and take a look!

mixed basket with lavender, thyme and blooms

This mixed basket combines herbs and flowers…

Beautiful Winter Arrangements!

This cheerful basket arrangement contains flowers available in January and February.

 

This pretty winter basket was a gift delivered to one of our customers on a dreary day in January. We hope it made them smile!

The happy flowers in this arrangement include tete a tete narcissus, cyclamen, primroses and blue campanula, blooming plants that are readily available in January and February.

Come in and put your own arrangement together or take a pot of primrose to a neighbor and make them smile too!