When the big crates of statuary arrive, it’s a sure thing spring is just around the corner. Here’s a look at a few of the pieces that came in recently. Whimsical animals, and pretty planters that struck our fancy and we hope will tickle yours too.
They’re even better in person!
Just 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.
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!
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.
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…
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…
And 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.
This 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.
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…
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We’ve had these glass containers for a while and just haven’t had time to do them justice – until now. Layers of different size pebbles, dried peas, aquarium gravel or decorative rocks are wonderful layering options for this type of container.
Add the air plant of your choice and voila! an easy and interesting addition to your indoor landscape. These would be fun hanging on a porch too…or make a great gift for a friend!
These vertical gardens are fun to make!
Vertical gardening is hot! We have been searching for a user friendly vertical garden system for our customers to try, and think we may have found it!
These are sturdy frames with a coco liner insert. The liner has openings cut so insertion of plants is easy peasy…there are nine openings along the front and three on each side and, of course, the top is plantable as well. You can even put more than one together to make a larger vertical garden. We have the frames available for you to purchase and plants like those shown here if you’d like to give it a try! (Or, buy the frame now and save it for planting in the spring.) We’re going to try a succulent version next – we’ll keep you posted!
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…
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!
Would your Valentine like this pretty orchid? Call us and place an order soon and we’ll be sure to pick out the prettiest orchid for your sweetheart! Remember we also can put together a gorgeous arrangement of plants and flowers as well. Either choice will last far longer than cut flowers.
Sweet treats for your sweetheart!
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!
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!)
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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.
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
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…
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.
Reindeer moss and small rocks enhance this miniature landscape in glass ~
Terrariums, gardens in glass, are everywhere these days. We’ve noticed many of our customers have them, either given to them as a gift, or purchased on a whim because they thought it would be a fun project. So…do you have one and not know what to do with the darn thing? Well, that’s just the sort of thing we can help with!
Of course, a terrarium can be any glass container with a lid, or open at the top like the one shown here. A customer brought one in the other day that had been used as the centerpiece at her wedding in 1974 – she was thrilled to let us do the planting honors for the first time in 19 years! You want to plant one yourself you say? We can give you tips and advice to help you create a beautiful ecosystem to enjoy for years.
The terrariums shown here have a layer of pebbles mixed with aquarium charcoal, (The charcoal keeps bacteria from forming in the moist environment.) a layer of potting soil, and plants with decorative rocks and moss added for the final touch. Isn’t the 2 tier terrarium fun? What a wonderful focal point it would make in an office setting or home! Most terrariums need water rarely – if enclosed, the environment stays quite moist. Those with open tops will need water more often, but be careful not to overwater since there’s obviously no drainage. Ferns, fittonias, creeping fig, nephytis and selaginella are just some of the plants that thrive here. .
A double tier terrarium – twice the fun!
Terrariums in all shapes and sizes…
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
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!
This mixed basket combines herbs and flowers…
Once again the ladies from Seven Winds Kitchen have outdone themselves, providing delectable Valentine’s Day sweets for your sweetheart!
Sweet treats for your sweetheart!
Pretty rieger begonias are lovely in mixed baskets…
Here you can see their heart shaped mini tea cakes, chocolate covered peanut clusters and to die for toffee…there’s really something for any kind of sweet tooth – and we can tell you, because of course we had to sample them ;-) they are delicious – the toffee is a new offering this year and we pronounce it amazingly good!!! If you know your love would prefer a flowering orchid or an arrangement of mixed flowering plants like those shown here, of course you know we can take care of you on that front too…place your order soon, and we’ll either have it ready for you to pick up or we can deliver it to your sweetie. Yes, we deliver in the area – you just need to make a purchase of $35 or more, and delivery is $10. So, we have it all for you this Valentine’s Day, sweets and flowers for your honey with our best wishes too!
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!
It’s almost February and that means Valentine’s Day is just about two weeks away! We have lots of live arrangements that will last far longer than cut flowers. Or you can choose something from the variety of flowering plants that we have in the greenhouse and we’ll dress it up for you! Let us know what you need now so we can have it ready for you when you need it! And have a Happy Valentine’s Day!