Garden Center Blog

rock around the christmas tree

Before I started working at a garden center, late autumn could be a bit depressing. When colder mornings and cloudier skies are combined with leaves falling and perennials withering, I felt more than a twinge of sadness. But not anymore. From design plans and buying...

light up the darkness

Now that Daylight Savings Time has had us all resetting our clocks, the shortening of each day as we head toward the Winter Solstice becomes more and more apparent. The term winter solstice marks the day when the earth’s axis tips us, and the rest of the Northern...

light the winter gloom

I love the bustle of the winter holidays. If I regret taking on extra projects, the sight of family faces around the table at Thanksgiving makes all of the work worthwhile. You can use all kinds of things to decorate for the holidays-live plants, foraged stems, fruits...

fall for autumn clean-up

The crisp, white frost that we’ve seen on our lawns a couple of times is a sure sign that the planting season is waning. If you have the energy, you don’t have to put away your wheelbarrow, rakes and shovels yet. There are lots of important tasks to accomplish in the...

hola la nina

Wow. We’re more than halfway through October and though some outlying locations have seen low temps close to freezing, we haven’t experienced a killing frost in any of the in-town areas! The old saying goes “No frost until after the full moon in October.” The long...

to LED or not to LED

There’s no snow forecasted in our immediate future! If fact, the predicted temperatures could be considered balmy. Spring-like. Lovely. So why is this this putting us in a Christmas state of mind? Because it’s a perfect time to add some tree lighting to this weekend’s...

a little something fishy

Despite the warm days we’ve experienced, the night temperatures are cooling and leaves are beginning to color. And did you know that the average date for the first trace of snow is October 16th? Yikes! Colder weather is certainly on its way making it time to get your...

time to take a breath

At long last. It’s time to take a deep breath because a lot of the physical work, and often frenetic pace of the growing season is winding down. Even though the warm weather means that there is still raking to be done, not having a million things to accomplish in the...

trick your bulbs

Let’s start by saying that the word forcing may sound like a lot of work. It really isn’t. What you’re doing is tricking a bulb into thinking that winter is over and it’s time to flower. You could call it a little sleight of hand. And you reap the rewards of spring...

fall is for planting

Now that we’re getting ready to turn the calendar page from September to October, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Cooler temps. Lower humidity. And so many other reasons to love fall! But a gardener’s work is never done. Let’s start by acknowledging...
stop and smell the violets

stop and smell the violets

written by Lisa Briggs
During the holidays, when we need stress relief the most, we turn to gardening again and again, not only because it’s our passion, but because it is also our favorite form of therapy.

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a celebration of the season

a celebration of the season

written by Lisa Briggs
Many of the traditions and legends of the winter holidays have their roots in ancient celebrations from northern Europe, where the long winter brought the longest darkness, the deepest cold and the greatest fear.

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ode to the evergreens

ode to the evergreens

written by Lisa Briggs
The indoor Holiday Wonderland has been up and running for a week or so, but this week has seen so many trucks filled with evergreen wreaths, garland and trees from up north. Our once empty nursery yard is filled with the fragrance of fir and cedar.

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classic holiday plants

classic holiday plants

I love the bustle of the winter holidays. If I regret taking on extra projects, the sight of family faces around the table at Thanksgiving makes all of the work worthwhile. You can use all kinds of things to decorate for the holidays-live plants, foraged stems, fruits...

read more
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