The weather has changed, the holiday season is in full swing! Adults, children and pets will be spending more time indoors and distractions abound. It is a good time to assess the location of all houseplants and holiday plant additions. It is important to know the botanical name of all plants in your home in case any part is accidentally ingested by a child or pet. Common... Read More
Looking for the latest method to display a houseplant? The Japanese form of ‘kokedama’ might be the answer. Picture a plant without a traditional container, surrounded by a mud ball, wrapped in moss and string, and then suspended from your ceiling. This is certainly an adventurous, creative, and wonderfully messy undertaking. If you are ready listed here are the steps-let’s kokedama! MATERIALS – Clay-based akadama (bonsai soil-... Read More
Chestnuts (Fagaceae – Beech species) are a cool season crop; available in the markets from October through March, peaking in December. In Asia and Europe, they are now harvested and processed employing traditional methods. Early in the 20th century the American chestnut trees were almost wiped out by a pathogenic fungus! In the stores, choose big sized, fresh nuts. Since they are rich in starch and fewer fats... Read More
It’s November! Thanksgiving is only a few short weeks away and it’s already the halfway point of autumn before the winter solstice (December 22nd). Some thoughts to carry you through the holiday rush; ✦ “Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.” Elizabeth Bibesco ✦ “It isn’t the great pleasures that count the most; it’s making a great deal out of the little... Read More
If you are feeling a bit melancholy because all your beautiful outdoor plants have passed on or gone dormant, you can move your green thumb indoors! This is the time of the season for Poinsettias, Paper Whites (Narcissus), Amaryllis and Christmas Cactus. Creek Side Gardens is stocking up on these traditional holiday favorites. The bulbs can be purchased as ‘bare root’ bulbs or as pre-potted plants.... Read More
His face, too broad for beauty, shows Complexion far too florid; His eyes are vacant, and his nose Triangular and horrid. The spaces left between his teeth Would shock an orthodontist; His lid has not a hair beneath… He’ll win no beauty contest! Yet when a candle set inside Is lit, he looks quite mellow, And very quickly we agree That he’s a charming fellow.... Read More
Our community has enjoyed a beautiful, long garden season this year! Gardeners and all of us in the nursery business have been watching the days closely awaiting the First Average Frost and yes, it has arrived as predicted – in the small hours of October 28th. There are a number of gardening tasks which can still be completed before the ground freezes. Remember, the days... Read More
Got a spare goat’s horn laying around the house? If so, you can create a beautiful centerpiece celebrating the abundance of the season’s harvest. Most of us will have to settle for the typical, hollow-horn shaped wicker basket you can find at the local hobby/craft store. The tradition of filling the ‘horn of plenty’ can be traced back to 5 B.C. The Latin word ‘cornucopia’... Read More
Dogs and cats alike will nibble and ingest green grass blades during the spring and summer months when availability and growth is plentiful. This behavior has been linked to boredom, curiosity, even nutritional necessity. Whatever the reason your pet decides to dine on greens, it becomes an important issue as the weather changes, the availability of grass is non-existent, pets spend more time indoors, and your houseplants start looking... Read More
Those beautiful orange berries we all know as pumpkins are abundant this time of year and there are many sizes, shapes, and colors to choose. After the perfect pumpkin has been selected, some helpful tips are needed to ensure its stay in your home. Neighborhood squirrels will be delighted to share the bounty you have placed on your front porch, and they won’t even ask! The seeds are the... Read More
