Saturday, February 11, 2012 between 9 am and 4 pm
Repotting Clinic
Sometimes we all need a little makeover, and if you talk to your houseplants they may have been saying the same thing right about now. A roomier pot, some fresh soil, and maybe a little trim to get them perked up and ready for the next growing season.
This Saturday, bring in your (healthy!!*) houseplants, and John Scott will be here to help you evaluate and re-pot! Buy either the plant or pot today and there’s no charge for soil and supplies! Bring both your plant and pot from home, $5 charge for soil and supplies.

*If you suspect your plant has a disease or insect problem, John would be happy to help you diagnose it. Bring just a clipping or two, not the whole plant, in a sealed ziploc bag and we'll help you figure out what is wrong and how to treat it. When it is healthy again you can consider re-potting.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate enduring love than with a long-lasting, blooming plant! Instead of a stuffed bear, how about a darling ivy topiary bear, or a deer for your dear?
Elegant cyclamen for a romantic evening:
...

Every party or gathering benefits from having one or two kooks and oddballs in the mix of guests: they just put a smile on everyone's face and get the conversation started!

That's how we feel about our tropical plant department, too...it's full of crazy choices right now (which isn't surprising, as Barb, the one responsible for that department is a little nutty herself!). Along with the classics you can find Chenille Plant (pictured), Crocodile Fern, Ponytail Palm, Goldfish Plant, Lipstick Plant, Staghorn Fern, and many other unusual choices to brighten your winter days.

Stop in and wander: it's a great way to spend your lunch hour on a gray and windy day. You just might take a funny new friend home with you!

This workshop was great fun; thanks to all who attended!

Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 11:00 am
Succulent Gardens Workshop
Succulents sculptural appearance will draw you in; their seductively simple care, requiring little attention or pruning, will keep you a fan. Join us for a seminar on succulents (get our “recipe” for cactus/succulent soil!), and then plant your own succulent and cactus dish garden!
Cost for a small garden is $25, large garden is $40. Registration is necessary, space is limited.

The ground may be frozen, we can see our breath in the air, and the best place to be is curled up warm inside, but that doesn't stop us from dreaming of spring. So grab a cup of cocoa and your magazines, and start planning this year's garden!
Here are some hints of what you can do now:...

From tiny single blooms to giant pots, in over 15 colors from traditional red to spectacular patterns, there is a poinsettia for everyone!
There is no quicker way to add a burst of Christmas cheer to your home than by filling it with pots of poinsettias...

Come choose yours and spread the cheer to your family, friends,
and co-workers, too.

Poinsettias are a classic symbol of the Christmas holidays, and there are many stories about how they came to be associated with the holiday. This is one of our favorites, adapted from the Ecke Ranch (one of the largest growers of poinsettias) version:

A charming story is told of Pepita, a poor Mexican girl who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy.
"I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes," said Pedro consolingly.
Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds,...