Holiday Open House

I can't believe it is this time of year again! In just a matter of days we will begin decking the halls in preparation for our annual Holiday Open House!

As long as I can remember, the Open House has been one of my favorite events of the year. Even though I haven't always worked here full time, I always enjoyed the days when I got to come help decorate. Every year has been different. A different inspiration. A different set of ideas. That is what makes the Open House so much fun!This two day event is filled with holiday treats, good music, beautiful decor and, best of all, fellowship with our wonderful customers and friends! Please stop by, sip on a latte made just for you, and browse the many unique gifts and inspirational ideas for your home!

I might be a tad premature in saying this, but what the heck, 

Happy Holidays! :)

~Laura

Adopt-a-Pot

     I thought I would fill you in on a new project that's currently in the works! 

I am calling it.... 

'Adopt-a-Pot, A City Beautification Project'

What it is: 24 large, concrete pots will be placed on the corner of every block from both sides of Idaho Ave to both sides of 5th Ave (street that runs by Belly Buster).
How it works: After the pots are placed, businesses or individuals can then 'Adopt-a-Pot', which means they pay a one-season-extremely-reasonable-fee that includes me going down and planting them up for every season with seasonal interest plants. (I am really excited about doing that part!)
The project's goal and message: is to bring some vibrant color and warmth to our downtown area. 'We aim to inspire growth, new ideas and a spirit of community pride!'
Benefit of adopting a pot: you will be contributing to the beauty and warmth of your city. The adoptee's name will appear on a plaque attached to the specific pot they adopted. AND...it's so easy and affordable!
Future plans for Adopt-a-Pot: are to place pots on the corner of every intersection running down Idaho Ave and SW 4th Ave, so that the entire trip through Ontario will be a treat!

     I think Ontario has a crazy amount of potential to be a charming city, we just need to dig in and get started area by area! My mom, Susan, has already made great efforts to start, block-by-block, sprucing up our town (have you seen the new landscaping running alongside Belly Buster on 5th Ave???), and I feel that I need to start getting involved as well (thanks to the support from both of my parents with this project in particular!) I think that projects like these inspire and are infectious!  It's amazing the effect just a few plants can have!
    I have visited with the city, and they have been extremely helpful and encouraging so far! I am hoping for spring to be the launch for Adopt-a-Pot! I just wanted to fill you in so you can be thinking about it!

    I meet again with the City Council next Thursday, Wish me luck!

~Laura

 

Here is an example of the pot I hope you will see next spring! 

They will definitely make a statement at 33"high x 35"wide (and 480 lbs unplanted!)

Fall's beautiful colors

Do you know of a tree somewhere that has beautiful fall foliage right now??? If you do, go cut a big bouquet of it's fall colored leaves and put them on your table (TODAY!). A bouquet need not consist of blooming things. Use branches (bare or with leaves) and grass with pretty seed heads. Enjoy fall to it's fullest! We like to scatter nature all around our homes. A big bouquet of brightly colored leaves surrounded by a few small pumpkins and squash makes for an easy, cheap, beautiful centerpiece! 

Look around and be inspired.

Autumn season!

What a great time of year! Don't you just love when the scorching weather begins to wane, the trees start to show their outstanding colors, and you begin to just smell that familiar smell in the air? Fall is upon us! I am busy keeping up on deadheading, cutting back, and simply enjoying what the garden has to offer right now. The colors, seed heads, and shapes all become newly inspirational to me. This is when the girls in my family get into the foraging mood! We jump in the car (lattes and pruners in tow) and scout out cattails, wheat, neat looking grasses....heck, even unusual, gnarled pieces of wood! The prettiest autumn decorations are right outside your doorstep! We also love to not only eat pumpkins and squash, but to decorate with them as well! In our October seminar we will be sharing a bunch of neat ideas on how you can easily incorporate pumpkins, squash and gourds into your fall decor (okay...and some yummy recipes too!)

Mark the date on your calendars! 

There is nothing better to get you in the mood for the season then being inspired by the season's harvest!  

Garden Life

I don't know about you guys, but I have a TON of big spiders in my yard! Maybe I just wasn't observant last year, but it seems like there are far more this year. They are really good to have around, so I leave them alone, but I always feel like something is crawling on me when I am working in my garden! (The things we put up with to work in the dirt! :)

The mother of all garden spiders (it's backside is the size of a cherry tomato)

(This one happened to set up camp right around my raspberries and right over a nice sized crop of weeds-which means there are plenty of unpicked raspberries and big weeds! I will be leaving them alone until this guy decides to vacate the premises!)

~Laura

September Seminar

We had such a great time at August's 'Fabulous Fall Containers' seminar and we hope you did too!

Before you know it, September's seminar will be upon us! Be sure to mark this one in your calendars (Saturday, September 25th at 10am!) We will have lots of good ideas on how you can pep up your beds in preparation for winter!

August Seminar!

I just wanted to make sure everyone knew about tomorrow's seminar... because it's going to be a good one! I personally love fall, and am always ready and waiting for the change of season! We have some REALLY GREAT IDEAS lined up for you (as well as some basil themed snacks)! 

Hope to see you there!

~Laura