Create A Winterthur Inspired Everlasting Christmas Tree

A tour of Henry Francis du Pont's former extraordinary home was my destination this year to enjoy holiday style decorations. An eighteen room dollhouse, fully decorated with Christmas treasures and other handmade pieces was also one of the draws for me. Another was the large fir in the Conservatory decorated with hundreds of multi-hued dried …

Making Your Fall Pumpkins Last

With Halloween around the corner, pumpkin carving skills need to be honed and executed on the most perfect orange sphere that you can find in the pumpkin patch. If orange isn't your thing, there is a rainbow of colors to choose from. Check out my post on Decorating Pumpkins-Pumpkin Eye Candy.   Making Your Creation …

Floral Ice Bucket

Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love, and what better way to do this than by having an intimate Valentine’s dinner at home. Create a space that smells delicious by grabbing some veggies from the garden and putting together your significant other’s favorite meal. Make your table look equally as beautiful with an elegant …

The Year in Review-Top Garden Posts For 2018

  It's that time of year again, where I review my most viewed posts from all over the world and I was surprised at some of the posts that were at the top of the heap. The top ten countries that view my blog in descending order are the U.S. Canada, UK, Australia, India, Germany, …

Poinsettia-Christmas Customs & Traditions

Princettia Poinsettias branch more and produce more flowers

No flower says Christmas like the beautiful Poinsettia.  I was amazed to learn that the Poinsettia is the most popular potted plant by far in the U.S. and Canada. Here are some other interesting tidbits: History & Legends The Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, means "very beautiful" The showy leaves or petals, called "bracts", are not the actual flower. The …

Winterthur’s Dried Flower Christmas Tree

Dried flower tree at Winterthur

A tour of Henry Francis du Pont's former extraordinary home was my destination this year to enjoy holiday style decorations. An eighteen room dollhouse, fully decorated with Christmas treasures and other handmade pieces was one of the draws for me. Another was the large fir in the Conservatory decorated with hundreds of multi hued dried …

A Colonial Christmas Tryon Palace

Located in New Bern, North Carolina, near the intercoastal waterway, you can experience North Carolina's colonial past in a beautiful historic building that dates back to 1770. John Hawks, a London architect,  was brought here by Royal Governor William Tryon to build an impressive brick Georgian style structure to house his family and to become …

Christmas at Longwood Gardens

Photo by Laura Jones Christmas at Longwood Gardens A family tradition for many years, visiting Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, is a feast for the senses. Colorful lights, pine scented greens and paper white floral fragrance, and pipe organ music escaping from the organ room, surround you as you enter the conservatories under glass.   …