Floral Trends for Wedding Flowers- My opinion anyway

Spring bouquet

Compote Spring with lilac

Bridesmaid - June

Brides - June with Astilbe

A range of pinks and greens with snowberries

Mason jar with snowball viburnum and American Fringe tree

• Yellow and more yellow. Seasonal flowers lovers will know yellow is common in April and early May but then hard to come by until summer daisies kick-into gear for July, August and September. Keep this in mind when planning colors for your wedding. June brides are better off using the soft pinks and whites of peonies along with larkspur and lavender after mid- June.
• Retro Cool- great flowers not used much anymore, chrysanthemums and carnations, both have a nice fragrance and hold up well to corsages and boutonnieres. In general, arrangements will be more natural and with will continue to be popular. Fresh hand-tied bouquets with the 'just-picked' look. Smaller less cluttered bouquets. 
• Warm colors- 'Autumn's a wonderful time for flowers, as the warm amber and terra cotta colors can be perfectly complemented with the abundance of seasonal berries and herbs. If you love seasonal flowers August-October is the time to get married. Hundred of flowers choices are available during this season. Everything from Calla lilies to Zinnias are in full bloom. The list includes, Dahlias, Snowberries, white, green and antique Hydrangea. 
• Over-the-arm bouquets- With the popularity of Calla lilies over the arm in back in style. It is an excellent choice if you have a detailed dress you want to show off and not hide with a bouquet. Over-the-arm bouquets are also made with long stem lilies, grass, or autumn berries such as Winterberry holly.
• Bright colors- My brides are choosing lovely bright colors recently. Hot pinks with oranges or a jewel tone mix that includes deep blues and reds.
• Just one Color- one the other hand just one color in also popular. The uncluttered look of a single color carried through -out the wedding. Personally, I prefer at least shades of one color and it's almost required if you are using our seasonal flowers. It's hard to match the perfect bridesmaid dress with the exact shade of dahlia.
• Pure White? For Autumn, brides are choosing soft pink, apricot creams and deep burgundy, always a popular accent for fall. These are being mixed with foliage of silver and grey, using lamb's ear and pussy willow along with artemnesia.
• Vintage, natural, shabby chic it's all here. Soft pastels lend themselves to these styles. Blends of pink and soft oranges are used throughout the year.
• Woodland flowers- Well at least they look woodland. No not cultivated lady's slippers, we're talking about loose bouquets with multiple small flowers, bachelor buttons, small daisies, light grasses and lavender. Multiple shades of green is accomplished by adding seed pods and flower buds.
• Reds and golds are still big for Autumn.  Brides often choose expensive calla lilies that peak in August. I prefer the round beauty of the many Dahlia choices we have in the fall.
• Less Structure. Yes we're getting away from even the round hand-tied bouquet. Most are now looser with at least a few strands of vine-age and many spill outward with ivy and tailing flowers.
• One trend I don't like. No greenery. While my personal style is to use very little greenery; I love the flowers too much. I find bouquets with none at all, boring and mono on mono. 

May 14 Wedding Flowers- Penny

Not the usual affair for a spring wedding. Bright hot colors all around. The Wedding was at Prospect Hill B&B in Mountain City, TN.

Why buy Local?

(With a few additions of my own)
Why buying Local is Important?
Local foods systems provide several advantages over conventional and global markets. Buying locally strengthens regional economies, supports family farms, provides delicious, "farm-from-the-field" foods for consumers, preserves the local landscape, and can help foster a sense of community.

Buying local food strengthens your regional economy
Purchasing local food that was grown and harvested locally keeps your money circulating within your community, keeping wealth in your region. Supporting local farms can help to create jobs for your region. A strong local economy insulates your region from national and global recessions.

Buying local food provides high-quality, fresh foods ( and flowers)
Locally-produced food is often (always)fresher than conventional products grown far away and shipped in trucks for several days. You can give local farmers feedback on the quality and freshness of their produce. (and flowers)

Buying local food fosters community growth
Family farms are part of the American tradition of self-sufficiency and serve as the basis of local communities. Local farmers markets and CSA farms provide places for community members to meet, socialize, and discuss issues. Local farmers markets and farms bring together individuals who share concerns about the future, promoting organization and cooperation toward common goals. by helping family farms financially, you sustain your family and community with delicious, healthy local foods.

Buying local lets you connect with your food ( and flower) producer concerning the safety and nutrition of your foods
Locally-grown foods can be high in nutrients, often reaching you within 24 hours of harvest, whereas produce shipped from out of the state may be up to a week old and has often suffered from severe nutrient loss.
When you buy locally, you can ask whether the farmers use safe farming practices, what they spray on their crops, and what they feed their animals.

Buying local preserves the natural environment (many of us work very hard on this at great expense, please support us)
By supporting local agriculture, you help to protect your region's farmland from urban sprawl and development. Protection of local farmland means protection of open spaces, natural ecosystems, and biodiversity. Buying local food helps to reduce dependence on foreign oil needed to ship food thousands of miles, thus cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions.
http://foodroutes.org

http://www.buylocalfood.com/

http://www.localharvest.org/

Locally grown Alstromeria 'Mauve Majesty' from Shady Grove Gardens & Nursery

Tomato Season is not long off

I just finished transplanting the tomatoes for sale into 3" pots. A nice size for a big healthy tomato start. This year we are using completely organic potting soil and fish emulsion for fertilizer. It's been difficult to find just the right organic potting soil and fertilizer for seedlings. But we know many of our customers want more than 'no pesticide' vegetables. Here's a few of the transplants that will be ready starting the 1st and 2nd week of May. If you choose to plant that early take care to watch for a late frost!

Juliet - salad tomato

Black Cherry

Sun Sugar

Sweet Million

Principe Borghese- for drying

Sungold

Purple Russian- heirloom

Cherry Mix - Garden Candy

From Rene's Seed: A cherry tomato mix Garden Candy
and 'Chianti Rose' a pink heirloom that is thought to be better than Brandywine.

Chianti Rose

How to Choose your wedding Colors

Attracting Beneficial Insects to your Garden

Beneficial Insects are an important part of organic gardening. It is very easy to have them without purchasing some. Just plant the flowers they need to survive.  The adults often eat only pollen. It's the juveniles the do the clean up work.  So you are planting flowers that produce pollen for the adults. If you keep the adults well fed with flowers they will stick around and lay their eggs for future generations of pest eating larvae.

To sustain adult beneficial insects, plant early, mid-season and late blooming flowers.
Here's a starter list of flowers to plant for beneficial insects.
Herbs:

• Mint
• Oregano
• Comos
• Lavender
• Basil
• Marigold
• Yarrow - early bloom
• Nasturtium
• Lovage
• Golden Marguerite - early bloom

Mountain Mint

Nasturtium 

Penstemon

Monarda

Echinacea, Shasta Daisy, Spirea

Agastache

Perennials:

• Salvia
• Coreopsis
• Monarda - Bee Balm
• Agastache
• Ajuga
• Rudbeckia
• Echinacea
• Leucanthemum - 'May Queen' is an early bloomer =Shasta Daisy
• Pycnanthemum - Mountain Mint
• Penstemon

Birdwatching at Shady Grove Gardens 'The Peak' (Ashe Co.)

We're on the NC Birding Trail in the Mountain Region section http://www.ncbirdingtrail.org/mountains.asp

We offer guided and unguided use of our trails, spring is almost here plan an early morning with us.

The Golden Winged Warbler is a symbol of the need for conservation of resources for migrating song birds. Brent has spent all good weather days this entire winter working on habitat maintenance for the GWW. 4 months of bush clearing and Multiflora rose removal. Come see our conservation success story and support our hard work.

Owner: Brent Cochran and SusanWright

2278 West Peak Road, Creston, NC 28615 828‐297‐4098

Site Description: Shady Grove Farms is a nice mix of open grassy areas, early successional shrubby areas, and young forest. These habitats support a variety of high‐elevation shrub land species like Golden‐winged Warbler, which are easily seen and heard here in May and most of June. In some years, Brewster’s Warbler hold territories here. A pair or two of Black‐billed Cuckoo are usually present in summer and fall migration (August). Yellow‐ breasted Chat and Alder Flycatcher are also present in most years. Gray Catbird, Field Sparrow, Chestnut‐sided Warbler, Indigo Bunting and Eastern Towhee are all common breeders. The farm is nestled under the shadow of the Peak, one of the high Amphibolite Mountains in northwest North Carolina. Common Raven nest here and are regularly seen and heard from the farm, as are resident Broad‐winged, Red‐tailed and Cooper’s Hawks. Migrant songbird numbers can be good in fall and spring, especially in the denser, wetter portions of the farm.

Species of Interest: Black‐billed Cuckoo, Alder Flycatcher, Common Raven, Golden‐winged Warbler, Chestnut‐ sided Warbler, Yellow‐breasted Chat

Habitats: northern hardwood/cove forest, early successional, river/stream/wetlands Access & Parking: The site is open to visitation on Sunday and Monday; visitors must call ahead to arrange a

visit and schedule a guided walk (fee). Check the Website for details.

Directions: From Boone, travel north on US 421 for 14 miles. Turn right on NC 67/88 in Trade, TN. Travel for 7.5 miles to West Peak Road, on the right. Follow West Peak Road for 2.5 miles until the pavement ends. The farm is the first property on the left after the pavement ends. Signs for Shady Grove Gardens are on the barn along the road.

Coordinates: N 36o 24’ 37” W 81o 39’ 07” DeLorme (NC Gazetteer) Page: 13

10 Mistakes New Gardeners Make

Via iVillage and the Gardeners Web Forum-- My Comments are in Purple

1. Overwatering. Most new gardeners think that the more water you give plants, the better -- when usually, just the opposite is true. Take the time to learn exactly what the water needs of your plant are and count to 10 before turning on the hose. If you are watering anything daily, you are probably watering too much. Small seedlings in small containers may very well need water every day. I check everything every day. Slower growing plants will need less water. Wilting can be caused by root rot.

2. Trying to Grow Non-Native Species. It is almost impossible to grow rhubarb in Texas, cactus outdoors in North Dakota, cranberries in Arizona or Vidalia onions in Michigan. Since the plant has to grow where it is planted or die, you improve its chances of survival dramatically by growing what is native to your area. Checking with a local nursery or supplier, using a seed catalog company from your region and talking to other local gardeners can save you lots of heartache -- and backache. Here at Shady Grove we try hard to offer plants that will succeed for you. Feel free to ask what will do well in your garden. I have 20 + years of landscape gardening to go along with the 20+ years here at the nursery and the cut flower farm. Don't add those numbers together! I much prefer phone call or a nursery visit. I spent way too much time typing as it is....

3. Not Knowing Your Zone.The time to plant in Illinois isn't the time to plant in Florida, and vice versa. June may be the peak of gardening season in New York, but it isn't in Southern California. Again, for local gardeners, the county AG agent and local nurseries are a good source of information. Most of the High Country is zone 6. It used to be zone 5. Beech Mountain in still zone 5.

4. Fertilizing More is Not Always Better, Often it is Worse. Take the time to learn the nutrient needs of your plants and the differences in various kinds and levels of fertilizer. If you feed your tomatoes nothing but fish emulsion, you will have lovely, big green plants. But no tomatoes. If you feed your roses lots of nitrogen-rich fertilizer you will have plenty of lovely rosebush leaves. But nary a rose. A balanced fertilizer or one low in nitrogen will get you flowers and fruits. Organic fertilizer is much much better and easy to come by these days. Southern States on Water Street, Boone even has some.

5. Beware of Overly Invasive Plants. Often plants are listed in catalogs as readily reseeding, vigorous, having a spreading habit or being extremely hardy. This may mean the plant can become invasive and spread well beyond your intended area. Catalogs are wonderful resources for finding special plants. But some catalogs just go too far with their colorful descriptions, implying that a plant is trouble-free, carefree and practically perfect in every way. Take the time to learn the banned invasive plants in your area. Please try to plant varieties that add to the environment not jump the fence and mug the little woodland natives. More on that later.

6. Plant Lust. New gardeners would do well to avoid the "I just gotta have it!!!" syndrome. Purchasing plants that require a growing environment you cannot possibly provide is not only costly but frustrating. Going to a nursery is like going to the grocery store: Make sure you have a list, and stick to it! We don't mind if you buy just one plant but they look better in larger groups of 3-9.

7. Kill All Bugs. Those new to gardening often feel that "the only good bug is a dead bug." Not true! A healthy garden will always have a population of insect life good and bad. The key is balance. Remember, the garden isn't your house, it's theirs, and most of the insects in the flower bed and vegetable garden are good guys. They may nibble on the occasional leaf or bud, but they more than earn their keep by eating up the bad guys and providing pollination services. Less than five percent of the various insects, beetles, spiders, worms and caterpillars are true pests, so "nuking" the garden with pesticides often does far more harm than good. I have also run into people 'nuking everything when the real problem was rabbits or deer. Pesticides even hash ones rarely do in a deer. So know your enemy and remember pets run through the garden everyday and then they come into the house. 

One more thought on this subject. Caterpillars i.e. butterflies stock up in the fall. You can expect all your plants to have some holes in the fall; so what? It's going to frost in a few days and the leaves will fall off. Let the critters have a meal and forget perfection. Nature is not perfect.

8. Overcrowding. Overcrowding plants doesn't do them any favors. Plants need room to breathe and good air circulation. They also need light to reach them, and planting too densely blocks plants' ability to reach their full potential. Overcrowding stresses plants and makes them more prone to disease. In our area I see lack of sunlight as the biggest problem. People are overly optimistic about how much sunlight their yard really gets. Check your light levels throughout the day.

9. Avoiding Weeding. Whether by hook, crook or hand, those weeds have to come out of the garden and flower bed, and getting them out before they go to seed can make a world of difference. You can do much to limit the problem of weeds (ground covers, mulching, etc.), but there is no free lunch. All gardens need some maintenance. Know your weeds and start early. Bring me a small sample if you're not sure what you have.

10. Not Preparing New Beds Properly. Piling soil on top of your lawn or new flower beds will not kill weeds. They will thrive and flourish in the rich new soil. Be diligent in pulling and digging the area and amend the soil. The time spent building a good, weed-free soil base before planting will make the future tending of the bed much easier and more satisfying. Using the wrong soil and not doing the above work is probably the #1 problem. Compost and compost.

Add save!

Wedding Wire Brides Choice Award

Our Wedding Wire Award

Boone, NC – January 31, 2011 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Shady Grove Gardens & Nursery has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Florist!  Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients  are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest  wedding review site in the nation.  Shady Grove Gardens & Nursery stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service  excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding  professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding  photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.  “WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice  Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize  the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud  Shady Grove Gardens & Nursery for their professionalism and dedication  to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”  We are happy to announce that Shady Grove Gardens & Nursery is among the very best Florist within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading  wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project  Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

Growing Flowers for Summer Butterflies and Winter Birds

Here's a short list of easy to grow flowers for both butterflies in the summer and seed for the birds in the winter.

Sedum Autumn Joy and Fountain Grass

Coreopsis 'Brown Eyes'

Liatris or Gayfeather

Various Rudbeckias

Helianthus hirsutus  -Perennial Sunflower

Cosmos 

Sedums sp. great for bees, butterflies and later the birds

Rudbeckia- Black-Eyed- Susans -all varieties birds, bees and butterflies

Liatris- also called Blazing Star and Gayfeather

Coreopsis- is an excellent flower for both summer butterflies and winter seed sources

Cosmos- an easy to grow annual

Goldenrod- does not cause hayfever! A perfect flower for all winged animals and insects.

Coneflower or Echinacea

Sunflower - great to grow with kids

Butterfly Bush - a non-native species, still great for butterflies and winter birds

Perennial Asters of all types. Perfect food for the Juncos and sparrows that stay with us for the winter

Fountain Grass

Winterberry Holly

Snowberries - beneficial wasps pollinate and bird feed on the berries