The holiday season is officially here, and with it comes trees, lights, mistletoe + holly! These things are so much more than pretty decorations though—they’re tradition. While it could take a lifetime to learn about each Christmas tradition, you can’t say “holiday” without “holly”—so where did that one come from?
There’s something about creating your own holiday decorations that can make the season feel even merrier. The holidays are all about the experience, so we love to think of DIY projects as the perfect way to spend quality time with loved ones. What are some of our favorite ways to customize our holiday decor?
Halloween is over which means it’s finally time to start thinking about Thanksgiving + all of those fantastic December holidays! As we say goodbye to pumpkins, bats + spider webs, we can welcome in lush garland, ornaments + tons of holiday cheer. Want to deck the halls the right way this year? Check out these tips for decorating your home this holiday season.
Holiday Workshop- Trevor Bey
Don’t miss our upcoming Holiday Workshops presented by Trevor Bey from Holiday Creation, Inc! Want to rev up your holiday decorations? Ready to wow your friends and family with dazzling displays? Trevor Bey is an incredible designer who can help you transform the way you think about decorating for Christmas. He’s an expert in his industry, having decorated public venues like Grove Park Inn in Asheville, the Panther’s Football Stadium in Charlotte, as well as a string of stores in the Bahamas as well as along the East Coast (including ours). He will teach you all the secrets of the pros!
Trevor will be teaching a number of classes for us in October and November and the October ones are listed below. To sign up for a class, stop by the Garden Center or call 919-460-7747. Registration is open and spots are limited—so don’t delay, sign up today!
November 6 (Thursday)-11:00 A.M. The Five Minute Bouquet-$35.00
For those of you who are skilled in decorating from taking previous workshops, this class is for you. Trevor's new and simple tricks of the trade add up to a whole lot ideas to decorate almost everything in your home.
November 6 (Thursday)-6:00 P.M. Christmas Trees 101-$35.00. Limit 50
This "hands-on" workshop will cover ribbon and bow making, as well as the seven elements of design for decorating any style Christmas tree. Learn how to properly "fluff" your tree, shape picks and place prop pieces. Leave class with your own DIY bow and all the knowledge to decorate a designer tree this holiday season.
November 7 (Friday)- 11:00 a.m. Christmas Trees 101- $35.00 Limit 50
This "hands-on" workshop will cover ribbon and bow making, as well as the seven elements of design for decorating any style Christmas tree. Learn how to properly "fluff" your tree, shape picks and place prop pieces. Leave class with your own DIY bow and all the knowledge to decorate a designer tree this holiday season.
November 7 (Friday)-6:00 p.m. Deck the Halls-$35.00 Limit 50
This "Hands-On" workshop is all about learning the techniques to create simple swags and apply them to wreaths, bannisters, and mantels...from simple to elaborate, this class covers it all.
November 8 (Saturday)-10:00a.m.-3:00p.m., Weekend Workshop with Trevor Bey-$125.00-(includes lunch)
Join Trevor for an all day workshop covering everything you want to know about professional holiday decorating. Trevor will cover the basics of putting together a beautiful tree, mantel, wreath, garland and he will show you the magic of the 5-minute bouquet. Lunch is provided.
Visit our Greenhouse Christmas Boutique as we celebrate our 15th year bringing you the latest and greatest in holiday decor. Stroll through our retail gallery and sip on a cup of freshly brewed coffee or hot apple cider, as we delight you with over a dozen themed vignettes decked with trees, ornaments, garlands, wreaths and decor. We are excited to share this year's holiday collection our team of design experts have brought to you for 2013.
enjoy coffee
The front of the greenhouse celebrates a GSCO staff favorite pick, Garden and Gun. This hunt club inspired tree is set in front of our cozy stone hearth and features sequined stuffed pheasants a midst large black lanterns, giant metal spheres, and faux stag horns. The tree is dripping in champagne and golden mercury glass ornaments. We've dressed the vignette in faux fur wreaths, rich houndstooth and tweed ribbons, and our best magnolia picks and sprays. The realistic looking cotton picks add instant southern charm to this feminine take on the gentleman's "Best in Show."
Christmas Tree- Garden and Gun- Garden Supply Co
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Our designers often take nods from the fashion industry and this year black and white was a duo prominent through out fashion and interior design. We have complimented the black and white pair with shades of lime green and red for a fun, whimsical feel. Snowmen and penguins are perfect additions to this mix. This whimsical theme has been popular among customers in years past and the bold addition of black and white will continue to gain popularity for years to come.
Christmas Tree- Whimsical Christmas- Garden Supply Co
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If you long for the nostalgia of Christmases past, our vintage vignette is the theme for you. Lit Houses literally take the spotlight in this heavily flocked tree, especially appealing to collectors of Cody Foster. Adorned with beaded garlands and crystal icicles, this snowy blanket it the perfect canvas for those brightly colored vintage and replica ornaments we so fondly remember from yester year.
Christmas Houses- Garden Supply Co
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Take your tiny tots over to the kids corner where Santa is busy making toys in his workshop. Look overhead to find the Polar Express train suspended in a fully decked out garland. Peer high and low to find all of Santa's helpers swinging from garland to tree in preparation for December 25th. This 9 foot tree is covered from sock monkey to easy bake oven.
Christmas Garland- Garden Supply Co
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Don't be left with coal - our Letters to Santa tree has the wishlist thing covered! This Americana styled tree is filled with eclectic versions of elves and Santas dressed in cozy sweaters, all busy making lists and checking them twice. Find rustic mail boxes, sleighs, and burlap poinsettias nestled into icy picks, birch bundles, and jungle bell clusters.
Christmas Tree- Santa's Workshop
Christmas Elf- Garden Supply Co
Enjoy the playful world of fairies and forest creatures nestled in this year's Enchanted themed tree. From The frosted fern picks to the over-sized foam flowers, this tree is truly something out of a fairy tale. Search for nature's furry and feathered friends tucked into the boughs of this upside down enchanted garden. The enormous moss covered mushrooms and birdcages take center stage in the elaborate garland that stretches over nearly half the length of the boutique.
Christmas Tree- Fairy- Garden Supply Co
Celebrate the Holiday Season with Garden Supply Company!
Holiday Workshop- Trevor Bey
We are excited to announce this season's schedule for our much anticipated Holiday Workshops with Trevor Bey from Holiday Creation, Inc. This is our third year working with Trevor and he just keeps getting better - and more in demand. Among his credits are designing Christmas magic for public venues like the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, a string of stores in the Bahamas as well as the East Coast (including ours), and the Panther's Football Stadium in Charlotte.
Trevor's ability to convey in easy-to-understand steps, how to decorate your home and Christmas tree like a designer is why we invite him back. We are fortunate to have him all to ourselves for a week in October and a weekend in November. This year we're offering more workshops with smaller class sizes so you have more opportunity for a "hands-on" experience.
Holiday Workshops:
Trees 101
Instructor: Trevor Bey
This "Hands-On" Workshop will cover ribbon, how to choose it, and why it is important to any design. You will make a bow, learn how to properly prepare and "fluff" your tree for decorating, as well as the key "Seven Elements of Design" for decorating any style Chistmas tree. You will leave this class with your own DIY bow, and the knowledge to decorate your tree like a pro.
Dates:
October 15th at 6:30-8:30 pm
October 16th at 10:00 am- 12:00 pm
November 7th at 6:30-8:30 pm
November 8th at 10:00 am- 12 pm
Deck the Halls
Instructor: Trevor Bey
This hands-on workshop will cover several ways to "deck your halls" this holiday season. Learn the design elements to make simple swags and wreaths. Apply the same basic principles to create more elaborate garlands and swags on your bannisters and mantles. Elements of ribbon will also be covered.
Dates:
October 16th at 6:30-8:30 pm
October 17th at 10:00 am- 12:00 pm
October 17th at 6:30-8:30 pm
Create Your Own
Instructor: Trevor Bey
This intermediate level class will put the words "Do-It-Yourself" to the test! Bring in something you own which you would like to enhance for Christmas . . . A lamp, candlesticks, vase, etcetera, and we will help you create a holiday focal point using elements of design that you will translate to any room in your house.
Dates:
October 18th at 10:00 am- 12:00 pm
October 18th at 6:30-8:30 pm
November 8th at 6:30-8:30 pm
Registration for Trees 101, Deck the Halls, and Create Your Own
All morning classes will start with mimosas and muffins. Evening classes we will be serving wine and dessert. Workshop fee of $50 includes refreshments, $10 in Christmas Cash, and a one time 12% discount on your entire Christmas purchase!
If you decide to take a second class, your next class fee is $40, and if you want to add the third one, it is $30.
Trevor Bey- Garden Supply Co
Christmas Workshop Day Camp:
Trees 101 & Deck the Halls Day Camp
Instructor: Trevor Bey
Time: 10:00am-3pm Saturday Oct. 19th and Nov. 9th
This "Hands-On" Workshop will cover "Trees 101" and "Deck the Halls"and more in a one day session with a catered lunch served in between the two classes. Discover several ways to deck your halls this holiday season. Learn ribbon and bows "how-to" as well as the "Seven Elements of Design" for decorating any style Christmas tree. Find out how to properly "fluff" your tree, shape picks, and place prop pieces.
After enjoying a catered lunch, learn the design elements to make simple swags and wreaths and apply the same basics to making more elaborate garland decor for your mantles and bannisters.
The "all-day" camps are $125 and designed for those of you want to "knock it all out" at once.
Sign-up for all of our Holiday Workshops are open now. Please stop by the garden center or give us a call at 919-460-7747 to get registered.
Hi everyone and happy Friday to you all! Another weekend has rolled around again and the grounds at Garden Supply are looking as beautiful as ever. Late spring, early summer is blessing us with tons of beautiful blossoms at the garden center, and I am so excited to share with you some of my favorites of the week.
As you can see, the perennial and annual tables are absolutely bursting with color. The roses are magnificent right now and the hydrangeas are out of this world. Scroll down a post or two to see more details on those. I also mentioned previously the early blooming crape myrtle, Zuni, which continues to wow down at the garden center. Now joining the Zuni in full bloom are the Natchez and Tonto varieties of crape.
Natchez Crape Myrtle
The Natchez Crape Myrtle is a best seller, made popular by being a fast growing tree that blooms all summer long. It grows very rapidly at 3-5 feet a year and is tolerant of many climates. The pure white blooms explode in brilliance against the tree’s deep green leafy canopy from June through September. A Natchez Crape Myrtle also gives you the unusual bark coloring of cinnamon on the trunk and stems, along with its smooth, sleek distinctive texture.
Tonto Crape Myrtle
The new Tonto Crape Myrtle gives you huge, dark pink blooms throughout the summer. This is the perfect tree if you want to add vibrant color to your lawn, but have limited yard space. This crape myrtle matures to 8-15 ft., making it the perfect tree to tuck away in tight areas. However, it will soon attract attention with its abundance of dark pink flowers that last from late spring to early fall.
Zuni Crape Myrtle
The Zuni tops out at about 12', making it the ideal choice for small yards and screening hedges. Blooming early summer through fall, Zuni features larger, dark lavender flower trusses, improved hardiness, and handsome peeling bark. Excellent fall foliage color from orange-red to maroon.
Another blooming tree that caught my eye this week is the stunning Southern Magnolia. Native to the southeastern United States, the magnolia is a large striking evergreen tree with large dark green leaves and large white fragrant flowers. Widely cultivated around the world, over a hundred cultivars have been bred and marketed commercially. We are excited to offer several varieties at Garden Supply, including this 'Little Gem' magnolia.
Little Gem Magnolia
This cultivar of Southern Magnolia has a compact, upright growth habit more typical of a multi-stemmed shrub than a single-trunked tree. It grows at a slow rate to a height of perhaps 30 to 35 feet with an 8 to 12-foot spread. ‘Little Gem’ Southern Magnolia forms a dense, dark green oval or pyramidal shape, making it suited for screen or hedge planting.
The Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora is a medium to large evergreen tree which may grow 27.5 m (90 ft) tall. It typically has a single stem and a pyramidal shape. The leaves are dark green, stiff and leathery, and the large, showy, citronella-scented flowers are white, up to 30 cm (12 in) across and fragrant, with 6–12 petals with a waxy texture, emerging from the tips of twigs on mature trees in late spring. Flowering is followed by a rose-colored fruit.
We also offer the Dwarf Southern Magnolia, a heavy bloomer with white, 6-inch flowers appearing in spring and again in summer. Its narrow, evergreen form is 20 to 25 feet high by 10 to 15 feet wide. Green leaves are rusty bronze underneath.
I wanted to share with you a fun new line of Americana home decor items just in to the Greenhouse. These adorable pieces are full of spirit and are just waiting to brighten your homes this summer season.
And don't forget our Gardener's for the Cure team, part of the 2010 NC Triangle Race for the Cure, being held June 12th. If you have not joined the team yet, it is not too late. We are getting close to our goal of raising $10,000, but we still have a little way to go. Every penny goes to research for finding a cure for breast cancer, and we appreciate each and every pledge. So much so, in fact, that we are offering a special 12% discount card for all your Garden Supply purchases for the rest of this year. Register with us at the nursery, or online here. Help us in this fight against breast cancer.
Thanks so much for stopping by everyone! Hope you have a wonderful weekend. See you all down at Garden Supply.
Good afternoon everyone! For those of you interested in herb gardening, we have received several wonderful shipments of plants this last week. Just about any herb you may be familiar with, and perhaps a few varieties you haven't heard of, have made their way to Garden Supply.
And although our last frost of the season is scheduled for April 15th, you can get started on your gardens now with just a bit of tender care. Come talk to our friendly experts. They are always on hand to answer all your questions.
You are going to love our herb variety. We've got 4 types of thyme: Silveredged, Archer's Gold, Golden Lemon, and English. 4 types of sage: Common, Tricolor, Berggarten, and Pineapple. Hidecote and Goodwin Creek lavender. Parsley, catnip, mint, orange mint, spearmint, chives, and cilantro.
And don't forget the rosemary, or the Italian and Greek oregano. So many choices to be found here!
Another newcomer to the garden center this past week which I find absolutely charming are these fun strawberry baskets.
These adorable baskets can sit on your patio or deck table as is. The plants will bloom and berry right in the basket, giving you an instant, edible centerpiece. When the plant is done for the season, you can transplant them to your yard where they will happily return next year.
Those are just a few of the arrivals this past week. As always at this time of year, new plants are showing up daily. Hope you'll stop by the garden center and check us out.
And for news from the Greenhouse, we still have a few Easter decor items in stock, although hurry in....these little beauties are hopping out of here. 
Be sure to stop by our Facebook page. Upload your favorite Garden Supply photos and enter a random drawing to win two free tickets to the upcoming Chapel Hill Garden Tour on April 17-18th. Show us your favorite plants you've planted from our garden center, your kids potting up their new tomato plants, or a shopping trip using our totes. We'd love to see! All photos uploaded between now and April 15th are eligible for the prize drawing.
Thanks so much for stopping by! We'll see you back here soon!
