Popsicles are a refreshing treat as temperatures rise on hot summer days. Try combining fresh organic summer fruit, edible flowers, and your favorite sparkling wine, champagne, or prosecco to make the most cool and beautiful hand-crafted ”poptails.”

Erin Benzakein shares her passion and the rich diversity for her favorite flower that grows on her farm in Washington State’s Skagit Valley. “These treasures are one of the most well-loved and widely grown flowers for cutting because the come in a dazzling rainbow of colors, they produce an abundance of flowers from midsummer into autumn, and the range of shapes and sizes available is staggering.” In Floret Farm’s Discovering Dahlias (Chronicle Books, 2021), the celebrated farmer-florist and New York Times bestselling author shares all the secrets readers will need for cultivating

May Easter bring your life color, brightness, joy and, of course, lots of chocolate eggs and bunnies!

Wherever you are this holiday season your winter garden and natural environment will offer inspiration and floral elements for your foraged winter bouquet. Foraging is fun! Connect to your natural world and celebrate the season!  Learn how to forage and a make foraged winter bouquets in 5 easy steps!

Each year, it is hard to resist the temptation to pick up a few festive indoor topiary plants to enhance the magic that is Christmas. The artful forms of topiary plants and shrubs are perfect in their ornament to celebrate the holiday season. Topiaries can be charming when adorned with festive ribbons and holiday show-stoppers when draped in twinkling lights. Many garden centers and grocery stores sell these seasonal artfully pruned or trained plants, evergreens, and conifers in geometric and representational forms. However, the regal and elegant houseplant topiaries easily add a festive formality to your interior holiday decorations. These artful houseplants also provide an opportunity for indoor gardening during the winter for many who are now homebound with recent surges in the pandemic. 

Traditionally, a great way to spread holiday cheer is to create a holiday home beautifully decorated inside and out. The experience begins at the front of the home. The front door and porch set the tone and theme for the rest of the house. This year many will make an extra effort to make the front of the house brighter with twinkling holiday lights displays given the unprecedented darkness of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Also, many will be forced to have small intimate gatherings at home with family members instead of large holiday parties. Interior decoration will likely be more intimately appreciated by members of your household and unfortunately not shared at your annual holiday party. Creating a festive backyard gives you a perfect new setting to host small intimate groups outdoors so you can make your holidays more merry and bright.

Let’s face it. This holiday season will be spent in more intimate family events because of the pandemic, rather than large family or social gatherings. While we all crave connection, entertainment, and our beloved traditions during the holidays, large social celebrations will be unlikely for most, especially with the recent recurring waves of infection. If you are lucky to live in a warmer climate, you will be able to gather together outside, socially distanced, in a small group of family members or friends in your social pod. But for most, we will be forced to video conference or Zoom into this holiday season for social connection, celebration, and treasured traditions like family game nights. Creating decorative tablescapes for your video conference will transform your electronic video screen chat capture into a fun and festive engagement as seen in the gallery below: