Christmas is coming...

...and we've been so busy 'Holidifying' the store that we haven't had time to tell you all about it on our Blog!

They say that time flies when you're having fun (is it December already? It was October last time we looked!), and we've certainly been enjoying decorating the cabin, turning it into a little winter holiday wonderland.

The transition from Fall decor to Christmas is a hectic one. If you've been in the store (we sure hope so!), then you'll know how many nooks and crannies there are...all filled with something wonderful. Sometimes we discover (or rediscover) something which has been hidden behind another item, just waiting for the perfect new home. It takes some time to get everything looking festive, especially as we are open every day. We have to clamber, climb, drill, drape, hammer and hang, around our lovely customers, who don't seem to mind a bit! We're thankful for your patience.

Last month we were also busy clearing the Attic (our upstairs shopping area) as we are hosting 'Art in the Attic'. A group of artists from Towson, Studio Thursday Painters, are showing and selling their beautiful artwork until Christmas....stop by and have a look, and sign their guest book - the work is all limited edition or original...if you like an artist, you could even get a piece commissioned. The space looks great, and it's surprising how large the room is....it was always so full it was hard to imagine it empty.  We had to stop imagining and get cleaning, and this was the result...

Art in the Attic with Studio Thursday Painters here at Lovely Manors

We are hoping to have other artists show their work in the Attic through the Spring.

Since the gallery opening we have been in full-time Christmas mode. The Christmas Trees were delivered the weekend after Thanksgiving, and the staff were charged with naming each tree. We like to name the trees to give the kids something fun to look at when choosing. Coming up with 150 fun names is NOT as easy as it sounds (last year we resorted to looking at a baby names website). This year we racked our brains and drew from popular sources....Harry Potter, The Hunger Games books, our own names (very creative!!), our pets names, our friends names. Oh, my head hurts just thinking about it again! We were very proud of our names, until the kids came along...

Kids, they just have a way with words don't they?! They pull no punches when it comes to saying what they think. One of our imaginatively names trees, Pattie (we though it was a great name; actually, any name will do when you're on number 125, 126, 127 etc), was purchased by a customer. The child who had chosen the tree told us she was renaming it 'Moose', because "Pattie is NOT a tree name, it's a HAMBURGER name". I suppose she had a point....! It certainly put a smile on our faces!

Now is the time of frantic wreath making...the greenhouse is a hub of activity, and our walkie talkies are getting a lot of use (yes, we've finally learned how to use them). The only drawback is that we seem to be operating on the same frequency as some other business (maybe a school, we're not sure, we're monitoring their correspondence in case of a terrorist threat!). We frequently hear 'I'm sending Micheal down to use the bathroom', or 'Janice needs milk'; which, unless they're using a pretty lame code, is probably not any form of espionage. We like to entertain ourselves by suggesting it might be something 'cloak and dagger'.

The best moment of the week so far has to be two of our beloved staff members attempting to 'bag' a pretty large and unwieldy Christmas Tree. We put all our trees through a netting machine (machine might be too fancy a word; it's all manual and brute force based...) to make it easier for the customers to transport them. Staff member #1 one was on one side of the bagging table pushing the tree into the machine; staff member #2 was on the other side of the table, pulling the tree into the net. The tree was not co-operating, so staff member #2 was lying flat on her back HAULING the tree through. It really looked more like a difficult birthing than a tree wrapping. Perhaps I should have stepped in to help rather than taking notes for our blog?! It was rather a comic scene! Anyway, we're all getting a good workout, those trees are HEAVY!

So, the Cabin is ready, the Garden is ready, we have wreaths galore, swags and more...we hope you're ready too!

Happy Holidays!

Fall Garlic - Planting, Growing, Harvesting and best of all, Eating!

Garlic, we LOVE it! It has so many benefits, from flavoring your meals to improving your health; it's a firm favorite with the staff here at Lovely Manors. Now is the time to plant your Fall garlic (ok, maybe we're a little late, but you still have time to get your crop going before winter sets in).
In this area (Maryland, Pennsylvania), the usual custom is to plant before Columbus Day (Oct 10), but opinion varies on this matter, and some say to plant right after the first frost. So, clear away that snow (snow? Isn't it still October?!), prepare your beds and get planting!

First, you need to get some good quality garlic to plant. Garlic cloves act as individual seeds, with each clove producing a bulb. We recommend getting large cloves from your local farmers market, or from us here in the store!

There are two main varieties of garlic - hardneck and softneck. Most of the garlic sold in supermarkets is of the softneck variety, as it tend to be easier to store, and the cloves are smaller than the hardneck variety.

Here in the garden at Lovely Manors, we have just planted our preferred type, the hardneck. We like the large bulbs, but we especially like the beautiful garlic scapes that grow in the Spring and Summer.

Garlic scapes are the flower stalks that the garlic produces as it matures. The scapes grow straight then start to curve and curl, creating an interesting visual effect in your garden. Don't let them go too far though...when the garlic is producing a flower, its energy is focused on the flower rather than the bulb, leading to smaller bulb development (and less garlic for you!). Cut the scape off as low as possible to the center of the plant. Some people save the scapes and use them as decoration, or even to flavor food (it has a more delicate taste than garlic proper).

Once you have your cloves ready, you need to make sure the bed you intend to plant them in is ready too! Garlic mixes well with other plants, and prefers a sunny spot, with soil that is not too damp and is rich in organic matter. We plant ours in raised beds, and they do really well. Plant each clove upright (the same way up they would be in a bulb....pointed end up), about 3" deep and 6" apart. You can spread a layer of straw over the planted area if you like, which will help insulate the soil.

Then all you have to do is wait...add a little water, and wait some more...(water if there's a dry spell, otherwise let Mother Nature take care of it. Water as the weather heats up and the ground dries out before harvest.) Keep an eye out for the first green shoots which should appear in early Spring.

Garlic is generally hardy, but is susceptible to some diseases such as rot. Good drainage helps to prevent this problem.

Fall planted garlic is ready to harvest around June/July, when around 50% of the green leaves have turned brown. Use a fork to ease the bulbs out of the ground, or just pull them up if the ground is soft enough.

Once you have harvested your garlic, you will need to dry it so it can be stored and used as and when you need it. Hang your harvest in a warm, dry place for three weeks until they dry out. Once they have cured, you should store them unbroken in a cool dark place.

We love to roast garlic....here's a quick and easy way to do it:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Cut about ½ inch off the top of the head of garlic. Peel off any loose skin.

Place garlic in a small ovenproof dish, cut side up and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for around 1 hour, until the cut side is lightly browned and cloves are soft.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before squeezing the paste from the cloves.

Try roasted garlic mashed into potatoes or spread on crusty bread, drizzled with olive oil. Yum!

Halloween and The Owls!

A visit from the owls!

Phoenix Wildlife Center will be bringing owls to Lovely Manors on Friday Oct 28th. Lucky us!

Halloween is really going to be a hoot for us here at Lovely Manors. We already have a great range of decor in the store (plus candy corn, which is frighteningly addictive!), and we've just confirmed that Phoenix Wildlife Center, which is located just down the road from us here in Jacksonville, will be bringing some of their rescued owls is to meet us on Friday October 28th, from 5-6.30pm.

Owls are very popular, and rightly so, they're amazing creatures. We have many owl-related gifts here in the store. In fact, as I type I am wearing a beautiful owl necklace, one of the great selection of handmade jewelry made right here in the USA. We also have stone owls, owl dishes, owl vases and more.

One of the owl statues we have here in store. Take yours home for $24.99!

Owls have had signifcance over the centuries - both as an omen of all things death, an indicator of bad weather to come, or of a change in the weather, and more recently as a symbol of wisdom.

Among early English folk cures, alcoholism was treated with an owl egg. The imbiber was prescribed raw eggs, and a child given this treatment was thought to gain lifetime protection against drunkenness. Owls' eggs, cooked until they turned into ashes, were also used as a potion to improve eyesight, and owl broth was given to children suffering from whooping-cough. Lets not forget their abilities to deliver mail to Harry Potter and his friends!

We're just looking forward to seeing them close up!

Phoenix Wildlife Center is just down the street from us here. We met the owners by chance after Hurricane Irene had washed away large tracts of their garden. Water was sneaking into the animals houses, so we remedied the problem with a delivery of topsoil!

The guys at the Center rescue a wide range of wild animals; some who can be released, and some which have to stay in Phoenix because, for whatever reason, they are not well equipped enough to go back into the wild.  They really do a great job!

Don't miss the owls, and a chance to talk to the guys from Phoenix Wildlife Center.

Fall fun, and lots of plans for the next few months!

So, summer is finally over (it's getting cooler out, isn't it! 48 degrees overnight on Saturday, time to start moving some plants into the greenhouse at night) and we've been busy thinking of ways to brighten up the next couple of months.

There are so many things going on here, our diaries are crammed full. Aside from all of the work needed to prepare our gardens for Winter (more to come on that in another Blog, very soon), we need something social to look forward to.

We decided that we should put on a few late night shopping events, to coincide with the launch of our discount vouchers which have been in the newspapers and on our email newsletter. As one of our staff members has a super-talented and even more enthusiastic blues guitar playing boyfriend, we thought we'd add a little free live music for our late-night shoppers to enjoy.

The night was a great success, and a lot of fun was had by all! We were very lucky that the storms which were literally circling us, stayed away.

Drew and Matt putting on a great show for us at the store

We are doing more of these music nights - Lose the Saturday Blues with Rhythm & Ribs @Lovely Manors - this Saturday 24th September, and Saturday 8th & 22nd October. We will have the same bands as last time, 'Drew Kiniry & Matt Pollhammer', and 'Reserved for Judges'. It's great that we can showcase this young local talent. Come along, bring a chair and some refreshments and enjoy the music. Oh, and don't forget your dancing shoes! It's FREE, and it'll be totally fabulous! We're hoping to keep doing the nights, moving them inside when the weather forces it...

This weekend was busy too....we attended the Manor Tavern Tomato Festival, which was rescheduled after being blown/washed out by Hurricane Irene. The later date meant that there weren't many tomatoes around, but it was a success anyway!

Karen took a selection of our fairy garden goodies to set up a stand and represent Lovely Manors at the Tavern. She did a great job setting up, and the table looked great...

Karen did a great job of representing Lovely Manors at the Manor Tavern Tomato Festival this weekend!

Next to organize (aside from the ongoing musical interludes) is our Flea Market! We are hosting a flea market on the first weekend in October, 1st & 2nd. We are still looking for vendors so contact us if you're interested. We are gathering great things to sell...we think that we may take up rather a lot of space in the lot.

Looking ahead, we have lots of Halloween goodies in store. Jo has put candy corn in various beautiful displays around the store. The staff are not so sure it was a good idea. It is nigh on impossible to stop eating it once you start. A sugar buzz all day long for some of us!

Some of the cute Lori Mitchell collectible Halloween figurines which have just come into the store...

We are also planning on dressing up through Halloween weekend, so I expect you'll all be waiting to see the photos from THAT one!

In a few weeks we will be welcoming a local Art Group to the store. They are going to be using the Attic Room (our upstairs sales area) to show and sell some of their work. We're really looking forward to hosting them, and are excited to see what they will be displaying. To make room for Art in the Attic, we are having a great big SALE. Everything upstairs is 50% off, and there are some great bargains to be had. Who doesn't love a bargain?!

We'll update you with more 'Goings-On' from the Garden & Gift Store soon....until then, we hope to see you at our music event this weekend.

Lose the Saturday Blues with Rhythm and Ribs @Lovely Manors!

Don't miss it! There is no rain date so if the weather is bad, just come along to the next one.
Bring a chair and some refreshments and eat at the Beefshack...by Charcoal Deli. The store will be open late too so you can browse whilst you listen to the music!

Spring Cleaning in the Summertime, Singin' the Blues

Since Spring is such a busy time here at Lovely Manors, we waited until the Summer to get stuck into our Spring cleaning, because we're thinking about Fall....(confused yet?!).

We have been planning a good clear up of our stock and storage areas for a while now. We realized just how overdue our clean-up was yesterday. We were merrily taking inventory in the store, when the ground began to shake....vibrate...positively roll. It couldn't be an earthquake, we're in Maryland, we don't get earthquakes. We looked at each other, and then looked up at the stock room. You know it's time to rationalize your belongings when your first thought upon hearing an ominous rumbling sound is that it could be an avalanche of things in your disorganized storage area, rather than a natural phenomenon.

It turns out we were wrong. Our store room is so crammed that even a 5.9 magnitude earthquake couldn't shift it...so we had to.

We've spent a busy 'team building' morning clearing out the hoop house and re-covering it with plastic, ready for winter. You wouldn't believe how much we had accumulated in there! The dumpster is brim full, but we still have a large pile of 'not sure what to do with you' items. You know, those 'don't really need it but can't bring ourselves to throw it away' bits and pieces. After much standing around with hands-on-hips, making hmmmm noises, we hit upon it. A Flea Market! We ran a flea market here at the store a couple of years ago, and we're going to give it another go. We are looking for some Fabulous Flea Marketeers for the first weekend in October (1st & 2nd) so please contact us if you're interested in being a vendor. If you have nothing to sell, come along and see what you can buy! After our clear out we have LOTS of great things which we will be selling.

We're very excited about the Fall season. Next week we will start working on our Halloween displays (look out for fancy dress employees), and we are running late night shopping events with FREE live music. The first event will be on Saturday 10th September from 6-9pm, and will feature local Blues and Bluegrass bands. The same event (with the Blues band playing as our regular band and guest bands to be announced) will take place on Sat 24th Sept, Sat 8th & 22nd October. Listen while you browse the store, and enjoy pit beef from the stand next door, which will be open. We have Lovely Manors discount vouchers available on our newsletter, so sign up if you haven't already done so. Don't miss it....it'll be fun, and even better, it's totally FREE!

We're going to have our great regular Blues Band playing all four Free Fall Music Dates. Guest bands of various styles will also be appearing!

Deadheading and Seed Collection

Deadhead regularly to maintain look, shape and promote flower growth. Save rose hips to make tea or collect seeds.

Your garden has been in full bloom all summer, you've been watering like crazy (it's been a scorcher so far, hasn't it?) and everything (well, almost everything) is looking fabulous. In order to maintain that fantastic floral fiesta, you will need to keep deadheading as flowers bloom and die.

To keep your plants looking healthy and vigorous, first, stand back and take a good look at your plant. Are there flowers that are 'spent'? Are there any broken stems? Discolored leaves?  Is the plant a good shape? Are they even in one piece after the deer have had their four course meal? (we can recommend many things for this, and will tackle this four-legged pesky issue in another Blog).

Once you have identified the parts of the plant you want to tackle, take account of your tools. Do you have perfectly manicured hands? Of course you don't, you're a gardener! Grab your gloves (we love Atlas Gloves Nitrile Touch, which come in a range of great colors and fit like a second skin! We carry them here in the store and we all wear them for tasks around the nursery) and get to it.

Atlas Nitrile Touch Gloves $7.95 per pair - we love!

Annuals & Perennials

Use your fingers to nip off the stem (this is easy to do with plants such as the Geranium), or use scissors or small shears, and cut as closely as you can directly above a leaf. This will avoid leaving stems which will die and go brown, not a good look!

Long-stem flowers such as Day Lillies, Hostas, and Oriental Poppies should be cut back at the base of the stalk where the stalk meets the leaves.

Don't forget the annuals in your hanging baskets. Many plants such as verbena and petunia bloom for longer after 'pinching'.

If you like to keep a wildflower area in your garden, you don't need to do anything...just leave the deadheads on and give the birds a treat. Perennial flowers will reseed themselves for next Spring. Easy!

Roses

Deadheading roses means taking off a small amount of stem to remove the flower. Use small shears to cut at a 45 degree angle after the first pair of leaves. The angled cut helps to promote water run-off and  prevent disease entering the plant.

Whilst you are tidying your plant, take a moment to check for signs of damage or disease, such as blackspot on roses (to avoid, keep your rose beds clean, clean, CLEAN!) and treat accordingly.

Seed Collecting

Seed collecting is a fun and practical. Wait for a dry day, grab a small pair of scissors, some envelopes, a pen and head to the garden.  They key to collecting is being organized. Make sure you label your envelopes as it's easy to forget what you're collecting whilst you're amongst the plants.    


Plants set seed in various ways...some in pods and some in the flower heads.  Others hide the seed in fruits or berries.  It is important to make sure you don't harvest your seeds too soon...if removed too soon, many seeds will not be viable and will be a no-grow! Some seeds may ripen if left to dry in a paper bag (not plastic...plastic just traps the moisture and will rot the seed).

Open the seed pod and remove the seeds carefully. A cocktail stick or toothpick is useful here, and will help to make sure you remove all of the seeds. Lay them out on a sheet of paper, and work on separating the 'wheat from the chaff'...removing dirt, insects and other debris before transferring the seed to a drying area or storage.


Make sure your seeds are absolutely dry before you store them, then keep them cool, dark and dry until you are ready to plant them.


Happy Hunting!