Spring Inspirations.... The Macys Flower Show

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By the time spring roles around we New Yorkers are itching to get out.  This past winter especially there were severe cases of cabin fever.   What better way to welcome spring than the Macys Flower Show.  A beautiful kaleidoscope of colors,  fragrant gardens and exotic sculptures that only New York can produce.

This is the 40th year for the Macys New York Show.  The flower show is also held in other cities, originally starting at the San Francisco Macys in 1946 as a fragrance festival.  The past two years the show has been outside because of construction on the main floor. This year it was back inside and the designers once again had to work with creating their pieces while utilizing the display and selling counters.



 When you first enter the store you are welcomed by the Lady in the Red Dress; a 14 foot runway inspiration created completely with red flowers.






Starting in 1980 Macys started having a theme for the show.  This year's theme was the Secret Garden. A magical floral dream of wonder and fantasy consisting of 30,000 flowers.  It really is quite surreal.  Stepping into a major department store and being overwhelmed by all of these floral arrangements.    In addition to the Secret Garden there is also the Bouquet of the Day.  Five designers create special arrangements and each arrangement is featured for a few days.  I attended on April 4th a few days before the end of the show.  The Bouquet of the Day was created by Kenji Takenaka, otherwise known as the poet of flowers.





I was so intrigued by this dark pink speckled orchid also called a Phalaenopsis.
Thank you to Patrick of Doran Gardens in Brooklyn for giving me the true name. 



I think my favorite is the above lime green chair.  I noticed this as we walked towards the back of the store situated in a flower bed on the side of an elevator. 



I took so many photos it was difficult to choose which ones to share.  I love the larger than life arrangements in unexpected places, like the electric blue orchids in the costume jewelry aisle.  I know my 10 month old daughter enjoyed it.  With her head constantly arched up, she just kept looking at all the colors with wide eyes!

If you didn't make it to the flower show I hope you enjoy the photos.  And there is always this Sunday's Easter Parade! 


Happy Spring!

Tracey

https://www.etsy.com/shop/traceytoole


Morning Glories

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I love these early morning moments when moon flowers say good-bye and morning glories greet the day. As an urban gardener I can provide my charges with only very condensed space; however, their lack of abundance, highlights their singular beauty even more. Here are some examples of how I  created an intimate space in a garden the size of a postage stamp.
After our move, we no longer needed this baker's rack in the kitchen, so it found a new home outside. I outfitted it with some odds and ends from the Salvation Army store such as a cake pan that furnished a new home to the strawberry dianthus and a statue of the Virgin Mary in the hope she'd bless this undertaking. New seedlings are stored on the lower shelves.
The basked on the side used to house my cutting boards. After I lined it with sphagnum moss it be came the perfect spot for some bright red geraniums. Now, can you spot the turtle on the upper shelf?
I have no idea, why we packed this ancient bathroom toy, but I'm glad we did because it is now the perfect "pot" for some baby succulents.
Gallon paint cans make great flower pots. You can even hang them from their handles if you wish. I like the junkyard feel of the just about to bloom four-o-clocks against the rusty patina of the paint can.
Another example of the many uses of the sushi mat. Here it holds up some overly energetic zinnias. Like this one:

I hope you enjoyed the tour.


Simone
groundsel.etsy.com

Pretty Planters

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I come from a family of green thumbs. My dad was famous for his vegetable garden (corn, tomato, beans, etc.)and my mom was always in the garden (despite her allergies.) We always had many different plants growing all over the house.

I questioned my ability with plants when I first tried to grow some in my old apartment. I blame it on the lack of sunshine (basement apartment.) My current apartment has sunshine all day, and my plants are thriving! I am always on the lookout for some nice planters. The plant pictured below has been sitting in a chinese food plastic container for at least a year. I finally decided to replant it before it died on me.


I got some paint, a terra cotta planter, glue, and some pebbles left over from my fish tank, and got to work. I decided on yellow paint, and applied two coats. I did not paint all of the inside...just enough for the paint to show if the dirt did not completely come to the top of the planter.



After the paint dried, I carefully glued the pebbles to the outside of the planter. You can pretty much glue anything...I almost decorated the planter with some plastic sea shells I found in Michaels. I decided that they might look better on a blue planter, so I will save them for the next time.



I transferred the plant to the new pot, and all was fine until I woke up this morning. For some reason, the pebbles were starting to come off, and the glue that had dried clear last night, looked white as if I just applied it. I used an all-purpose glue, and that might be my mistake. I think that the water in the plant may be seeping through the terra cotta. So, if you are going to try this, research different types of glue so that you don't make the same mistake I made. Now, I have to figure out how to fix this and hopefully save my little plant. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!



-Nordea
nordeasoaperie

Urban Garden Inspiration

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Happy first day of spring! And to help us ring in the new season, NYC had a full day of soaking rain, preparing all the garden beds for new shoots, bulbs, and seedlings. Despite the fact that I live in Harlem, a.k.a. "Concrete Wasteland", there are plenty of opportunities to garden... and if I can find a patch of dirt to work with, then so can you!

Until about three years ago, I always thought that having a green thumb was inherited or somehow a God-given gift. Then my perspective changed - I had kids. I realized that to keep things alive I actually had to take care of them. Just like I couldn't set my kid out on the windowsill and expect her to thrive, I shouldn't expect a store bought plant to live after a week of neglect. If you're just getting started or want new gardening tips, two great books I would suggest for urban gardeners are by Gayla Trail, "You Grow Girl" and "Grow Great Grub".



Urban gardening is gaining a resurgence of followers who want to bring a little bit of green to the city. Community gardens, green streets, courtyard planters, container gardens, rooftop decks, windowsill herbs, and even the fire escape have great potential to be an urban oasis. My daughters and I started working our garden last week, which consisted of churning up the dirt in our outdoor pots, pruning the perennials, and even planting some cold loving seeds that can be sown as soon as the ground thaws like Bloomsdale spinach, dark red beets, arugula, and fennel.

Right now is a great time to get certain seedlings like tomatoes or herbs who need a long growing season started indoors. Don't feel pressured to purchase expensive seed trays or greenhouses to do this - clean yogurt containers, empty tin cans, or recycled take-out containers do just fine. Just make sure to poke or drill holes in the bottom for drainage and place the lids under the containers to catch water run-off. Fill your pots with organic potting mix and plant seeds according to the seed directions. Transplant the seedlings to a larger container well after the last frost and when the weather is consistently warm.

Gardening is a source of inspiration and joy to me, and I love seeing how spring gardens inspire NYC artists!










Flower Pot by VirginiaKraljevic

And because I'm always the mommy blogger, an absolutely amazing book for kids about gardening is "The Gardener" written by Sarah Stewart and beautifully illustrated by David Small.

May your gardens be bountiful and bring joy to the city!

 
Karina
Window of Agate

Summer Products from The {NewNew}

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Do your summer in style with these nifty handmade items by members of The {NewNew}!

Add a touch simple yet sophisticated DIY flair to your summer wedding decorations with this flower garland by Pandawithcookie.

Pink Paper Flower Garland-Lovely Wedding Decor, $18

"Bee" prepared for picnics in the park and all your more casual outdoor affairs involving liquid refreshment with this cheerful pitcher by Lennymud.

Bee Happy Pitcher, $15

Keep the little ones cute and cool in these shortalls by Overallbaby.
Toddler Shortalls in Kokka Turquoise Sheep, $38

And for yourself or a friend, a breezy Trapeze Top by Vyphuisdesigns.

Fun Trapeze Top, $35

Get set for days at the beach or knocking around town with this cheerful Sunshine Tote Purse by jesswitaj.

Summer Sunshine Tote Purse, $48

Update friends and family, say "thank you," or send a simple summertime "hello" with beach-inspired notecards by MonicaMarks.

Summer Seashells - Set of 2 Note Cards, 5 x 7, Original Mixed Media Collage, Blank Inside, $10

Hold your childhood summertime memories near and dear year-round with this Ice Cube Popsicle print by Lipeony.

Ice Cube Popsicle 5 x 7 Print, $8.00

For more {NewNew} summertime products, click here.

Enjoy, and have a happy summer!

Linda
PurtyBird

TUTORIAL: Re-purposed recycled felt helping your garden grow: now that's what I call ECO!

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It is pretty safe to say that the Alexandra Ferguson studio generates a LOT of felt scraps in the process of manufacturing her collection of applique pillows. So when a local Master Gardener told Charlotte Ferguson (Alexandra's mom, and the brand's Roving Ambassador) about a clever trick to keep her spring seedlings well watered while depleting Alexandra's ever growing stash of scraps....well, it was too good to keep to ourselves.

Follow these easy steps to create your own low-maintenance indoor greenhouse:

1. You will need a panel of felt about 24" x 16". We pieced two smaller panels together to get the right size. I thought it would be fun to use up all the tiny scraps in rainbow colors to create a patchwork, but Charlotte was in a hurry. One quick seam did the trick. You won't see the felt once all the plants are on top of it, so don't worry about making it look beautiful.
2. Using a medium sized waterproof container (we used clear storage bins), place the black trays your plants often come with upside down (shown on left side of photo). The idea is that you need to get about 3" height, so anything you have around the house that would serve that purpose would work as well. Place your felt panel on top of your riser, making sure that the edges of the felt go all the way to the bottom.
3. Pour water into your waterproof container. Soak the felt thoroughly, with about 2" height of water in your tub.
4. Place your trays of seedlings on top of the soaking felt, and you are done! The felt will draw water up from the bottom as the seeds drink, so your seeds will always be perfectly watered and you don't need to do a thing!
Your greenhouse should be placed in a sunny spot indoors. We added a grow light, easily found at Home Depot or your local gardening store for extra oomph.

Two weeks later

To celebrate spring, Alexandra is giving away one of her botanical-themed pillows. Don't have a garden with windows full of seedlings? The 16" "Tulip" pillow in cocoa that she is giving away should more than make up for it! The best part? This flower blooms all year long.


Check out the rest of the alexandra ferguson collection on her etsy site,
www.alexandraferguson.etsy.com including many other floral styles as well as her popular "Pillow Talk" line of sassy words and phrases. Alexandra works exclusively with recycled felt made from plastic water bottles. Every applique shape is meticulously cut by hand and stitched down in her studio based in Westchester County, NY. Just like everything in nature, no two are ever the same!

TO ENTER TO WIN:
You must be a FOLLOWER of this blog. Visit Alex's store HERE. Come back and leave a comment on this post and let us know what your favorite item in her shop was. One entry per person BUT if you twitter, blog, or facebook about this giveaway and leave a link it will give you extra entries.

This giveaway is the last on our series of March Madness giveaways-- It ends Tuesday, April 6th- winner announced on the April 6th blog post. Please scroll for two additional giveaways from the team that will also end April 6.