Pike Nurseries - Picking the Perfect Pumpkin

 

It’s a pumpkin palooza at Pike Nurseries!

This October, the Southeast’s favorite garden center gets a jump start on fall traditions with pumpkins varieties in all shapes and sizes.  The experts recommend planning ahead for a pumpkin’s use – whether carving or cooking.  Carving pumpkins are desired for their nice shape and smooth surfaces, whereas cooking pumpkins are known for their flavor and texture.  The centerpiece for fall décor, long-lasting heirloom pumpkins and gourds are used for seasonal displays in homes, gardens, and tabletops throughout the season.

When selecting a pumpkin or gourd, the experts at Pike Nurseries recommend looking for a firm option without cuts, soft spots, and darkening bruises or blemishes – all signs of rot that will make the pumpkin decay more quickly – and avoid carrying them by their delicate stems.  Gardeners should look for deep orange colors for the skin and green for the stems.

Pumpkins Varieties

No matter the purpose – carving, decorating, or cooking – there’s a perfect pumpkin for the job.

• Classic Orange
  The tried-and-true carving pumpkin is a classic staple of the season!  Look for individual pumpkins free of imperfections on at least one side that make a hollow sound when tapped.  Large pumpkins will maximize creativity and give more of a canvas to work with for jaw-dropping Jack-o’-lantern designs – from scary to silly.  Pike Nurseries makes decorating at a discount simple with the All-You-Can-Carry Pumpkin Challenge, where guests are invited to carry as many medium-sized classic orange pumpkins as possible for only $24.99!  Pike Nurseries employee-owners will be social distancing, so shoppers are encouraged to bring a family member to help stack.

• Heirlooms
  Heirloom varieties are perfectly imperfect, offering a trendier approach to decorating.  These popular pumpkins tend to be flatter on top, making them ideal for stacking and have unique characteristics such as deep ribs and a variety of colors from white to gray-green to sunset red.  Mix and match small and large heirlooms on tabletops, stoops, or around fall container gardens for a festive display!
   
• Gourds
  These relatives to the pumpkin offer a wide variety of options that enhance any display. With hundreds of types, including swan-necked, ridged, and bumpy, gourds are a must-have for table and front door décor.
   
• Knucklehead Pumpkins
  Create a creepy aesthetic with varieties that have naturally occurring flaws like wart-riddled and bumpy skin, resulting in a devious display!  These can easily be added to traditional pumpkins or heirlooms in unique fall accents or used as unusual carving pumpkins.
   
• Pie Pumpkins
  Don’t forget to grab a few for recipes!  While most pumpkins are edible, the smaller ones are favored for pies and other pumpkin-flavored sweets because of the higher sugar content and thicker, softer flesh.  Pie pumpkins are ideal for roasting, desserts, soups, and more seasonal dishes – offering a nutritious treat without the tricks!

31 Days of Pumpkins

Pumpkins come in different shapes and sizes, lending to a vast range of uses and personalities.  Simple Do-It-Yourself projects can transform pumpkins into festive indoor and outdoor arrangements.  The experts at Pike Nurseries have outlined a few of their favorites to help get started:  

• DIY Decoupage Pumpkins
  Families can use the colorful foliage of fall clipped from the garden to create stunning decorated pumpkins.  Consider color and texture when choosing leaves and pick a collection that will complement each other.
   
• DIY Succulent Pumpkin Planter
  Succulent lovers can incorporate this waterwise plant in an heirloom pumpkin craft!  Since the pumpkins won't be carved, this long-lasting DIY can grace porches or tables from Halloween to Thanksgiving.
   
• DIY Pumpkin Topiary
  Decorators can play with different sizes and shapes of pumpkins to create a topiary that’ll fit the designated space and décor style.​​​​​​​
   
• DIY Jack-o-Plantern
  Gardeners can create a pumpkin planter by cutting open a pumpkin and planting favorite fall flowers and foliage inside! Be sure to read the recommended care instructions.

For more information on tips from the pros at Pike Nurseries, please visit pikenursery.com.

Pike Nurseries: Pet-Safe Houseplants

 

Do you live in a home with pets?  If so, Pike Nurseries is providing recommendations of non-toxic plants you can bring home that will keep your cats and dogs safe.  Plants and pets can coexist as long as plants cultivated indoors are non-toxic to your pets. Even the most well-behaved pets are bound to nibble on growing greenery added to new home offices and living spaces, so the experts at Pike Nurseries have a variety of suggestions on how to be a good plant parent – even with fur babies in the home. To celebrate National Indoor Plant Week, Pike Nurseries has done the legwork and fetched a go-to list of safe houseplants that will add color and texture to pet owners’ homes without posing a threat to their four-legged friends. Interested in some new plants for your home?  Check out Pike Nurseries' list of pet-safe indoor pets below. Pet-Safe Indoor Houseplants African Violets:  African violets will brighten up even the smallest space, with its flowers of pink, purple, or white.  These vintage darlings need medium to bright indirect light to grow best.  When watering African violets, use room temperature water and a saucer to apply water from the bottom and avoid damage to the flower and leaves. Aspidistra:  Durable and attractive, aspidistra (cast-iron plants) can tolerate the lowest light situations – whether inside or outside where it grows as a perennial.  The long-lasting plant comes in solid green and variegated colors with arching leaves.  This plant is known to be drought-tolerant so be sure to not over water during scheduled waterings. Calathea:  This low-to-medium light houseplant is an attractive choice offering striking variegated foliage with splashes of pink, white, and light green plus dark purple undersides for added interest.  Weekly watering is enough for this low-care beauty, and its preference for humidity makes it a good choice for kitchens and bathrooms. Ferns:  Soft, gorgeous foliage plants like Birds Nest, Boston, Maidenhair, and Staghorn ferns will flourish in the right conditions, including medium light and humidity.  Ferns make a wonderful addition to pet loving homes but remember to water consistently!   Orchids:  These elegant beauties thrive in medium to bright indirect light.          Place them in a course, well-draining planting medium like orchid bark and water once a week during the winter and twice a week during hotter months.  Orchids like moisture and humidity but drainage is key so that the plant is not sitting in water. Palm Trees:  Add a small tree to the indoors with a palm!  Parlor, Areca, and Ponytail palms are all pet safe.  These low-maintenance houseplants are also a good starting point for beginners.  Palm trees thrive in bright indirect light and are sensitive to over watering. Be sure to let the soil dry completely between watering. Peperomia:  Diverse in colors and textures, this non-toxic ornamental foliage plant is ideal for beginning houseplant enthusiasts!  Slow-growing, small, and low maintenance, these plants prefer medium to bright indirect light, infrequent watering, and good drainage.  All peperomia species have thick leaves that contribute to their drought-tolerant and attractive qualities.   Spider Plant:  One of the easiest plants to care for, spider plants grow best in bright indirect light but can also tolerate medium light.  The graceful arching of the long strapping foliage makes this houseplant perfect for hanging baskets, and white and bright green foliage adds variety to any houseplant collection.  Be sure to keep the soil moisture consistent for best performance. Succulents and Sedums:  Waterwise succulents including Burro’s Tail, Echeveria, Haworthia, Sempervivum (Hen and Chicks), Aeonium, and Lithop all provide texture and color as safe décor.  Bright light and infrequent watering will keep them thriving indoors. The experts at Pike Nurseries recommend being strategic with placement when curious pets are indoors.  Hanging plants and potted plants on tall shelves will be difficult for pets to access. Pet owners can also choose life-like versions of toxic houseplants, such as Fiddle-leaf Figs, or Monstera. For more information and care tips at Pike Nurseries, please visit pikenursery.com.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - FALL FUN!

Enjoy the cooler days and nights of October at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, where fall serves up a harvest of fun events. Throughout October, both the Atlanta and Gainesville gardens will be stuffed with more than 100 scarecrows created by artists, designers, schools, businesses, and families for Scarecrows in the Garden. Participants compete for prizes in one of two design categories:  professional and nonprofessional.  Registration is open from August 5 through September 6. On Thursday evenings at the Atlanta garden, visitors may explore the scarecrows under the glare of flashlights (which they are encouraged to bring) during Fest-of-Ale.  Each week, from 5 - 9 p.m., the beer fest features a variety of fine specialty ales at cash bars and live musical entertainment.  On the night of October 24, check out the Great Pumpkin-Carving Contest. For youngsters, harvest-themed activities will be on tap on weekends from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and on Sunday, Oct. 27, they can wear their favorite costumes for a day of treats and activities during Goblins in the Garden, held at both gardens from 10 a.m  - 4 p.m. Scarecrows in the Garden is sponsored by The Home Depot Foundation.  For more information, visit atlantabg.org.

Pike Nurseries - Free Classes to the Public!

Pike Nurseries is providing local communities with an excuse to get outside and get hands dirty during free gardening classes taught by Pike Nurseries’ team of experts! Southeastern Native PlantsAugust 22 and 24 at select Pike Nursery locationsFREE! Guests are invited to discover what vegetation is native to the southeastern region with the certified plant experts at Pike Nurseries. In this class, participants will learn how to achieve an easy and efficient landscape with low-care plants that thrive in the local environment, while supporting pollinating species and wildlife populations. Southeastern Native Plants schedule: ·     Thursday, August 22 at 6 p.m. – West Cobb 3431 Ernest W Barrett Pkwy NW Marietta, Ga. 30064 ·     Saturday, August 24 at 10 a.m. – Holcomb 2955 Holcomb Bridge Rd. Alpharetta, Ga. 30022 ·     Saturday, August 24 at 10 a.m. – Ballantyne 12630 N. Community House Rd. Charlotte, N.C. 28277 For more information on the gardening classes and other events offered at Pike Nurseries, please visit www.pikenursery.com.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens - Imaginary Worlds!

Monumental, whimsical plant sculptures back this spring by popular demand.

Imaginary Worlds returns this spring with a menagerie of all-new giant living plant sculptures sure to bring a smile as they take visitors on a fantasy journey throughout the Atlanta Botanical Garden, both at the Midtown and Gainesville locations. Back by popular demand, the exhibition, presented May 5 – October 28, recaptures the magic of the original blockbuster show from 2013 and 2014 with larger-than-life, topiary-like whimsical sculptures – only this time they’re even bigger. “Imaginary Worlds was just so incredibly popular with our guests that we just had to bring it back – but with an all-new twist,” said Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s President & CEO. Imaginary Worlds: Once Upon a Time will wow visitors with a storybook-themed world of sculptures, both indoors and out – most custom made for the Garden by the exhibition’s creators, International Mosaiculture of Montreal®.  The nonprofit group has staged wildly successful exhibitions of its work around the world, and five years ago the Garden presented the first major exhibition of its kind in the United States This time, the sculptures – steel forms covered in a mossy fabric, stuffed with soil and planted with thousands of meticulously groomed plants – will be staged in 14 installations. At the Midtown garden, look for a giant Phoenix looming over the Alston Overlook, a mermaid lounging beside Howell Fountain, a massive dragon and sleeping princess near the Great Lawn, a woolly mammoth and a prancing peacock inside the Fuqua Orchid Center, and three towering camels lumbering through the Skyline Garden, to name a few. At the Gainesville garden, the landscape will be adorned with a variety of characters, including a friendly ogre, panda bears and frolicking frogs. This all-new cast of characters joins the Garden's permanent sculptures, Earth Goddess and Shaggy Dog, which are legacies from the original exhibition. “In addition to featuring all of the new characters, this exhibition is unique in that the sculptures are extremely large, much more so than the ones in the original show, and our own team of horticulturists will be planting them,” Matheson said. The process for creating the sculptures takes nearly half a year. It began last fall when conceptual drawings for the pieces were developed in Montreal, metal frames were fabricated, and plant palettes were chosen. The empty frames were shipped to Atlanta in January, and the Garden’s horticulturists began covering them with a mesh fabric and stuffing them with soil. Then the planting commenced – inserting more than 200,000 plants, primarily annuals, one by one. Because Atlanta’s winters are too cold for the annuals to survive, the sculptures were built in sections that were planted inside a greenhouse just outside the city, then trucked to the Garden in spring for assembling on site. Intricate irrigation systems beneath the surface of the sculptures allow the plants to grow – and the creatures to flourish – in Atlanta’s summer heat. Throughout the exhibition, guests will be able to also enjoy the sculptures in a whole new light at night – illuminated on Thursday evenings during Cocktails in the Garden.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - Valentines in the Garden!

Toast your Sweetie with Decadent Desserts, Exotic Orchids! Celebrate this Valentine’s Day by enjoying cocktails, dancing, and desserts in the most romantic setting in town – the Atlanta Botanical Garden, where in February fragrant orchids set a romantic mood with their exotic backdrop. Valentines in the Garden, set for 7 – 11 p.m. on Saturday, February 10, will offer decadent chocolates and other scrumptious sweets while guests sip cocktails from cash bars, dance to live entertainment, and explore Orchid Daze by night.  The annual plant exhibition, from February 10 -- April 1, features tropical settings lush with exquisite, fragrant orchids throughout the Fuqua Orchid Center, home to one of the largest collections of species orchids in the United States.   For ticket information, visit www.atlantabg.org.

Atlanta Botanical Garden Flower Show!

Flower show features designers Bruno Duarte and James Farmer Renowned floral designers and entertaining gurus Bruno Duarte and James Farmer will share their sought-after expertise on Saturday, Feb. 24 during the Atlanta Botanical Garden Flower Show. With the theme Ingenue: A Toast to Georgia’s Film Industry, the show, set for February 23 – 25, includes juried competitions in Floral Design, Horticulture, and Photography as well as a professional Landscape Design division (Registration details at atlantabg.org/flowershow). In addition to the competitions, the event, which benefits the Garden’s International Plant Exploration Program, will feature Duarte, an internationally known floral designer,  and Farmer, a Georgia floral and interior designer, and lifestyle author. Duarte grew up surrounded by flowers on his family's farm in Madeira, an island paradise off the coast of Morocco that’s known as the floating garden and home to rare species of flowers from around the world.  It's there that his passion for orchids and all things floral began. Duarte’s approach to floral design is both sculptural and emotional, blending together organic materials and found objects to create works of art.  His floral studio in Toronto is often mistaken for an art gallery, where weekly window displays are created to showcase his artistry. His exceptional craftsmanship and innovative design techniques have captured the attention of socialites and celebrities such as Renee Zellweger, Patti LaBelle, and Sir Elton John.  When not in his studio, he can be found designing in front of a live audience, appearing frequently on local and national television programs, and at home and garden shows. Born and raised in the South, Farmer is a professional garden, floral and interior designer; author; and lifestyle expert.  He is the author of the books A Time To Plant; Sip & Savor; Porch Living; Wreaths For All Seasons; A Time To Cook, Dinner on the Grounds; A Time to Celebrate; and A Place to Call Home. In addition, Farmer is an editor-at-large for Southern Living and a frequent guest on television and radio shows.  A skilled and entertaining speaker, he masterfully guides his audience through the art of elegant garden living. Tickets to hear both speakers are $50 and can be purchased at atlantabg.org/flower show. For more information, call 404-591-1730.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - Reindog Parade!

Treat the Pooch to Reindog Parade! Dress that pooch in its finest holiday finery for the 10th annual Reindog Parade on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.   During the competition, which begins at 11 a.m., pups clad in fun attire will parade across a stage before a panel of judges to compete for prizes -- or just to show off for fun.  Categories include Best Puppy, Best Adult, Best Botanical, Best Dog-Owner Dress-alike, Best Dog Pack, and ultimately, Best in Show. Emceeing the competition will be Victoria Stillwell, host of the Animal Planet TV show “It’s Me or the Dog,” and Vincent Martinez of Fashionado. A Doggie Expo will offer canine-related products, services and information, and participants may have photos of their dogs taken with Botanical Saint Nick. Owners of all dogs attending the event are encouraged to pre-register at www.atlantabg.org. The cost, in addition to regular Garden admission, is $15 per dog, or $18 at the door (maximum two dogs per owner).   Reindog Parade joins the Garden’s array of holiday offerings this year, including the seventh annual Garden Lights, Holiday Nights Nov. 11 - Jan. 7 featuring “Nature’s Wonders,” the world’s largest curtain of light synchronized with music and sound effects. Information: www.atlantabg.org.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens - Garden Lights!

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Share this:     Tickets on sale! Garden Lights, Holiday Nights dazzles with new colors, displays Tickets are on sale for Atlanta’s favorite holiday tradition, Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, featuring a spectacular new high-tech display and all new cool-colored lights sure to enthrall visitors of all ages. In the new “Nature’s Wonders” display, guests will be dazzled by cutting-edge technology that allows lights -- all suspended from the grand treetops of Storza Woods – to be choreographed to music and sound effects during the seventh annual show presented nightly November 11 – January 7.  The display features a massive theatre stage-like curtain of vertical lights forming a wall of brilliant colors that can be programmed to music and special sound effects. “You’re going to hear lots of oohs and aahs over a display that’s inspired by the fascinating phenomena of the natural world – its land, water, and sky – rendered dramatically through light and sound,” said Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s President & CEO.  “It’s definitely going to be the talk of the light show and something new for people to be excited about!” “Nature’s Wonders” includes more than 1,000 vertically hung strands of multi-colored lights in 16-, 32-, and 64-foot lengths suspended from the tops of the woods’ tallest hardwoods.  And because the curtain-like screen extends over the Canopy Walk and the valley below, it can be experienced from multiple vantage points. The special effects created by synchronized light, music, and sound will portray the wonders of nature – including ocean waves, thunderstorms, snowfalls, rainbows, sunrises/sunsets, meteor showers, and more.  Much of the music will be classical crowd pleasers inspired by nature, including some holiday-themed ones. Elsewhere in the Garden, look for a return of perennial favorites like the Great Lawn’s dancing “Orchestral Orbs”, towering cone trees, giant candles, the serene Ice Goddess, and enveloping “Tunnel of Light” – most emphasizing all-new cooler hues of green, blue, and teal. In addition, the Holiday Model Trains will be chugging and the Glow Bar hopping, while s’more-roasting firepits and cash bars will take the chill off both kids and kids at heart.  Round out the evening by reserving a table at Longleaf restaurant or grab some takeout at the Quick Café.  Planning a party?  For private rentals, call 404-591-1555. For ticket information and other details, visit atlantabg.org.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - Reindog Parade Returns!

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Share this:  Dress that pooch in its finest holiday finery for the 10th annual Reindog Parade on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.   During the competition, which begins at 11 a.m., pups clad in fun attire will parade across a stage before a panel of judges to compete for prizes -- or just to show off for fun.  Categories include Best Puppy, Best Adult, Best Botanical, Best Dog-Owner Dress-alike, Best Dog Pack, and ultimately, Best in Show. Emceeing the competition will be Victoria Stillwell, host of the Animal Planet TV show “It’s Me or the Dog,” and Vincent Martinez of Fashionado. A Doggie Expo will offer canine-related products, services, and information, and participants may have photos of their dogs taken with Botanical Saint Nick. Owners of all dogs attending the event are encouraged to pre-register at www.atlantabg.org.  The cost, in addition to regular Garden admission, is $15 per dog or $18 at the door (maximum two dogs per owner).   Reindog Parade joins the Garden’s array of holiday offerings this year, including the seventh annual Garden Lights, Holiday Nights Nov. 11 - Jan. 7 featuring “Nature’s Wonders,” the world’s largest curtain of light synchronized with music and sound effects.  Information: www.atlantabg.org.