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.

Celebrate autumn with Scarecrows, Fest-of-Ale, Pumpkin Carving and Goblins

The exhibition of giant topiary-like sculptures is back by popular demand

Visitors are sure to think they’ve fallen down a rabbit hole this May when Imaginary Worlds: Alice's Wonderland springs to life at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The exhibition of giant topiary-like plant sculptures, presented May 11 – October 27 at both the Midtown and Gainesville gardens, is back by popular demand after last summer’s blockbuster show, Imaginary Worlds: Once Upon a Time.  Featured are 16 installations of 38 individual sculptures, and many of last year’s crowd-favorites will make a comeback – some donning coats of different plant palettes than before. “The focus of the new show clearly is Alice and many in the cast of characters from Lewis Carroll’s classic novel,” Garden President & CEO Mary Pat Matheson said.  “But what will no doubt blow visitors away is the sheer size of these sculptures.” A giant White Rabbit, for example, towers at more than 27 feet tall as it floats inside an upside-down umbrella in the Skyline Garden pond.  That tops even the Garden’s resident Earth Goddess sculpture, at 22 feet.  On the Skyline lawn is an expansive chess board bordered by 10 heart “trees” each more than 12 feet tall, with a giant Cheshire Cat poised nearby.  Alice herself is on hand – just elsewhere in the Garden.  Who’s up for the challenge of finding her? Making encore appearances from 2018 are the Dragon, Mammoth, Mermaid, Phoenix, Camels, and Pegasus – many sporting all-new plantings.  At the Gainesville Garden, look for a return of the friendly Ogre along with Rip van Winkle, Bears, and Frogs. The Garden first introduced guests to Imaginary Worlds in 2013 when it presented the United States’ first major exhibition of mosaiculture – the horticultural art of creating giant sculptures using steel forms covered in thousands of living plants.  Mosaiculture is the creative genius of International Mosaiculture of Montreal®, a nonprofit group that has staged wildly successful exhibitions of its work around the world. The organization hosted its first major exhibition and competition in Montreal in 2000 to celebrate the Millennium and proved an instant hit with 1 million visitors.  Since then, it has extended its reach by participating in major exhibitions in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hamamatsu, Japan. In Atlanta, visitors may explore the new exhibition during evening hours every Thursday at Cocktails in the Garden, when the sculptures are dramatically lit.  Imaginary Worlds is presented with support from The Home Depot Foundation.

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.

Pike Nurseries to Offer chanting Classes in October!

The season of cool breezes and colorful landscapes is upon us! Gardeners can welcome fall with informative classes about fall container gardening and a hands-on class where attendees will create picturesque pumpkin planters.  Pike Nurseries will also host a career fair to hire experienced gardeners and aspiring green thumbs alike for seasonal positions! Creating Fall Container Gardens October 3-5 and October 7 at select Pike Nurseries locations FREE! With autumn comes beautiful fall foliage and blooming flowers!  In this free class, guests will learn how to use fall’s finest foliage to create charming containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes to decorate outdoor spaces.  Complimentary refreshments will be provided, along with the opportunity to enter a drawing for a free Pike Nurseries prize. Creating Fall Container Gardens Schedule: ·     Tuesday, October 3 at 6:30 p.m. – Peachtree City store 103 Hwy 74 South, Peachtree City, Ga. 30269 ·     Wednesday, October 4 at 6:30 p.m. – Johns Creek store 5795 State Bridge Road, Alpharetta, Ga. 30022 ·     Wednesday, October 4 at 6:30 p.m. – Ballantyne store 12630 N. Community House Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28277 ·     Thursday, October 5 at 6:30 p.m. – West Cobb store 3431 Barrett Parkway NW, Marietta, Ga. 30064 ·     Saturday, October 7 at 9 a.m. – Lindbergh store 2410 Camellia Lane NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30324 ·     Saturday, October 7 at 9 a.m. - Matthews store 1016 Devore Lane, Matthews, N.C. 28105 ·     Saturday, October 7 at 10 a.m. – Lake Oconee store 1341 Linger Longer Road, Greensboro, Ga. 30642 Make and Take:  Pumpkin Planter Saturday, October 21 at 9 a.m. at all Pike Nurseries stores $30 Green thumbs are invited to plant fall flowers inside a festive pumpkin during this special make-and-take class.  Once completed, guests can proudly display their masterpiece at home for a magazine-worthy centerpiece or decoration!  Class fee includes all supplies and refreshments.  Attendees must pre-register at bit.ly/PikePumpkinPlanter. Career Fair Thursday, October 12 from 3-6 p.m. at all Pike Nurseries stores Calling all people and plant enthusiasts!  Pike Nurseries is hiring for all seasonal positions.  The largest independent garden retailer is seeking gardening hobbyists, experts, and everyone in between to join the team for the holiday season.  Applicants are encouraged to come prepared for on-the-spot interviews.  For more information on the FREE gardening classes and events offered at Pike Nurseries, please visit www.pikenursery.com.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - The Curious Garden Opens!

Exhibit's bold art puts focus on nature's beauty The Atlanta Botanical Garden has designated 2017 as its “year of the garden” and to celebrate is presenting an art exhibition designed to encourage guests to see, stop, experience, and talk about nature – all in surprisingly intriguing ways. The Curious Garden, presented through October 29, features 11 site-specific installations created to share a story about the Garden’s plant collections and plant conservation work by prompting visitors to make a discovery, ask questions, and provoke a discussion.  Bold, often unexpected, man-made and altered natural materials are employed to direct the eye to focus on the simple beauty of nature.  Think dozens of multi-colored spray-painted trees. A mysterious display of scientific lab glassware filled with an array of colorful liquids.  Dozens of sparkly old chandeliers dripping with plants. “This is the year of the garden, one that emphasizes all of our recent enhancements here, with unexpected experiences aimed at generating conversations, to get people curious and talking about nature,” said Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s President & CEO.  “The show will provide unique opportunities for sharing the Garden’s story, such as our important work in conservation and the preservation of trees.” The unique and unconventional installations are the work of guest artist and design director Adam Schwerner, known for his bold, and sometimes evocative, enhancements to city parks in Chicago and elsewhere.   Among the “unexpected” look for: Dozens of bare trees, harvested off site from an overcrowded location and “planted” throughout the Garden, painted in brilliant pink, orange, blue, and green that draw the eye, inspiring conversations about color, form, and natural beauty and value of trees. The Levy Parterre transformed into an elegant white garden, emphasizing plants with flowers and foliage in white, gray and silver – a salute to great gardens around the world, such as England’s famed white garden at Sissinghurst castle. The Fuqua Conservatory adorned with dozens of sparkly old chandeliers dripping with plants. Over the years, the Garden has staged carefully curated exhibitions featuring installations of existing art.  The Curious Garden, however, is unique in that it is site specific, meaning the concepts all originated from within the Garden and are designed to be integrated with the landscape and plants in a way that focuses attention on the Garden’s resources and mission, helping to tell those stories. The exhibition also coincides with the opening of the Garden’s newest space, the Skyline Garden, designed to showcase the diversity of plants that can be grown in the Southeast while emphasizing its stunning location as an urban oasis in the heart of bustling Midtown. Schwerner, who is Director of Disneyland Resort Horticulture & Resort Enhancement, previously was director of the Chicago Park District’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources. There, he spearheaded initiatives to increase the presence of public art in city parks, including painting trees and providing artists the opportunity to carve standing dead trees into works of art. “All my life I have pursued my dual loves of art and horticulture,” Schwerner said.  “With this series of site-specific art installations and the gardens, there is a coming together of these two great pursuits. And what better place is there to undertake this botanical-art adventure than the botanical garden, which so fully engages visitors with these two areas of expertise?” Visitors may enjoy the exhibition in the evening every Thursday during Cocktails in the Garden, the popular garden party featuring live music, cash bars, and adult games.  The Garden’s onsite restaurant, Longleaf, will be serving a special dinner menu every Thursday as well (reservations are recommended). The Curious Garden is presented with support from The Home Depot Foundation and the Isdell Family Foundation.

Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour 2017!

Mother's Day Weekend Tradition Features Ten Private Sites For celebrating Mother’s Day, there’s no better place to explore than the ten breathtaking gardens featured on the annual Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour Saturday and Sunday, May 13 - 14. Benefiting the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the tour spotlights private home gardens in metro Atlanta, including Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, and Midtown. Featuring a range of styles and sizes -- from tranquil woodland settings to intimate urban oases, the professionally designed to “gardener’s gardens” – the event will delight both green thumbs and the “garden curious” alike. Tickets for the self-guided tour, held rain or shine each day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., go on sale April 1 at www.atlantabg.org and at select area retailers. They are $28 in advance (garden members $22) and $35 on days of the tour and are valid both days.  For information, visit atlantabg.org

Pike Nurseries - Benefits of Landscaping

Spring is on the horizon, which means now is the perfect time to have the experts at Pike Nurseries take the guesswork out of gardening and tend to landscaping needs. From vibrant curb appeal to lowered energy costs, strategic landscaping not only provides a plethora of benefits to the lawn, but it can keep the wallet healthy and green too.  Whether it’s a complete yard overhaul or a simple planting, the neighborhood garden center has the expert knowledge to help customers keep lawns looking beautiful all year round!

Pike Nurseries to Hire More than 200 New Employees!

Spring is right around the corner, which means jobs are in full bloom at the nation’s largest independent garden retailer. Pike Nurseries will add more than 200 seasonal associates to its metro-Atlanta and Charlotte locations in the coming weeks.  Whether applicants are experienced sales professionals, retail managers, or hobby gardeners, the neighborhood garden center has available positions for anyone who loves plants, people, and playing in the dirt. Interested candidates are encouraged to attend the Pike Nurseries Career Fair on Thursday, February 2, 2017 from 3-6 p.m. at any store location to learn about position descriptions, qualifications, and benefit information.  Applications will be available during this time, as well as at all Pike Nurseries locations and online.

Pike Nurseries - Annual Christmas Garden Party!

Customers are invited to celebrate the spirited season with Pike Nurseries’ annual Christmas Garden Party on Thursday, December 1 from 4-9 p.m.  Happening at all store locations, attendees will enjoy light bites, complimentary “Poinsettia” cocktails, and seasonal savings throughout the store with 20% off the purchase of regular priced items (excluding gift cards, pine straw, propane, sale items, services, and sod). Whether guests are looking to deck the halls with festive décor or garnish with fresh greenery, Pike Nurseries has the best selection of Christmas trees, accessories, and more to make homes feel merry and bright! WHAT: Annual Christmas Garden Party at Pike Nurseries Celebrate the season with festive fun, complimentary treats, holiday discounts and more! WHEN: Thursday, December 1 4-9 p.m.* *Pike Nurseries’ Lake Oconee store location will host the event from 3-7 p.m. *Food and drink service will end one hour prior WHERE: All Pike Nurseries locations Visit www.pikenursery.com for local store information. COST: The event is FREE to attend.  Guests will enjoy 20% off each purchase (offer valid on all regular priced items excluding gift cards, pine straw, propane, sale items, services  and sod.  Limited quantities are available with selection varied by location). INFO: For more information on the Christmas Garden Party or other events, visit bit.ly/PikeNurseriesEvents. For more information about Pike Nurseries, please visit www.pikenursery.com. Visit Pike Nurseries on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.