Succulent Seminar

Join us this Saturday March 21st in Palm Harbor for a fun hands on seminar on how to build your own living wreath with succulents you select from our many delightful grower starts! The event will be held at Magnolia Grill from 9:30 am - 11:30 am. You will learn new things about succulents during our informative and hands on workshop. Get new ideas for growing and for giving the gift of green.

Worskshop fee $45 for all basic materials and instruction. Pick and pay for plant starts separately. Seats are limited so don't wait to register. Call Linda at 727-410-9642 to register and get directions.

Workshop will be presented by Linda Worle, our Horticulturist. The Proven Winners Line of succulents
will be made available!

From Ugly Duckling to Home of the Month

A local family pulled together to implement one of our designs for their parents' landscape which turned this ugly duckling yard into a shining star. The theme of this landscape makeover was water conservation and easy care ~ xeriscape was the natural choice.

This is a "before" view of the front yard...bare naked!

Same view after the renovation was complete...WOW, what a difference!

This renovation was a partnership program where Linda, the horticulturalist teamed up with the client's family who wanted to give the gift of a beautiful garden to their parents. It truly was a labor of love and hard work rewarded by Mom's famous mac & cheese! Many clients enjoy the partnership program because they get to learn the proper techniques of installation and aftercare of the plants as well as keeping the costs low by providing their own work force. Another cost saving method on this project was helping the client realize hidden treasures already existing in their landscape and relocating trees and plants to maximize their beauty within the overall design.

Flowers and Other Things winning design was rewarded with the coveted "House of the Month" honor soon after completion of the project.

Meet the Artist Behind the Design

Meet our gifted artist on staff at Flowers and Other Things, Lee Urrutia. Lee's artistic vision interfaces everything in her life from home design and decor to flower arranging to the more traditional mediums of paint and canvas. When Lee was introduced to the world of horticulture through Linda Worle, a wonderful blend of talent was born. Together, they have completed numerous stunning projects which portray how artistry and horticulture make a landscape come alive.

Just completed!

We have just completed an estate residence garden in Clearwater that is a great example of how Artistry and Horticulture together can bring a landscape alive.

Incredible...what truly amazes me is how much pleasure we get from creating gardens and a garden like this, has given us nothing short of pure joy.

"Belle of the Ball" were the words Jessica had used to describe the garden she was looking for in her new landscape. Greg shared that clean lines, focal points and a tropical theme were important to him. Lee & I went to work. Shortly after presenting the concept, Greg & Jessica basically handed the project over to us, saying, "We trust you." I knew we were on the right track when Greg came home and said, "This is more than what I had expected." "You guys are doing great."

With that encouragement in hand Lee and I went to work on creating a tropical wonderland. We brought in 25' fishtail palms, blue bamboo, privacy screening, butterfly plants for Carson's first
butterfly garden and exquisitely weird wonders that only a horticulturist would have (which I did share with Greg & Jessica.) The plants and their respective placement were guided by the artist's hand.

When Lee & I began sharing our philosophy on gardening, I remember hearing that every plant can be a feature plant. When placed in the landscape, with enough room for it to be admired and appreciated for its unique features, using textures and shapes for backdrop, using color with intentionality...the results speak loudly...WOW! That's beautiful!

Greg shared with me that he liked big boulders to sit on and that if we could fit them in to the garden it would be great. Lee and I went shopping and found the perfect trio. After the boulders were placed we agreed they just look like they were made for that space, as a matter of fact the word perfect was used more than once. As a matter of fact Jessica and Carson had their annual Mother's Day portrait taken on the rock.

From a horticultural perspective, it's incredible to envision the delectable surprises that await Greg & Jessica throughout the year. Brand new cultivars such as black mondo grass, euphorbia millii and unusual combinations such as: hedychiums rising through the variegated ginger and Lady Di Heliconias popping up through the variegated arbicolas are sure to bring delight for all who enter. After all, it was designed with that purpose in mind.

A note to Greg & Jessica: I hope you enjoy your garden half as much as we enjoyed creating it. Thank you for your patience and all or your encouragement.



This before and after shot of the front elevation of the home shows how a fountain became a main focal point within the paver drive.

The homeowners wanted us to create a sitting area under the shady oak trees. This oasis was acheived using various tropicals, shade loving ferns and of course, comfy chairs. We also incorporated their love of music into the design with rock speakers hidden within the vegetation.

This completely unlandscaped and overgrown drive was completely transformed using christmas tree palms, orange bird of paradise and gold mound duranta against a backdrop of podocarpus. What an entrance!

Click the link below to take a look at this project
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/km6iR2kD

Hot tip: pot tipping!

Want to add some interest to your garden? Try pot tipping. It's easy...just choose an area in your garden you wish to spotlight in a special way. Wiggle the bottom and part of the side area of a pot into the ground placing a plant inside which will grow up and over the edge. This works especially well in landscaped beds with other plants surrounding it. In this example we used a four-foot fiberglass pot with lysmachia inside. On larger pieces, you may need to add filler of sand on the inside of the pot to give support to the potting soil inside.