LET’S GET STARTED!
Here’s what you’ll need for this arrangement:
1. Aster Solidago- 12 stems 2. Dutch Iris- 6 stems 3. Bells of Ireland 12 stems 4. Gerber Daisy- 6 stems 5. Ficus Lyrata leaves 6.Perfect Arranger 7.Gloves & Flower Pruner 8. Vase (of your choice) 9. Mardi Gras Beads 10. Peacock feathers
Please keep in mind that all the cut flowers used can be interchanged with your favorite mix of purple, green and gold flowers. Feel free to be creative and experiment!
Step 1: Place perfect arranger into your vase
Step 2: Place leaves around your vase to ‘hide’ the perfect arranger
Step 3: Cut your flowers at a 45 degree angle using your flower pruners
Step 4: Begin placing cut flowers into your vase using the perfect arranger as a guide.
Step 5: First place your cut flowers into the perfect arranger ie. Gerber Daisy, Dutch Iris and Bells of Ireland
Step 6: Make sure that flowers are placed securely into the perfect arranger
Step 7: Continue filling the perfect arranger until you are happy with your floral arrangement
Step 8: Then begin filling in the gaps with greenery ie. Aster Solidago
Step 9: Begin adding any Mardi Gras ‘touches’ like peacock feathers
Step 10: Cut your Mardi Gras beads to use as an accent in your vase
Step 11: Fill 3/4 of your vase with room termperature water and be sure to add in the flower food that comes with your cut flowers so that they’ll last as long as possible
Step 12: Drop in your cut beads into the vase, allowing them to freely falll into the spaces between leaves. And that’s it!
You’re all done! Place your beautiful arrangement in your home and enjoy a delicious piece of king cake while you’re at it!
Check out this great snap taken by our photo director Marc Roman Bravo of Pigasus, the Flying Pig Garden Statue.
Get your own Flying Pig Garden Statue here. Check out other cool animal garden statues here!
One of the funnest things about working for The Garden Gates is getting to see our products in use in what the kids call “in real life” or IRL. It is one thing to see how we display our products in the store and imagine how they are going to be used after they are sold, it is another to see what they look like in action.
For example, one of our most popular items is The Decorative Moss Ball. People all over the world purchase these to display in their homes. Why ours? Well, they don’t brown or carry insects like others. We were excited to see that Julie Richard at Shelter Interior Design is going to be using our moss balls in a future job. We can’t wait to see them in use!
Another thing we get to see in real life is our Christmas Trees. Head over to our Facebook page to see some of our trees in New Orleans’ most beautiful homes. If you ordered a tree from The Garden Gates please feel free to share yours!
Wondering what to do with the baby pointsettias?
Our Display Coordinator Emily just sent me this picture of a cute table display saying where she “used them this weekend for a Christmas dinner as name cards for the table/ take home gifts for the invitees.”
On December 1st, 2011 The Garden Gates hosted the Metairie Road Business Association Holiday Party. Inimitable videographer Leonel Mendez was on the scene to capture it all for us! Visit him online at Lagniappe Studios. http://vimeo.com/user2331008
It features Santa Claus, Jefferson Parish County President John Young, and Robin Hardee and Betty Vix Weinberger of the Metairie Road Business Association.
Oh no, It’s just a few days before Thanksgiving and you haven’t done any Christmas shopping yet. Don’t panic, there’s not really plenty of time for you to find the perfect gift but we have some ideas for you. Ok, maybe there are not the absolute top five, but these were some of the fun ideas we were kicking around the office this morning.
SANTA PANTS WINE HOLDERS (WINE NOT INCLUDED)
The only thing that could top the gift of giving booze would be giving booze in a super fun holiday themed manner. The Santa Pants Wine Holders would be the reigning champs in that department. Whimsical, silly, sure, but also memorable and a great conversation starter. We don’t sell wine here but would recommend Martin Wine Cellar here in Metairie.
LANDSCAPE CONSULTATION
Maybe a friend or family member keeps talking about redoing their backyard but it never goes beyond that. With a landscape consultation you can schedule one of our Landscape Architects to come by and take a look to see what kind of ideas they have to freshen it up. Practical, could be life changing and I can almost guarantee that this would be the only one of its kind under the tree. Call 877.780.6699 to set up an appointment!
JEWELRY
It’s almost cliche at this point but seriously, can you really go wrong with jewelry? We have beautiful pieces for all budgets, from fashionable and funky Bellissima Jewelry to the glamorous designs of Anna Beck. Her Beaded Crescent Moon Earrings have been flying off the shelves and on to the earlobes of the most fashionable Metairie women.
A Garden Statue
The Garden Gates carries some very cool and unusual garden statues by Campagnia International. Giant Garden Frog Statue? Check. Cat Statue? Check. Fluffy Dog Garden Statue? Check check check. But perhaps the funnest and most unusual of all would be the Totally Zen Frogs. The ultimate chilling frogs grooving out in the garden.
Bird Bath
Giving the gift of a birth bath is giving the gift of bird visitors all year round. Who could resist the idea of looking out their window to see our feathered friends frolicking in the water?
It may be easy to mistake The Garden Gates in Metairie for the North Pole these days. We have the best New Orleans Christmas Trees (Fraser Fir), we have a train for kids, and now we have snow. Snow?
In 80 degree muggy New Orleans? See for yourself:
But wait… what about Santa? You need a Santa for it to be the North Pole. Oh right! December 1st starting at 5pm. It’s lighting of the Metairie Road Christmas Tree. Stop by for caroling, food and beverages… oh, and Santa.
Holiday Open House until 8 pm tonight!
