By Ava Green
There’s a truth we all learn over time: good quality makes a big difference. Not buying more, buying smarter.
But how do you hold on to great pieces and make them look fresh and current? Start by getting yourself the perfect pair of jeans for the season. Great jeans work wonders to update your look. The right cut, the right wash, the right fit. It’s the closest thing to a style superpower you can own.
To show you what we mean, we picked a pair of white Lois jeans from Sassyfras, and created four completely different looks.
Crisp Black and White
There is something timeless about a black-and-white outfit. Timeless made current with a new jean style. The printed scarf ties it all together and adds just enough personality to keep it from feeling too minimal.
Tie the scarf loosely around your neck, or loop it through the handle of your bag to pull the colours together. White-on-white (sweater and jeans) works beautifully, and varying the textures (knit vs. denim) keeps it interesting.
Sun-Kissed Orange
Orange and white is one of summer’s most joyful combinations. This outfit shows that beautifully. Playful, casual, and sunny. Tying a sweater around your waist or resting on your shoulders adds a relaxed, effortless layer that’s handy when you need a little extra warmth.
Classic Blue and White
This is the most polished of the four looks. A white blouse paired with a fine-striped blue jacket feels relaxed and also put together. This is the kind of outfit that works equally well for a casual lunch or an afternoon of errands. The multi-coloured scarf, which introduces a bit of pink and orange, pulls all the elements together beautifully and adds a little bit of playfulness. A blue bag grounds the colour palette.
The Colourful One
This look is so much fun. A multi-coloured sweater or blouse in bright, happy shades paired with white jeans is bold without trying too hard. White keeps it cohesive while the top gets to be the star. The woven macrame handbag adds texture and an artisan quality that feels intentional and individual. This outfit says: I’m having fun. The baseball cap is the punctuation mark! Vibrant, creative and completely at ease.
The Key to Making it Easy
Styled with intention and a little creativity, a single great piece, like our Lois jeans, can carry you through every mood and occasion. Wearing what brings you joy is always the right answer, and we have an inspiring selection at Sassyfras to make choosing easy. Stop by the boutique and see for yourself!
Sassyfras Boutique is located inside Eising Greenhouses and Garden Centre.
How to Keep Your Hanging Basket as Gorgeous as the Day You Brought it Home, All Summer Long!
By Dave Zeldon and Ely Schweyer
Remember your Mother's Day hanging basket with its variety of colours, textures, and plant combinations? Maybe there was Verbena cascading elegantly with their colourful star like blossoms, double Begonias for the porch in spectacular shades of reds, pinks, and burgundies, and of course the vigorously growing Petunias and Geraniums, to name just a few. But as the Summer goes on, they just don’t seem to have that same stamina.
To keep your hanging baskets in great shape and avoid the dry, wilted, bald spotted, leggy look that occurs to containers every August, one should follow these easy tips.
Watering
Plastic, fibre, and especially moss lined baskets dry out quickly. They should be checked twice daily and watered every day. Be sure to wet the moss sides as well.
Try to maintain uniform soil moisture. When watering, fill the top of the container with pooling water until it ‘pees,’ and allow it to drip out of the bottom of the basket every time you apply water. Frequent severe wilting will impact upon the quality of the basket.
At this time of year, one could take the basket down and soak it in a tub of water for 20 minutes to hydrate the entire root ball, once every week.
Deadheading
Remove spent flowers on a weekly basis (this is called deadheading) to prevent plants from going to seed. This will encourage more flower production. Part of the beauty of the mixed basket is its prolonged display, just like in your garden.
Check for Pests!
During your weekly deadheading, keep a watchful eye out for aphids, whiteflies, and caterpillars. If you see any, try a quick spray of insecticidal soap to keep them from becoming an infestation.
🖱️ If you're noticing fungus gnats in your hanging baskets, find more on eradicating them here!
Pruning
Not every plant in the basket will be at its peak all season.
Cutting plants back after a flush of bloom will tidy them up and prepare them for a fresh crop of flowers. Meanwhile, other varieties will begin putting on a show. This is especially true for Petunias.
A good cut back of long, lanky branches will reap benefits.
Fertilizing
Daily watering means nutrients can leach out of the soil before the plants can absorb them. The baskets should have both slow release granular added to the growing media and a weekly feeding of 15-30-15 soluble fertilizer. Use a solution containing micronutrients, as plants like Petunias need extra iron.
Sheltering
It has been suggested, if possible, that during stretches of extreme heat, give your baskets a break and move them to a cooler, shaded spot to de-stress for a couple of days. This is also suggested when heading on vacation. Your flowers will rebound to their former beautiful selves!
We hope this long term hanging basket care guide helps you enjoy your purchase all summer long! For more information - and beautiful plants – visit Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre! 🌸
Is there anything better than a Christmas craft sale to lift your spirits and inspire a holiday mood?
Buying local makes good sense, and it’s one of the reasons that our Eising Garden Centre Christmas Craft Show has become so popular.
Join us this year and discover the many amazing makers and artists in Haldimand-Norfolk and the surrounding areas! The amount of talent and creativity is truly unique.
First Things First
Here are the dates and hours for the 2025 show - mark your calendar and invite your friends and family!
Wednesday, November 12th, 9 am – 5 pm
Thursday, November 13th, 9 am – 8 pm
Friday, November 14th, 9 am – 8 pm
Saturday, November 15th, 9 am – 5 pm
Where?
Eising Garden Centre, 814 Cockshutt Road, Simcoe, ON
Bigger and Better!
Thanks to its popularity, this will be our biggest craft show ever. The greenhouses will be chock-a-block with items handmade by local artisans. Several fresh, new vendors will be participating this year, and many of the usual fan favourites, too.
Holiday Greenery
As well as the craft sale, this is an opportunity to check out our fabulous holiday greenery, decorations and winter urns. Our Elves, aka staff, will be on hand to create gorgeous wreaths, centrepieces and arrangements just for you!
Sassyfras
Are you looking for an outfit for an upcoming holiday gathering? Stop by the popular perennial Sassyfras Boutique. The shop will conveniently be open during the same hours as the craft show, offering beautiful clothing, accessories, and gifts.
Get Your Holiday Shopping Done!
It will be a day to check items off your holiday decorating and gift-buying list. Even get something for everyone on your list so that you can sit back and enjoy the holidays!
By: Dave Zeldon and Ely Schweyer
The classic fall-blooming Chrysanthemum varieties of burnt amber, golden yellow, and deep burgundy blooms have been enormously popular for years, and as each new fall season rolls around, there always seems to be new varietal introductions – like multicoloured pinks with the hues of sunrises - to enhance your front porch display of pumpkins, corn stalks, and gourds.
These robust plants will produce blooms for weeks, even in the coolest of autumn weather. Their hardiness even offers versatility when it comes to their display; some gardeners prefer less labour-intensive groundskeeping and leave them in their original store pots, whereas others prefer to transplant these flowers into larger planters, window boxes, or into flowerbeds to add an easy seasonal flair.
While resilient, these plants still need some TLC. Try these tips to keep your Mums looking fresh throughout the fall.
- Choose green plants with tightly closed buds. This way when your Mums do bloom, you will be able to keep those colourful displays for much longer.
- The Mums' foliage should have a deep green colour and lots of growth at the garden centre.
- Also, make sure the soil in the container is moist when purchasing your plant, as dried out Mums may have already suffered damage.
- You'll find out in short order that your potted Mums are very thirsty plants! Water them daily and make sure the soil remains moist. A shot of liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water once a week would be great as well.
Over-Wintering Mums
Modern Mum breeding is aimed primarily at creating plants that look good in their pots at their point of purchase, sacrificing the plant’s hardiness and performance for future years - meaning when home gardeners try to overwinter these big potted plants, they are not usually successful.
All Mum plants at garden centres are hardy, meaning that they are perennials in most climates. However, if these plants are put in the ground from August on, most won't make it through winter. The reason is that Mums planted late in the season are near, or at, the flowering stage, when their energy is focused into blooming, and they won't grow roots to sustain plants through the winter. This is why Mums should be planted in the spring if you want a perennial plant that has a spectacular autumn show!
If you really adore your fall purchase though, you can try to over-winter your Chrysanthemums in the basement or a dark, cold closet, after the first frost. Water well and place in an area where it is totally dark and 0°C to 10°C. The plants will hibernate for the winter if you keep their roots damp. Check the pots weekly.
In the spring, gradually acclimate your Mum plants to light and plant them out in the garden after the last killing frost, remembering to pinch them twice prior to the first of August for a full, lush plant.
We hope this helps you to enjoy your Mums just a little bit longer! Use our Plant Finder to search for a sample of our Mum selection by your preferred colour. You can find many Mum varieties and more information at Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre, please stop in for a visit this autumn!