Christmas Gift Buying Made Easy
By Ava Green
The Eising Holiday Gift Guide has become a popular tradition, and this year, I asked staff members to share their favourite gifts. We have some great picks to brighten anyone’s holidays: family, friends, teachers, hosts/hostesses, the cat sitter, the dog sitter - anyone you would like to wish a Merry Christmas to!
Everlasting Decorations
What looks good every year? Everlasting decorations! Kirsten’s favourites are natural wreaths with just a bit of an embellishment. Elegant, timeless and oh-so-festive!
An ornament from our Giving Tree is Arlene’s choice because she can gift the beautiful glass cardinal, and the proceeds go to the local toy drive. Now that’s a gift that keeps on giving!
We also have lots of beautiful everlasting garlands, and Lindsey’s favourites: holiday-themed decorative containers to choose from. These festive plant pots transform any houseplant into a Christmasy gift or are perfect for holding other treasures if you’re creating a gift basket.
Fresh Greenery
There’s an entire team of decorators, no…creators, no….elves, no…very talented staff members who spend the holiday season making the most beautiful urns, planters, and fresh greenery centrepieces. Donna and I are holding two of our favourites. Mary stopped making festive urns just long enough for this photo to be taken! She really pours her heart into it.
Tropicals, Holiday Plants, and Bulbs
As always, Courtney has a phenomenal selection of tropical plants to choose from. Do not ask her which one is her favourite. Trust me. Too many to count.
Ely is hoping for some gardening tools under the tree this year, and what gardener couldn’t use an array of trowels?!
Lori is ready for a party with her favourite hostess gifts - Amaryllis bulbs. Apparently, the Grinch likes plants, too. Who knew? Cindy Lou Who, possibly, and Lori.
Sassy Fashion
Donna is wearing and holding some of her favourite clothes, jewelry, accessories, and products from Sassyfras Boutique inside Eising Greenhouse. Yes, she has many favourites. In her defence, who can pick just one thing from Sassyfras?! Not us.
For Your Favourite People!
Finally, this is THE most flexible item in the guide, our Eisings gift card. It can also be the perfect solution for the person who has everything already and is hard to buy for. Why is this Lucas’s favourite? Eising gift cards can be used for plants, landscaping, trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, seeds, tropicals, decor, pots, garden tools, and any other items sold in the greenhouse. And that’s not all! Gift cards can also be used for anything in Sassyfras Boutique. So many options!
Good Tidings To All!
During this season of abundance, Henry and all of us at Eisings hope you get all of your favourite things, but mostly we wish you a safe and happy holiday season! ✨
By: Ava Green
As temperatures begin to cool down, autumn colours set in and surround us with the beauty that is fall in southern Ontario. Suddenly summer is gone and it’s time to think about creating a cozy atmosphere inside and outside that is inspired by the world around us.
Autumn Outside
Whether you gather items from the garden or from the garden centre for a display, there are lots of natural materials all around us to draw from. Take some plumes from ornamental grasses and put them in decorative buckets. Add branches with colourful leaves or dried seed pods, and pumpkins or mums for a pop of colour. A bland background becomes the perfect backdrop.
Looking for something to grow? Create fall planters with sunflowers, ornamental kale, ornamental peppers, live grasses, and, of course, fall mums.
We offer beautifully festive arrangements with a variety of ornamental fall plants, as well as individual plants to decorate an outdoor table, or as a planter creating a warm welcome on your front porch (watch here: Jeanine create a fall planter on our IG).
Eising’s popular Porch Packages make it easy to decorate the entryway to your home. But don’t wait, they sell out quickly!
Autumn Inside
When there are fall colours outside, autumn displays inside create continuity that will carry your indoor decorating right into the holiday season in December.
Displays that are vibrant, warm, rustic or whimsical are fun and easy to make. Here are some basic design principles that will help you get started, along with examples we’ve created using items in the Eisng shop.
The Rule of Odds
Using an odd number of items (3, 5 or 7) is always more appealing. Why? For some reason, odd numbers are just more harmonious for us to take in. Designers and photographers call it the rule of odds.
Pick a Theme
Pick a theme like a common colour, a shape, a design or motif. Look for containers or items you can include that fit in with your theme.
Like the arrangements we offer at Eising Garden Centre, include the following in your designs:
- a thriller like a beautiful vase or container, a tropical plant, or fresh or dried flowers
- a spiller like a plant, dried or silk leaves or moss around the base of containers
- and a filler like foliage plants, fruit, candy, mini pumpkins and gourds, or moss
Size and Scale
Scale is important! Keep the display short if it’s for the centre of a dining table so that guests can see each other across the table! Create taller displays if you’re decorating a corner table or a mantlepiece.
Light it Up
Adding light, including flameless candles or fairy lights, instantly brings warmth to any display.
Aromatics
Include scent: using plants like eucalyptus, or fruit like apples or oranges, and spices like whole cloves and cinnamon sticks all add a homey touch.
We would love to see what you create and hope this has sparked your creativity. Don’t forget to tag @Eising Greenhouses & Garden Centre on your Instagram and Facebook posts when you share your decorations online - we would love to see them!
Most of us want to easily pull together everyday outfits without overthinking it or overspending. In reality, putting stylish clothing combos together can feel harder than it should. If you stare into the closet and can’t find anything to wear, you’re not alone! Many of us struggle to assemble outfits that feel stylish and put together.
Your friends at Sassyfras Boutique in Eising Garden Centre are here to help with 4 go-to outfit tricks that always work!
These are simple style tricks you can rely on, and they're built around versatile essentials you may already own, plus just-right combinations and accessories that pull everything together. You’ll also find new ways to assemble simple pieces to create countless outfits.
These tricks come from years of helping people in our shop to build their wardrobes. Ready to get started? Let’s make getting dressed and looking great one of the easiest parts of your day!
4 Easy Outfit Tricks
- Get a Great Jacket
In every season, a great top layer pulls an outfit together. Invest in a jacket, blazer and coat for cool or cold weather. Wearing a linen shirt/shirt jacket, sweater, shacket, or cardigan works well for summer, spring and fall. Or you can simply drape it over your shoulders just in case temperatures dip a bit while you’re out or the A/C is a little too drafty.
The top, jacket, and pants are from B. Young, found in Sassyfras at Eising's Garden Centre.
2. Start with a Matching Base Layer
Begin with a neutral, matching base. Easy peasy. Once you have a neutral base, add any jacket colour and accessories! One of the great jackets you’ve invested in will enhance a neutral outfit and create multiple great looks. The key is to start with a dress, or a top and pants/skirt that are similar shades. Some examples of a neutral base are: blue/faded blue, cream/beige, grey/grey, white/white, or black/black. From there, add on any colour jacket or sweater and a similar or complementary shade of bag/purse/earrings/shoes.
Pants by B. Young. Top by Culture. Bag by LaVolta.
3. Match Your Top and Jacket
Here’s a trick you can probably achieve with the clothes that you already have! Instead of matching your top and bottom pieces, match your top and jacket or sweater. Once you put together similar neutral shades on top, you can add almost any skirt or pants and look stylish.
Jacket by Tribal. Pants by B. Young.
4. Camel Adds Class
So you’ve put your outfit together using a neutral shade for your top and bottom, or matched your top and jacket…now do you want to make your ensemble look even better? Add a touch of tan or camel, maybe even a bit of gold. Camel colour bags and shoes go with everything and are staples for easy, classic outfits. Add some gold earrings and a pair of sunglasses, and you’re set!
Top and skirt by B. Young. Hat by Kooriginal. Bag by La Volta.
Help!
We’re here to help you put it all together. Come into Sassyfras wearing your neutral base, and we can help you find that great jacket or cardigan, handbag and accessories to go with it. Or, start from scratch and find a neutral base you can build on. And for heaven's sake, let’s make it easy to look good!