A Day at the Shop: February 12, 2014

Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching, and we're in full floral glory at Brown & Greene. We have a fabulous variety, including lilacs, lilies, sweet peas, delphinium, tulips, and roses—lots of roses! And that's not all.

The downstairs cooler is chock full of flowers.

Freesia in white, purple, and orange are joined by stock, mimosa, and tulips.

Sweet peas in February are a wonderful reminder of summer.

Our selection of roses is amazing: brights, pastels, and the traditional red, of course.

Here's a small sampling of our roses.

Ranunculus and tulips—dozens of tulips.

A gerb in cotton candy pink—yum!

And don't forget our cards. A new selection arrived just today, including some entertaining options for your valentine.

Show your love with humor.

For those looking for other, nontraditional gift options—or maybe a little green for yourself—some awesome succulents are awaiting a new home.

Succulents on display—cool!

Papa succulent, mama succulent, and baby succulent.

Get a jump on spring with a pretty potted hyacinth.

In addition to being well stocked with cut flowers, great plants, pretty pots, and a collection of cards, we've got a bounty of boxes ready to package up vase arrangements for transport across the street and across town. And a stack of paper is ready to envelope our great hand-tied bouquets for a safe journey. In sum, we're ready, people. Valentine's Day? Bring it on!

Ready, Set, February!

February has been busy. In addition to unpacking all the treasures Lyn ordered on her recent trip to Dallas, the first two weeks had Lyn, Lisa, Sarah, and Gabby working their fingers raw making corsages and boutonnieres.

So bright and beautiful!

The girls crafted dozens of the floral lovelies, which were stacked high in our downstairs cooler—a new addition in November, just in time for the holidays and an asset when local schools have dances.

Corsages and bouts wait in the cooler, ready for pickup.

The stacks totaled 60-something. With last-minutes requests, the final tally was somewhere near 80. There are always stragglers, of course, and we (i.e., Lyn) had them covered, whipping up corsages and boutonnieres on a moment’s notice.

This week will be even busier—Valentine’s Day is Friday! And we’re ready to help you create the perfect gift for your valentine.

Last week, we got all kinds of great cards, including a selection for Valentine’s Day. And today, flowers arrived from Holland—Lyn ordered directly from a vendor there. The fresh cuts will make their way to spots around the cities as orders come in for Valentine’s deliveries.

Valentines? We've got 'em.

In addition to cards and flowers, we’ll have caramel truffles by Buttercream. Plus, we’ve partnered with Room No. 3—purveyor of lingerie, loungewear, and sleepwear—on a Valentine’s special. Now through Friday, February 14, spend $75 and receive a $20 gift card toward a purchase at Room No. 3!

Whether you know exactly what you want, have a general idea, or are without a clue, we’re here to help. February has gotten off to a great start, and we’re looking forward to a great Valentine’s Day (um, week—Valentine’s week).

Love is in the air—and on our window.

A Day at the Shop: January 29, 2014

Last Wednesday was a busy day at the shop, with lots of boxes making their way through our door. So many packages!

One box, two box, three box, four

Not long after opening for the day, a delivery man arrived with quite the pile—a pallet stacked with boxes big and small! He was kind enough to help us unload the shipment so he could take the pallet with him. He, Sarah, and I formed a chain: a bucket brigade. In a matter of minutes, the pile was just inside the door, ready to greet visitors. Before long, two more deliveries arrived. Fortunately, they were a mere fraction of the first haul. 

So, what’d we get? Lots of pots, plus other fun stuff.

Lyn went to Dallas two weeks ago on a buying trip, and, boy, did she achieve her goal. But I’ll address that in another post. For now, may these pastel bunnies bring a smile to your face.

Check out these cuties! They were part of a Tuesday delivery.

Oh, yes, let’s not forget the flowers! Sarah created an arrangement in a Minnesota Twins mug—the recipient had given birth to twin boys the day before.

An arrangement befitting the arrival of twin grandsons

How Our Garden Grew!

After a rocky start, our garden became lush and lovely.

With the arrival of our first snow and temps low enough to require winter attire, it seems that Minnesota gardening ended months ago already, but it's only been a couple weeks since we bid our beautiful boulevard bounty adieu.

Later in the season, the coleus and dusty miller found homes in some of our arrangements.

As you may recall, our boulevard garden was visited by a thief in May—and it wasn't the first time we experienced such selfish behavior. But we pressed on, determined to cultivate our little patch of urban green.

A bit of yellow and some variegated leaves added color variation.

Our talented Nancy was devoted and determined. She replaced items as needed and tended the plants to maturity.

Sarah added her own touch with a little free library. It was a great addition to the garden. We love to glance out the shop window and see people checking out our selection of titles. It's satisfying to see a book go home with someone.

Books for your reading pleasure.

By August, the hibiscus was in bloom. There was no mistaking its giant blossoms in bright pink.

Well, hello, hibiscus!

We look forward to spring, of course, but our long stretch of wintery months has only just begun. To help see us through, we'll have to recall the bounty of this year's boulevard and how fabulously our garden grew.

Happy, Happy Birthday

A few weeks ago, we celebrated a birthday. July 31 marked 12 years of Lyn owning our beloved Brown & Greene. We couldn't let the day go by without a celebration of some sort. So, we had a party. Perhaps I should say par-TAY!

In fine festive fashion, we had tasty offerings salty and sweet, as well as a selection of beverages.

Lisa and Sarah prepped for the party.

Guests supped on scrumptious fresh-from-the-oven slices by Red Wagon Pizza, which set up shop right outside our door. Melt-in-your-mouth macarons and rochers—with and without chocolate—by Patisserie 46 provided that bit of sugar that finishes a meal so well.

Sweets await partygoers.

High-top tables at the ready for guests.

Well-wishers crowded our space in and outside the store—and then some. Friends, family, and business associates past and present stopped by to congratulate Lyn. We were so glad to have you all there and hope to post photos soon to share that love. Thanks, everyone!

I heart Brown & Green buttons.

Boulevard Gardens

Gardening is a passion for many Minnesotans. And with such a short growing season, they can't wait to get started. Finally—finally!—planting season is here. None too soon, either. It seemed to take almost until the official start of summer for spring warmth to arrive. And we're so glad it did—better late than never, right?

It was wonderful to watch color return and then see it change as early growers were replaced by summer staples. The lilacs lasted much later into the season than usual.

And have you noticed the boulevards? Many have come to life with all sorts of vegetation. People don't plant only pots, flower boxes, and yards. Some extend their love of gardening to their boulevards.

At Brown & Greene, we take full advantage of our boulevard plot. This year, Nancy lovingly filled it with bleeding heart, coleus, dusty miller, hosta, hydrangea, and more. 

Unfortunately, an as-yet-to-be-identified woman plucked some of our little lovelies within days of planting, hitting several neighbors as well. Her behavior is maddening and discouraging, but it is not enough to keep us from tending our patch. Nancy got right back out there and filled in the spaces where her first plantings had been.

While our boulevard garden beautifies our outdoors, it also pretties up our indoors. Small coleus cuttings go in vases of water, where they quickly root and can be planted. Other times, coleus ends up in arrangements, as do hosta leaves.

The fiery hues of some coleus make the plant a wonderful addition to bouquets.

We enjoy our boulevard garden. And we're pleased to share it with you, whether you're simply passing by or get a sampling of its bounty in one of our arrangements.

Sweet, delicate bleeding heart—a harbinger of spring.

Ah, the pretty contrast of green and red

We look forward to watching the dirt disappear beneath the ever-expanding leaves of our plants. Such experiences make waiting so long for spring worth it.

So many shapes and sizes

Dusty miller snuggles up to a few rocks.

Styled Classes: Learning and Laughter by Design

If you’ve ever wanted to make an interesting arrangement of only greens, craft a bulb garden, or dabble in some other sort of floral adventure, Brown & Greene is the place for you. That’s because we offer classes. Not just any classes, mind you—they include more than flowers.

Pints & Posies
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we offered Pints & Posies, in which we paired arranging an assortment of greens with beer tasting. Our dear Lyn taught design, Jerrod Sumner of Brandtabulous covered beer, and Katie Fears of Brio Art caught the event masterfully with her camera.

The supplies and room were ready for students to arrive.

Meet our greens: aspidistra, Cleopatra fern, dusty miller, flat fern, foxtail, scented geranium, sword fern, and trick carnation.

The selection of beers included Finnegan's Irish Amber, O'Hara's Irish Stout, and War & Peace's Imperial Coffee Stout.

Lyn demonstrated how to design with the foliage.

Cheers!

Our workspace makes for a cozy classroom. Participants listened while Jerrod discussed the beers being sampled.

Jerrod sliced the yummy cake provided by Buttercream.

We added to the traditional beer-and-nuts pairing with pretzels, crackers, cheese, and more.

Bulbs & Bubbly

In April, participants partook in Bulbs & Bubbly, sampling prosecco in different forms—Jell-O shots, anyone?—and crafting a beautiful bulb garden in a glass bowl, using pebbles, curly and pussy willows, soil, moss, and hyacinth. 

There was a lot of laughter as people poured dirt, twisted willow, buried bulbs, and arranged moss and rocks, all while sipping cocktails. We look forward to sharing photos of the class with you soon.

Working with a Theme

The pairings are part of our styled classes, which are based on a theme. The goal is to teach you about flowers and floral design, as well as a related topic that fits the selected theme. Our next class is English Cottage Garden & Tea. We’ll showcase beautiful flowers typical of an English garden and sample tea from Mrs. Kelley's Teas and scones and cucumber sandwiches from Buttercream Bakery and Patisserie 46. Sounds enchanting, doesn’t it?

The class will be held Sunday, June 23, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.. The cost is $65 per person.

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We have other classes in the works as well:

• July: Outdoor Entertaining: Make Your Own Succulent Garden Planter
• August: Wildflowers & Honey Tasting
• September: Autumn Blossoms & Warm Cocktails

We'll provide information on our site and via e-mail to subscribers as we have it. Classes are generally for 8–12 students. Because space is limited, it’s better to sign up sooner rather than later. If you’ve been to a class already, come on back. If you haven’t been yet, what are you waiting for? 

Take a class with us to create your own floral lovely to take home.