Thyme in the Garden

If you've been in the shop lately, you know we have a wide selection of gifts and decorations for the holidays as well as anytime of the year. We have something for everyone, not just garden lovers! Also right now, we have samples of fresh wreaths that are really outstanding, which we take orders for so you can get it fresh, when you want it. They come in mixed greenery, Frasier fir, Boxwood, and Magnolia. The Frasier Fir scent from Thymes is very popular. We carry not only the hand soap and candles, but also the reed dispenser, room spray, and hand lotion. They are all wonderful, long-lasting products to luxuriate in through the holidays. (actually it is wonderful scent year-round too!) These pear candles burn with a translucent glow for 24 hours. Handmade Pewter ornaments from Beehive! Scandinavian x-mas balls. Bulbs for forcing in the winter. We also create indoor gardens with bulbs as the centerpiece. Come get one already started, or force one yourself and enjoy watching

One of our very best sellers are these solar lanterns that turn on at night and glow for about 6 hours. They are made to be outdoors in the full sun and rain. They have a LED light and AAA rechargeble battery. They are beautiful in the daytime too, available four soft colors. One great advantage as a gift is that they collaspe and come in a slim box; great for mailing.

Recently, the Asheville Friends of the Earth Garden Club came to hold their monthly meeting in our garden and greenhouse. Our contribution to their program was a demonstration and talk by our friend and collaborator, Nancy Shoch. She showed how pumpkins and gourds can be used as vases/containers to create stunning Autumn centerpieces. In addition she focused on using cut flowers, colorful foliage, seed pods, etc. that are found in our gardens and backyards this time of the year.

We've had a very hot summer this year, so we're looking forward to the crisper days of October. To me that means bright blue skies, colorful foliage everywhere and the perfect time to do a lot of planting in the garden. The soil stays warmer longer than we realize, so roots have a good chance to establish before the hard freeze comes. Also, they don't have the stress of the heat that plants planted in late spring and summer will have, requiring constant watering. It is still important to pay attention to watering, especially if we don't get a lot of rain, but you'll find the ground doesn't dry out as quickly. It is a great time to divide, transplant, dig up plants to move or give them to neighbors if you're ready for a change. Also, Fall is the time to put in your Spring blooming bulbs. In stock now, at our shop, are Crocus, Miniature Daffodils, and Hyacinths. It is so lovely in early, early spring, before things begin to green up, to get a promise of things

Autumn is here and Halloween is on its way!  Check out some our cool items, just in! These spiders and webs are very popular!  A great addition to any Halloween display! Fall is one of our favorite times of the year for foraging for interesting natural objects. Use them in any kind of arrangement or just a collection on a table.  This week I'm collecting Hawthorne Berries (seen above) and all kinds of seed pods which are especially pretty before they start drying.  Like purple hyacinth bean pods-enjoy them now while they're mature and deep purple and when they're dry, keep the beautiful black and white seeds for planting next Spring. A mixed arrangement of dried, fresh and artificial around a candle centerpiece.

Our SALE is Sept. 3rd, 4th, and 6th(Labor Day). Closed Sunday. We're making room for exciting new inventory coming this Autumn and Holiday Season. We are putting most POTS on sale 30% off, with selected pots 40% off. Most FURNITURE and ANTIQUES will be on sale; there are some treasures in here with rare savings! Also, watch for our sale tables, indoors and out, with ACCESSORIES, TOOLS, and more! While you're here we'll have some fresh perennials and veggie starts for the best time of the year to plant!

Perennials and Veggie Starts for Fall! Today we are getting our first delivery of plants for Autumn. (I know, it seems like it might still be a little hot during the afternoons, but it really is time for planting veggies that thrive in the cooler temps. of Autumn. Sowing spinach, lettuce, turnips, kale, collards, and more now will get your plants established before the really cooler temps. stunt growth. We'll have this weeks as starts: cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and collards. In the following weeks, we'll add lettuce starts as well. With your salad greens, sowing in successions will give you an extended harvest and allow you to eat them when they're best. You might want to rig up some way to cover them with floating row covers, to extend them even more through the winter. Also arriving today, some perennial herbs, like Rosemary and Lavender, as well as a few perennial ornamentals, that are great for both the landscape, as well as planted containers for Autumn a

The newest from Beehive Kitchenware! Beautifully crafted by artists in Mass. from lead-free pewter. We love their sweet and simple designs, especially the baby spoons. Their newest design is this fork and spoon set of mama and baby bird. Check out the farm animals and their tails on the back of the spoon! Also popular from Beehive for weddings, house-warmings and birthdays; the measuring spoon sets in hearts with quotes, or in birds sitting in a wall display.

Colorful and Collapsible Gift Vases Right in time for all the late summer blooming annuals and perennials; these colorful vases add a little something extra to a gift bouquet of flowers. These cool vases are plastic, therefore collapsible, yet when filled with water, they immediately stand straight and reflect their color, resembling colored glass. (Shown here, are flowers cut from our garden behind the shop, which we are happy to cut fresh for folks, sold either by the stem or by bouquet.)

Beautiful new concrete pieces! Come see new fountains, planters, statuary, birdbaths, benchs and more. All made in NC by Unique Stone , a family run company specializing in reproductions of old treasures from the world over. Their '0ld-world' finishes give them an elegantly aged appearence.

Bright and early one morning in July we were visited by Suzanne Shaffer and her watercolor class. They took advantage of the cooler temperatures and some of the shade the garden gets in the morning; and painted all kinds of sights from tiny details to larger scopes of the garden. We welcome visitors to come enjoy the garden; to stroll, sit and contemplate, to paint, take photos and find inspiration. We are open Mon.-Sat. 9am-6pm (in Spring through Autumn) 9:30-5:30 in Winter. If you would like to bring a group for a session, we ask you to call ahead and schedule; we can also accommodate after hour visits for some activities (like tea parties!)

We had our first Tea Party in the Garden! Everyone wore their party hats, and even tried out Glory-B paper hats! Anita, from Anita Cup of Tea , decorated the tables and served a very delicious peach iced tea. We nibbled on cucumber sandwiches, cherries, strawberries, pillow cookies and more. We enjoyed Sunday afternoon with cheerful company and sent our guests home with a little bouquet from the garden.

Summer is here! On these hot days, let's take a little time to slow down from Spring planting and just enjoy the outdoors. Here we share some shots taken around the Thyme in the Garden. Veggie Arrangement in a pot Hens and chicks growing on the moss frog Sweet Betty Bees Eastern Black Swallowtail Flower bouquets from our garden Our "gnome hut" Yellow Hibiscus Arrangement

Sale July 1st-3rd Look for our annual plant sale (perennials and annuals) right around the 4th of July. That marks for us the end of the extended plant selections for the summer. We hold a progressive sale on all perennials, annuals and select shrubs that starts on the 1st : 20% off on Thursday, 30% off on Friday and ends on Sat. the 3rd with 40% off. Expect to discover as well, a few goodies marked down inside and out (some of the largest pots we carry for example).

It is often a surprise to our new customers that we carry hats, but when they find out how great they are, they keep coming back to find a great selection of very stylish, yet reasonably priced women, children, and baby hats. We carry SanDiego Hat Company; we've stayed with them from the beginning and can't get enough of their great designs. Now that summer is here we have a range of styles from great ultra-braid visors to ribbon crushers with medium to wide brims. All of the summer hats are packable; just roll them up and put them your bag, that way you'll be sure to be covered when out in the sun.

Right now, our plant selections for outdoors are popping with color and filled to the brim with unusual foliage and interesting textures. Our greenhouse has a mixture of shade perennials and annuals, and the grounds around the shop are stocked with all kinds of sun annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetable starts. Some of the favorites right now: Tuberous Begonias, good for bold colorful blooms all summer, for part sun-shade. Salvia, Heliotrope, Cleome, Cosmos, Lantana, Verbena and many more, attract butterflies. Coleus, Elephant Ears, Caladiums, Cloral Bells all have striking foliage to either be a focal point in your plantings, or add necessary contrast. Many kinds of trailing, blooming annuals are in stock representing every color of the rainbow. Come by and find just what you're looking for, we are very happy to help. Or if you'd like to just come stroll our gardens, they are looking full of blooming color!

We are very excited to be teaming up with a fun lady named Anita, who's business you may have heard of: Anita Cup of Tea. She brings fantastically decorated tea parties to you, does it all, serving with joy and inspired themes. For those of you that love our garden and are looking for a venue for your next party, consider hiring Anita to do it all and we'll provide the beautiful garden space. We recently expanded our greenhouse and dressed it up with all kinds of fun stuff from our shop, so it can be outdoor event space. We're excited to be ready to book tea parties with Anita for your next gathering of friends, whether it be for a great Mother's Day Gift, Birthday, or just for the fun of getting together. Don't forget to include our line of handmade paper hats to dazzle everyone and create real party flair! A link to Anita Cup of Tea is here or on our home page.