White Flower Farm Spring 2015 catalogue arrives

Bloomerang lilac 'Pink Perfume'

www.whiteflowerfarm.com

Happy Holidays!

Happy Christmas December 2014 newsletter from Plant Delights

Plant Delights is highly recommended by The Green Man for plants that are new, fresh, and exciting. Read their December 2014 newsletter here: http://www.plantdelights.com/index/page/static/subpage/Newsletter_2014December

Oakleaf hydrangea in Autumn

About those 12 days of Christmas....

"After Christmas" is not after Christmas. If it were, it would fall on January 6th instead of the commercial December 26th. One reason it is important to celebrate Christmastide as a season is that celebrations and festivities can be spacedout over nearly 2 week rather than crammed into 1 day. Celebrate Christmas as a season. Read all the fascinating details here: http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/12daysofchristmas.shtml

Still a small window to plant hardy Fall bulbs for Spring

If you're located where the ground has yet to freeze, there are still fall bulb bargains to enjoy. This purveyor is new to TGM, but they may still be shipping at this late date.....Come March, you'll want cheerful flowers blooming outside your door. http://www.hollandbulbfarms.com/

Christmastide approaches

December continues its flight to the New Year 2015 at a rapid clip. Christmas Day is mere 10 days away by which time all of your holiday preparations are to be in flawless order. Much better to recall that Christmastide is a 12-day-long season and not a sprint to a finish line and so to celebrate it in a relaxed manner. For example, TGM sends his holiday cards after New Year's Day as it's still Christmas through January 5th. As a bonus,the cards as well as everything else are 50 to 90% "off." Long ago, Christmastide gifts were distributed on "Twelfth Night," January 5th Eve....with Epiphany following on December. Remember Epiphany? That's the day the Magi arrived in Bethlehem after a 12- day journey. They didn't jet in from the East on December 25th. So, consider reviving Christmastide in some way in your life this season.

Plant flowering quince 'Toyo Nishiki' for special Spring color

Chaenomeles japonica'Toyo Nishiki' 'Toyo Nishiki' has been available for awhile, but it is a remarkably under-used delight of a shrub. Japanese quince blooms in early Spring. Besides being gorgeous, its special attraction is that it features light red, white, and pink blooms on one plant. It's much more subtle than the popular red and red-orange cultivars, so situate it where it can be seen. One specimen is good, but an asymmetrical triangulation of 3 is spectacular. Read more about this variety here: http://www.thehighline.org/blog/2013/04/08/plant-of-the-week-toyo-nishiki-flowering-quince

A perfect, healthy, and thoughtful gift: A citrus sampler

You can almost smell the aromas wafting from this fruit....and the sampler is bargain-priced.

Available now from White Flower Farm www.whiteflowerfarm.com

For early Winter color try amaryllis

Check out the delightful collection of over 50 amaryllis varieties at White Flower Farm!

www.whiteflowerfarm.com

Bluestone Perennials Spring 2015 catalog available now

Hosta 'Old Glory' Check out these exciting new introductions: http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/new_varieties.html

Christmas robins and St. Stephen's Day wrens by impressionist painter Vitec

English Christmas robin by Vitec Vitec is a brilliant impressionist bird painter in Windsor, England. We have been featuring his work for several years as it is simply outstanding. His bird miniatures make wonderful holiday gifts as well as festive decor for your home. If Renoir or Degas had painted birds, Vitec's work would be what they look like. Visit his web sites here: http://vitec-art.com/ http://vitec-painting.blogspot.com/ http://vitec-painting.blogspot.com/2010/02/birds-for-sale-at-etsy-today.html

Paperwhite narcissus 'Ariel' for the holidays & "Christmas in Connecticut"

Paperwhite narcissus 'Ariel' "Paperwhites belong to a group of Daffodils that are not hardy for us, but are easily grown in a pot or vase indoors. Their large clusters of pure white flowers arch above graceful, blue-green foilage, and their perfume fills a room with fragrance. Paperwhites require no preparation and are absolutely foolproof. When bulbs are planted in early December, they will flower in 4 to 6 weeks with seldom a miss. We ship Paperwhites from September into January, with an occasional pause for foul weather." Available from www.whiteflowerfarm.com =BONUS!= Here's a link to a Hollywood classic Christmas film you may have not yet discovered. It's one of The Green Man's favorites, full of charm, comic situations, and most importantly, love: Here's the link: http://watch32.com/movies-online/christmas-in-connecticut-1945-868