March 9th, 2010

STERLING GARDENS  - YOUR BLARNEY BOUTIQUE

0410-blarneystoneExcited about the most Irish time of the year?  Looking for a bit o’ the blarney  but can’t afford a trip to the Emerald Isle to get it?  Well hold onto your shamrocks!  Because Sterling Gardens is THE place to get your very own Blarney Stone!  It’s a wee bit of Ireland right here in Wisconsin.  And it’s waiting for you at Sterling Gardens Floral Center in Neenah.

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Or perhaps you’re looking for something a little easier to carry?

- Green Carnations…99-cents each -

- Oxalis (The Shamrock Plant)…
arrangements available in all price ranges -

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BLOOMIN’ BEAUTIFUL0410-bloomstable1

The first annual fox valley floral show is in full swing.  And Sterling Gardens’ design team is there with an amazing entry in the table setting competition.  We hope you will stop in, visit, and vote for the bloomin’ best display in the Rooms of Blooms program!

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UPCOMING DESIGN CLASSES

Tuesday, March 16th:  Make your Spring Door Swag
Tuesday, March 30th:  Make a Fresh Easter Centerpiece

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Don’t let your St. Patrick’s Dayturn into “Erin go blah.”
Stop in to Sterling Gardens Floral Center!
Remember: 4 out of 5 Leprechauns prefer us…
and that’s no blarney!

March 5th, 2010

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Fine art meets floral design at the first annual greater Fox Valley floral show, and STERLING GARDENS WILL BE THERE!!!

The Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh presents Rooms of Blooms Fridays through Sundays in March.  Celebrating the art of floral design within the ornate rooms of the historic Paine mansion, Rooms of Blooms is the First Annual Greater Fox Valley Floral Show featuring over one hundred artistic fresh flower arrangements by twenty designers from the region.

Beyond the bouquets, there will be six specially designed table settings that showcase the creativity and innovation of the finest floral designers in the area, including our own Brian Pribbernow.

Brian will also be participating in the floral demonstrations portion of the program, teaching a class that helps students learn to create their own unique arrangements by designing inside the vase instead of outside.  Brian’s class will be offered on March 19, at 3:00 p.m.

We hope you’ll join us at Rooms of Blooms - presented every Friday and Saturday in March from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Sundays from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The Paine Art Center and Gardens is located at 1410 Algoma Boulevard in Oshkosh.  For more information, please visit www.thepaine.org or call Sterling Gardens Floral Center in Neenah, (920) 725-9966.

Join us at Rooms of Blooms!
And see why Sterling Gardens IS the bloomin’ best!!!

February 10th, 2010

No matter what those little candy hearts have
written on them, all they really say is,
“This was all that was left at the grocery store.”

VALENTINE’S DAY IS ALMOST HERE!

Stop searching for the perfect way to say, “Be mine.”
It’s here, at Sterling Gardens!

FLOWERS AT WORK - the gift of brag!

0210-roses2Everyone likes to receive flowers at work.  It brightens the worst of days, brings color to the dimmest of cubicles, and makes you feel like the most special person in the building.  So what do we do when Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday?  SIMPLE!

  • PLAN A…send flowers on Thursday with a card that tells of how your love could not stand another three days of silence.  Thursday delivery also allows the receiver all of Friday to show-off their flowers.
  • PLAN B…send flowers on Monday with an equally mushy card that states how your love is too great to express on only one day of the year. While this plan risks your valentine thinking you forgot to send anything before, it provides her (or him) an entire week of showing-off.  And that’s always fun.

VALENTINE’S SWEETS SPICE!

Candy and cards are nice.  But if you’re hoping a sweet Valentine’s Day ends with a spicy Valentine’s Night, then consider these little tidbits.

  • Ladies, did you know most men associate the color red with sex?  The flowers on the table (or night stand) may not raise your guy’s attention.  But the deep red tones and long lines of roses will arouse his senses.
  • Dark purple, like that of dark eggplant calla lilies, can also stimulate the senses.
  • Curvy vases with satin ribbons bring to mind the sensual shapes we all work so hard to maintain.
  • Cinnamon is believed to be a natural aphrodisiac!  Fill your special space with this sexy scent by scattering rose petals infused with cinnamon, or by having us slip a few cinnamon candies into your Valentine’s Day flower arrangement.

SWEEP KNOCK HER OFF HER FEET0210-postcard2

What would your valentine say to Oaks chocolates, a dozen roses, or diamond earrings?  What would she say to ALL THREE??? Stop into Sterling Gardens in Neenah to learn more!


The bloomin’ best Valentine gifts in the Fox Valley are here,
at Sterling Gardens Floral Center in Neenah, WI!

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!

January 18th, 2010

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Did your Special Santa bring you a ring for Christmas?

Congratulations!  Under the Christmas tree is a wonderful place to begin your life together!  But if you thought planning the perfect proposal was tricky, get ready for the planning challenge of a lifetime - the perfect wedding.  Don’t worry, though.  The floral design team at Sterling Gardens in Neenah, Wisconsin, is here to help!  To get you started, here are a couple of the up-and-coming trends in wedding flowers.

Great big bouquets are out.  Floral explosions of color are giving way to earthy landscape themes.  Trees and branches with moss accents create a simple natural look.  Small pots filled with simple greenery or herbs topped with white dendrobium orchid blooms make a uniquely stunning centerpiece for any table!

Roses will always be a wedding classic.  Tightly wound round bouquets are, however, being replaced by the loosely tied free-form bunches with a “just-picked” look.  And while roses will probably always be a part of wedding bouquets, new classics like hydrangea,   peonies, and orchids will be growing in popularity in 2010.

Wrist corsages are also fading as more Moms are carrying nosegays, loose little bouquets that match the rest of the wedding theme.

Want to know more about wedding flower trends for 2010?  Stop in and let our floral design experts guide you through the amazing options for flowers you hold, flowers you wear, flowers for church and reception, even flowers for your wedding cake!  We believe the flowers at your wedding are like the frame around the most beautiful picture of the happiest couple ever.  When you’re ready to start planning the wedding of your dreams, we’re ready to help!

Ex-SEED-ing Expectations

Yes, it’s the middle of winter.  But it might be time to start seeding those summertime favorites.  Check seed packets for the time before the last frost so when the ground thaws out, your seedlings are ready to move outside!

When you’re ready to begin your indoor sprouts, keep a few tips in mind.

  • Consider biodegradable “pots,” peat pellets, or even making your own pots from newspaper.0110-paperpots
  • Use a soil mix labeled for seedlings - usually fine, light soil that holds moisture evenly, is free of weed seeds and disease organisms, and allows seedlings to grow quickly.
  • Provide lots of light through a south-facing window or plant light.  A standard dual-tube fluorescent light will also work, just use one cool-white tube and one warm-white tube to be sure your seedlings receive the full spectrum of light.

Sterling Gardens is your garden’s best best bet for advice on preseason seeding.  Stop in and we’ll help you get your garden growing right!

PRINT & SAVE!!!

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Cupid’s Little Helpers

0110-rosejarValentine’s Day is right around the corner.  You can rely on little paper cards, hearts with clever sayings, or an archer in a diaper, OR, you can go with the most trusted, sure-fire floral I-love-you there is…Valentine’s Day FLOWERS from Sterling Gardens!  Stop in and see all the great Valentine floral designs that will have your valentine swooning!

And for your valentine’s sweet tooth, Sterling Gardens also has Hughes Chocolates and Oaks Meltaways - the perfect accents to any Valentine’s Day flower arrangement!

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Visit Sterling Gardens -
the bloomin’ best floral shop in the Fox Valley!
1154 Westowne Drive, Neenah, Wisconsin

920-725-9966

December 22nd, 2009

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM STERLING GARDENS!!!

What?  You didn’t get that special something for that special someone yet?!?!?  Don’t panic.  There’s still time…

Holiday hours:

  • December 24th - 8:30am-2:00pm
  • December 25th - Closed, Merry Christmas!
  • December 26th - Normal hours.

And if you’re hosting the big New Year’s Eve party this year, stop into Sterling Gardens Floral Center for the PERFECT accent for your table, buffet, or bar!

  • December 31st - 8:30am -4:00pm
  • January 1st - Closed, Happy New Year!
  • January 2nd - Normal hours

New Year - New Classes!!!

Take a look at these wonderful opportunities to learn how to create a unique decoration for your home or office, or a special gift that brings beauty to another person’s home.  Class prices include all materials.  And your finished piece is yours to keep!

January 13th - “Winter Door Decor”
Replace that Christmas wreath with a beautiful new decoration that will welcome guests warmly through the spring!
Cost: $25.00

February 2nd - “Ladies Night-Out”
Not sure what to hang in place of your boughs of holly? Join us as we wine, dine, and discover the newest ideas for decking your halls after the holidays.
Cost: free

February 23rd - “Silk design with a 4″ glass cube and green-scaping”
Cost $25.00

March 16th - “Spring Door Swag”
Cost: $25.00

March 30th - “Fresh Easter Centerpiece”
Create a table decoration the Easter Bunny himself will be jealous of!
Cost: $25.00

April 15th - “Ladies Night”

April 27th TBA

December 11th, 2009

POINSETTIAS -
Yuletide decoration…
or Holiday HAZARD?!?!?!?!?
poinsettia

Yes!  Poinsettias will cause you to be sick…provided you eat roughly three fully grown plants.  Poinsettias undergo more testing than any other consumer plant available today.  One study conducted by Children’s Hospital in

Pittsburg and Carnegie Mellon University found essentially no toxicity in over 22,000 reported cases of poinsettia exposure.

Nothing completes your Christmas decor like a poinsettia.   And what better hostess gift than a living symbol of the holidays?  Call us at Sterling Gardens floral center in Neenah, WI, and reserve your pot of holiday cheer today!

HOLIDAY BLOOMIN’ BARGAIN

Stop into Sterling Gardens of Neenah, WI, ask for the “Santa’s Helpers’ Discount,” and receive $5 off any $25 purchase (in-store, regular-price items only).

Do you know someone with limited space?

Don’t let your favorite apartment dweller, college student, or otherwise space-limited friend go without a Christmas tree!  Sterling Gardens has miniature Christmas trees guaranteed to fill the smallest of spaces with ginormous amounts of holiday cheer!

HAVE A MERRY BLOOMIN’ CHRISTMAS
from
STERLING GARDENS!

November 18th, 2009

1109-ogden3cNeed help decking your halls?

Sterling Gardens’ design specialists will turn your workplace into a winter wonderland with enough holiday cheer to banish the bah-humbugs for good!  If you have a vision, we’ll make it reality.  If not, we’ll deck your halls with a unique design that will have employees and visitors ho-ho-ho’ing all the way through their day!

We can work with your decorations or bring everything ourselves.  Whether you’re looking for a wee-wreath or a terrific-tannenbaum, garlands, lights, ribbons, poinsettias, or more, 1109-ogden1bSterling Gardens can design and deliver holiday décor fit for Santa’s own workshop!

And when the holiday season is behind us, we’ll even come back and box it all up for next year.

Just give Sterling Gardens a call, ask for Cheryl or Brian, and let us know when you want to bring the spirit of the holidays to your office or home!

FLOWER POWER!!!

Roses.  They’re perfect for saying “I love you,” “Happy Anniversary,” or “I’m sorry I skipped couples’-scrapbooking to watch the big game with my beer-drinking buddies.”  But did you know roses can say, “FIRE UP!” too?  The color red can stimulate your adrenal glands, which in turn increases your energy. Remember, a dozen roses is the 12-pack that beautifies and boosts (and gets you out of the doghouse).

Only 300ish days ’till Halloween

Take advantage of frighteningly low prices on fall and Halloween decorations - 50% off!!!

Fleeting Fall

1109-sunflowerAutumn in Wisconsin is Mother Nature’s annual art show, turn every inch of the outdoors into a gallery of rich colors and textures.  So why leave it outside?  Fill your favorite flower vase with cut branches of autumn leaves.  Mini pumpkins and gourds accent any fall floral design, w1109-pumpkinarngmnthile dried grasses provide a subtle hint of the season to any autumnal arrangement.

Don’t wait until the last minute to order a Thanksgiving centerpiece.  Sterling Gardens’ floral designers will create the perfect combination of flowers and fall - the perfect complement to any family gathering.

Christmas is coming!!!

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Nothing blooms with holiday cheer like a Christmas poinsettia. Now is the time to place your orders for these beautiful plants.  And Sterling Gardens is the place!  Just give us a call and we’ll make sure you have your poinsettias in time to enjoy throughout the holiday season.

Coming Up

November 19th, 20th, and 22nd - Holiday Open House!!!

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Until next time, remember:
Sterling Gardens helps you live, grow, and flourish,
because we’re the bloomin’ best!

October 18th, 2009

NEW SHOP - NEW MERCHANDISE

And you’ll want to see this…

RELAX - Sterling Gardens has got you covered with the latest products and trends.  “Ooohs” and “ahhhs” come with the territory.

BE FRESH - Sterling Gardens has the newest must-have fresh floral designs.

DREAM - Imagine your office or home filled with fresh florals every week.

CELEBRATE - Sterling Gardens has ideas for every event or occasion.

HALLOWEEN

Sterling SPOOKY Gardens is your Halloween headquarters.  We’ve got spooky pumpkin arrangements for sending out, designer fresh pumpkins, even designer Halloween hats!

FLOWER POWER!!!

“Good night - bluebells?” As a matter of fact, yes.  Bluebells’ rich blue color stimulates the production of melatonin, a chemical in our brain that facilitates relaxation and sound sleeping.  Blue is also believed to stimulate the thyroid’s production of the metabolic rate regulator thyroxin.

NEW STUFF YOU JUST GOTTA HAVE…

- Lunch Box Totes

- Stretchable Rings

- Hand Crocheted Scarves and Hats

WHAT’S COMING UP

October 16 - Bosses Day

October 17 - Sweetest Day

October 25 - Mother-In-Laws Day

November 5 - VNA Show (Bridgewood)

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BLOOMIN’ BARGAIN

1-dozen c/c roses $12.95, arranged $34.95

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Sterling Gardens - where you live, grow, and flourish,

because we’re the bloomin’ best!

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September 19th, 2009

ARE WE THERE YET?

YES!  Sterling Gardens has moved.  Our new address is…

1154 Westowne Dr.

(behind Culver’s and Walgreens).

At the moment, though, we’re still unpacking boxes and arguing about which drawer is for the scissors and which is for sparkly paper.  So while we can’t wait to show you the new shop, plan on stopping in for our…

“GRAND OPENING” - October 8th and 9th.

It’s sure to be a celebration you won’t want to miss!

FREEBIES FROM MOTHER NATURE

stump1Old dead trees can be an eyesore in your garden or landscape areas.  But once you cut them down, don’t rush them off to the wood-chipper or the fire-pit.  As your “lumberjack” to divide the tree into pieces.  The mini-stumps make great outdoor plant stands for anyplace you wish to create natural looking levels and layers of color or greenery.  Hollowing the stumps out creates a great container for potted plants such as hardy mums (see our last post for some great information about hardy mums).  These sturdy stands and containers look great in any outdoor setting, are all natural, and come with the best price tag possible.  FREE!

FLOWER POWER!!!

sunflower

Can sunflowers improve your office productivity and mood?  You bet!  The human brain is stimulated by yellow light waves.

Such stimulation increases alertness, makes you more clear-headed and more decisive.  In addition, because people naturally associate the color yellow with daylight, sunflowers

are believed to create a feeling of optimism.  Whether it’s the office or lobby, the lunchroom or the living room, bring in some sunflowers and bring on the smiles.

YES YOU CAN

Large planters and containers are great decorating elements.  But filling large planters with potting mix can be expensive.  And once they’re full, those containers are often too heavy to move!  One solution for both problems is “cans.”  Take crushed aluminum cans and place them in the bottom of the container.  Cover with landscaping fabric, and fill with potting soil and plants.  The cans take up space without adding weight, and provide excellent space for drainage in case you over-water.  When the season is over, the cans can be reused or recycled.

WHAT’S COMING UP?

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October 8th - Ladies’ Night, 5:30-8:00 p.m.

OCTOBER 9th & 10th - GRAND OPENING!!!

October 16th - National Bosses’ Day

October 17th - Sweetest Day

October 25th - Mother In Law Day

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Remember, every day is special when you celebrate it with flowers.  Stop in to Sterling Gardens floral shop in Neenah, and pick-up a little something that will bring a bit of color, and a bunch of smiles to someone’s day!

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Sterling Gardens - where you live, grow, and flourish,

because we’re the bloomin’ best!

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August 28th, 2009

“MUM’s the word”

istock_fallmumsAs autumn approaches, “Hardy Mums” can provide one last splash color for your garden! Short for chrysanthemum, mums are a strong bloomer that can sometimes be seen blooming through the first frost.

Many gardeners treat hardy mums as annuals, leaving the plants in their original pots or transplanting into decorative garden containers. Already developed, plants purchased in the fall can tolerate shady conditions.  Check potted mums frequently for soil moisture.  Water thoroughly when soil feels dry to the touch.

Mums also make great perennials!  When planting outdoors, remember mums grow best in sunny locations.    Plant your mums in the ground as early as possible to allow for good root development before the first frost.  Mulching is recommended for helping the plants survive the harsh Wisconsin winter.  Mound with soil (as with roses) after the foliage dies.  Once the mound freezes, mulch with straw, marsh hay, or evergreen boughs.  Leaves are not recommended as they can pack down and smother the plant.

Stop into Sterling Gardens floral center in Neenah and learn how hardy mums can add dazzling color to your fall garden!

FLOWER POWER!!!

Researchers have shown that fresh flowers can improve your mood.  Chinese healers now suggest that flowers may be used to elevate emotions based on the color of the flowers chosen.

Lilacs’ violet color cools, alleviating “hot” conditions such as rash and sunburn.  The lilac’s rich hues are also believed to suppress hunger and balance metabolism, and reduce stress by stimulating the pituitary gland’s release of tension-fighting endorphins.

Tune in next time to learn about more blooming benefits!

FLOWER CHOW?

Extend the life of your fresh flowers with this simple recipe for fresh-flower-feed:  2 tablespoons white vinegar + 2 tablespoons white sugar + water

The vinegar will inhibit mold while the sugar gives your flowers a little boost of nutrients.

GREEN MACHINESistock_aloe2

Many plants provide health benefits.  Few have become as indispensable as aloe.  Best known for treating rashes, burns, and abrasions, aloe is used for over 250 medicinal applications.  Like most green plants, aloe also helps clean the air consuming carbon dioxide and formaldehyde and releasing oxygen.

WHAT’S COMING UP?

September 4 - last day the old shop is open.

September 5, 6, 7 - MOVING DAYS!!!

September 8 - the new shop is open for business!

September 13 - Grandparents’ Day

October 1 - Ladies’ Night at Sterling Gardens!  Contact us for details.

OCTOBER 2 & 3 - GRAND OPENING OF OUR NEW SHOP - 1154 Westowne Drive (behind Culver’s and Walgreens).   Stay tuned for more details about shop-warming specials and celebrations!!!

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Until next time, remember:
Sterling Gardens helps you live, grow, and flourish,
because we’re the bloomin’ best!