Tag: Marvin Gardens

Cracking Art Group REgeneration Project

PenguinDarkBlue Penguin PenguinRed-1 1386859742288 Attachment-1 (1) 1387489760060 Penguin 2 1387474002209 1387489708681 1387038182553 1387038088323Marvin Gardens USA is honored to be part of the international artistic collective Cracking Art Group and Italy’s renowned Galleria Ca’ d’Oro. The Red Snails are part of the global sensation known as the REgeneration Art Project, and is a public art series designed to intrigue the mind, to reconnect it with nature, and to prompt curiosity about the origination of the materials. All of the colorful animals are made from recycled materials and up-cycled into large, over-sized contemporary art. The vibrant colors and over-sized animals are whimsical and unexpected, drawing ones attention and inspiring conversation. The art installations are placed in high traffic urban areas, such as New York City, Miami, Paris, Rome, Prague, Venice, Sydney and many more amazing and unusual locations.

At Marvin Gardens USA, many of our home and garden elements are vintage or antique, with less emphasis on modern production goods. Our philosophy of re-purposing existing elements and recreating them into modern day trendy and stylish elements lends itself to the same philosophy of the Cracking Art Group, which focuses on – “…the importance of recycling and its environmental impact, while leaving a potent artistic trace in the communities we live in.”

Please join us at Marvin Gardens USA to touch, feel, photograph and ask questions about the REgeneration Art Project’s Red Snails. Share this post with friends and Like our Facebook page…spread the word about the REgeneration project. The Snails are disarmingly charming! Please inquire if you wish to purchase a snail.

Thank you, Gloria Porcella, Executive Producer and Artistic Curator of Galleria Ca’ d’Oro, for the wonderful and heartfelt opportunity you have provided Marvin Gardens USA. We are so pleased to be part of this international sensation.

Amabel Chan, Principal
Marvin Gardens USA

Fall is a Great Time to Prepare Your Garden for Spring

fall-gardening
Source: luigi diamanti via Freedigitalphotos.net

Just getting started is often the hardest step in planting a spring garden. With all the work involved, it can sometimes seem like an overwhelming task. A great solution to this annual problem is to start the work in the fall.  Here are some easy ways to get ready for next year’s planting:

Compost Heaps – While not directly beneficial to the garden at this point, it will allow you to jump start it when the spring finally arrives. Just keep adding your compostable material and rotating it throughout the off-season.

Cover Crops – In addition to preventing soil erosion, the right cover crop can add valuable nutrients and minerals to your garden with little or no effort from you. Some good choices are rye, buckwheat and clover.

Discarded Leaves – Collect them, shred them and add a 2” layer over your garden bed. They will decompose over the winter. In the spring, you can then turn them into the soil to keep it loose and mineral-rich for your new plants.

For more information on planning your next year’s garden, contact us at Marvin Gardens by calling  203-544-2020.

Ideas for Designing a Showstopping Front Yard

animal-sculptures
Source: Marvin Gardens

People’s first impression of your home forms at the first moment they set their eyes on your front yard. Even a beautiful interior design can’t shake off a bad impression once it’s already established.

For this reason, your front yard deserves a makeover if it’s currently making a lackluster impression. For this simple renovation project, think of a good outdoor design idea which you can easily execute. Start with a unifying theme that ties in all elements together for a harmonious look.

If you love the farmland aesthetic, for example, you can collect garden sculptures of farm animals and pair them with your plants and trees in your front yard. Continue the theme with farm-style fencing surrounding planting areas or an attractive farmhouse gate leading to your front porch.

If you want something less whimsical and more classic, try focusing more on attractive arrangements of flowers and other plants. You can add variety with container plants and classical statues.

There are many ways to decorate your front yard, but the final design boils down to what you like and what suits your home. Let your creativity take the reigns on this one! To get more ideas, visit us at Marvin Gardens or request more information.

 

How to Care for Your Kimberly Queen Fern in Fall

kimberly-queen-fern
Source: Marvin Gardens

Nothing makes a home feel more welcoming than a well maintained Kimberly Queen Fern. They are so elegant and rich looking!  Plus the health benefits to having interior ferns are well documented.

But now that seasons are changing, certain things need to be done in order to ensure your fern will continue to flourish during the cooler months.

  • When relocating your fern indoors, make sure to place it near a window where it can get a minimum of four hours of sunlight daily. At the same time, don’t place it too close to a direct source of heat.
  • Fertilize at least once a month, though you may need to fertilize twice a month if the fern seems to be going through a growth spurt.
  • Raise the humidity level by installing a cool mist humidifier in the same room. If that’s not possible, spray the fern several times daily with tepid water.
  • Take care not to over water. The soil needs to be kept moist but with no standing water on top of the soil.
  • Reduce the heat at night. These ferns need a period of cooler temperatures in order to thrive.

Need more information? Contact us at Marvin Gardens for all your garden care needs.

Yoga in the Garden: Creating a Peaceful and Healthy Outdoor Space

yoga-garden
Source: Freedigitalphotos.net

If you’re looking for a way to relax and live a healthier life, yoga is wonderful for both of those things.  Not only is yoga very calming, it also helps improve your flexibility, balance, and strength. It can be extremely beneficial to gardeners, who have to spend a lot of time in uncomfortable and damaging positions to care for their plants.

You can do yoga at any time inside, but when the weather’s nice it’s an incredible experience to perform yoga exercises in the fresh air and surrounded by the scent of flowers.  When you’re designing your yard or garden, it’s easy to include a space for yoga that’s large enough to fit your mat and maybe another mat for a friend.  Just make sure you choose a relatively flat area of your yard so that you can perform the exercises safely.

Two things should dictate the design of your yoga area: privacy and serenity.  After all, it’s difficult to relax if you feel like people can come by and watch you attempt some of the more challenging poses, and you want this to be as calming a place as possible.  If you don’t have or want a fence around your yard, consider shielding your yoga area with some tall plants.

It can also help to bring some Asian design influence into a yoga space.  The Asian garden design suggests three levels of plants, rocks and/or water to represent heaven, man and earth, and a Japanese sand and rock garden is a great addition.  Also consider choosing soothing fragrant plants near the area.

Waterfalls, fountains and ponds are always soothing.  You can add a waterfall or fountain to your pool area or build a small serenity fountain on your patio deck. A small pond bordered by a shade tree with an aerator recirculating the water creates a relaxing place for yoga.

At Marvin Gardens you can find some soothing and beautiful garden accessories to create your yoga haven.  Visit us today to see what we have in stock!

 

Why Add a Garden Gate?

Gates add a frame to the garden, increasing the organized and intentional appearance of the design.  Whether your garden is in the front or the back of the house, you should consider how people will approach the gate to decide the best placement.  It’s also a good idea to have a path weave from the gate entrance through your garden.

If you like the Secret Garden appeal, grow tall bushes and leafy plants in front of your fence and around the gate’s interior side so people can’t resist wondering what lies beyond the gate.  Vines also add to that naturally overgrown look that creates the impression of a mysterious and old garden.

If you prefer a more orderly and stately garden design, use your gate to frame an impressive sculpture, a classical fountain, or a particularly beautiful plant.  Design a pathway to travel from the gate and circle your garden focal point for a very deliberate and well-planned appearance.

Visit us at Marvin Gardens to see our selection of garden gates and accessories to create a beautifully designed garden of your own.

Our New Store Has Officially Opened!

gardening
Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

June 1 was an exciting day for us at Marvin Gardens. After ten years of serving the Wilton area from our location on Route 7, we opened for business just 300 feet north at our new location on Danbury Road. Our location may have changed but we are still proud to offer the unique home and garden items you’ve come to expect from us.

Regardless of what you are looking for, you’re smart to start at our marketplace. Our owner, Amabel Chan, has been searching high and low for the most special pieces to add to the store’s inventory. Greek garden columns? Check! Reclaimed wood benches? Find it here! Indoor vintage accents? You got it! Our new store provides the space, peaceful surroundings, and eclectic atmosphere that will best highlight these unique offerings. A trip to our marketplace is more than just shopping, it is an opportunity to reconnect with your senses and to become inspired.  If you’re ever feeling in need of a creativity boost, an afternoon browsing our store will leave you full of ideas for your home and garden.

We’d love to see you at our new location on Danbury Road! Come and learn what makes our store so incredibly special.

Fermob Bistro Collection…Classic French-Made Patio Collection

Fermob Bistro Table Fermob Chair“Two words epitomise Fermob furniture : Outdoor Lounge. Outdoor, for everything which attracts and draws us outside to recharge our batteries; and Lounge, for our desire to relax and feel at ease. In brief, Fermob furniture is part of the pleasure gained from the positive effects of nature, such as getting together in a garden, improvising a terrace on a beach or creating a green paradise in one’s own back yard… For the ever-increasing number of people who yearn for this lifestyle, Fermob offers a range of innovative and comfortable furniture, in various shapes and sizes which let one’s imagination run wild and encourage numerous creative ideas for decoration, since the furniture is available in a multitude of colours.”

Marvin Gardens is proud to carry Fermob’s  Bistro Collection, made in Thoissey, France.

Folding patio chairs and tables are available in a variety of classic Fermob colors. Special order colors are available as well. Stop in to pick up your set at our new location:

759 Danbury Road

Wilton, CT

Come take a peek at what is new…new arrivals daily!

See you soon!
amabel

Antique Trucks To Suit Any Style

antique trucks
Image via Marvin Gardens Facebook

For more than a century, Americans have had a love affair with the automobile. This love of all things automotive stretches across every make and model including the most utilitarian of vehicles, the humble pick-up truck.

It is not just the auto enthusiast who understands all the workings of a combustion engine that can appreciate a beautiful car. There are countless people who simply love the style and beauty of an antique automobile.

These national treasures are becoming scarcer by the year and any antique trucks for sale make a great investment and a great focal point for anyone with a backyard, a garden or a landscape vision. Finding these gems may take some digging and some time, but they are certainly worth the effort.

The process of finding vintage, antique trucks for sale may seem a daunting task but here at Marvin Gardens, we’ve had the opportunity to collect several antique trucks that we adore and would love to pass along to our wonderful clients. Our team is always thrilled to help you identify the right vintage truck for your needs and show you a few that just might fit the bill.

Marvin Gardens On Site

This is the month for Marvin Gardens to visit private homes and plant out containers. Amabel uses perennials and long lasting annuals to create a luxurious effect in cast iron urns and other containers. The arrangements require only water and admiration – no deadheading or changing out of plant material until the first frost or Thanksgiving, when Holiday decorating begins. Please contact Amabel directly at (203) 856-0309 to make an appointment. Click on the FACEBOOK icon on the home page to take a peek at completed site plantings.