Marvin Gardens and Facebook

Did you know that you don’t have to be a member of Facebook to view “Public” pages? Marvin Gardens has a Public Facebook page where viewers can simply click on the famous blue icon and go directly to the page. Here, you will find current photographs of new arrivals, interesting plantings, inspirational plant and architectural combinations as well as installations at client homes, art structures and containers used in home and garden settings and much, much more.

Marvin Gardens posts mobile picture updates to Facebook on a frequent basis (many of these photos never make it to the website) – check it out soon to see what is up to the moment!

** Fall Sale **

It’s here! Marvin Gardens is having a grand sale on most items in the store. Discounts are from 10%- 50% off most items excluding new arrivals, cast iron urns and gates. Here’s a sampling:

Vintage and antique sconces and chandeliers: 30%-50% DISCOUNT

Upholstered Furniture: 50% AND MORE DISCOUNT OFF ALL IN STOCK ITEMS

Industrial goods: 10% DISCOUNT

Plant Material: non seasonal – BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE

All Specimen Coral: 30% DISCOUNT

Furniture: 30% DISCOUNT

Non-Cast Iron Containers: 30%-50% DISCOUNT (INCLUDES CONTEMPORARY ZINC AND FAUX BOIS; EXCLUDES VINTAGE)

Glazed Garden Seats: 30% DISCOUNT

Many other items 10%-50% DISCOUNT

See you soon!

Amabel

 

Table Top Accessories for the Fall and Holidays – New Arrivals

Marvin Gardens has received a small collection of tabletop garden accessories to adorn your home for the holiday entertaining season. Glass cloches, unique tapered beeswax candles, mini cast iron urns (perfect size for the counter top), angel vine topiary and a charming assortment of sedum and succulents. All are perfect to decorate your home or to pass along as a unique hostess gift. Bring in your empty containers and let us do the planting. Silver serving bowls always make a perfect vessel for a miniature interior garden, certainly to be a conversation piece!

Please contact us to schedule your exterior holiday decor with magnolia leaves and unusual garland.

 

 

A Garden Laden with Texture

If you haven’t already had a chance to peruse our Facebook photos, Marvin Gardens urges you to get a move on and do so now! We’ve recently added some snapshots of a few items from our latest collection. One particularly remarkable item is this giant clamshell. With layers of extraordinary details that only Mother Nature can create, this impressively bold piece can most certainly add some textural interest to your garden this fall. Contact us today to learn more about our many other unique pieces.

Photo Credit: Marvin Gardens

Jacqueline van der Kloet’s Tips for Planning a Spring Tulip Garden

Marvin Gardens recently came across these beautiful images of spring tulips and daffodils in the Garden Design Magazine article with fall planting tips from expert garden designer, Jacqueline van der Kloet. There are only a couple more weeks left to plant your favorite bulbs, so let take a look at Jacqueline’s helpful advice for gardeners who are planning their winter plot now.

van der Kloet's signature "sprinkling" method

Mix in some fritillaria bulbs. While these flowers are beautiful, Jacqueline suggests them because their odor offends many animals and deters them from making a meal out of your garden’s daffodils and tulips.

Before planting bulbs, take a look at the surrounding trees and consider whether the trees will grow and leaf out and shade the ground below them. Bulbs need lots of sun!

Shut off the sprinkler—the biggest problem with getting bulbs to come back is overwatering as the moisture can rot the bulbs before they ever have a chance to bloom in the spring.

Finally, if you’d like your tulip garden to look more like Jacqueline’s, try her signature “sprinkling” which means taking handfuls of bulbs and gently tossing onto the ground, to be planted where they fall.

A gilmspe at a van der Kloet's Spring Garden

Remember, fall is a great time to plant bulbs for spring because it gives the bulbs time to establish roots and settle in for winter.

For more gardening tips follow Marvin Gardens on Facebook!

Gardens We Love

This garden tour we found on Habitually Chic is an outstanding example of why Marin Gardens loves traditional English gardens. English gardens famously combine strong architectural elements with beautiful and lush flowers, shrubs and trees.  The tall, perfectly manicured hedges surround the walkways and create an enchanting outdoor environment. Notice how the pool, walkways and outdoor dining area all look like separate areas.

What do you think about the English garden design?

The History of Mosaic Art

photo of a multi-colored mosaic in a starburst pattern There is something incredibly satisfying about a piece of mosaic art.

Combining hundreds of seemingly bland fragments of glass, clay and pottery in order to create a beautiful garden accessory is not only a way to re-purpose old objects, but can also add an element of elegance and architectural flare to an organic environment.

But despite the relatively modern and folksy feel of the art form, the history of mosaic art actually dates back over 4,000 years, when terracotta cones were first pushed into various backgrounds for decorative purposes.

Since then, multiple cultures have put their own twist on the craft.  By 400 B.C.E., the Greeks had incorporated the mosaic art form into a practical way to enhance the public road system, and only 200 years later, specifically manufactured pieces called “tesserae” were produced, which allowed artists to start creating even more detailed work with a wider variety of colors and tighter patterns.

Today, the mosaic is still considered an art form of dual functionality.  Masterpieces adorn the walls of soaring European cathedrals, but the craft has an equally important function as the foundation for simple kitchen tile patterns, or the extra little flourish in an outdoor garden.

So if you’re in the need for an aesthetic change-up, try your hand at crafting your own mosaic masterpiece, or stop in to take a look at our selection of beautiful tiled accessories that will bring a bit of color and history to your space.

Lighting Your Outdoors

The days are getting shorter and it’s getting darker outside early and earlier with each passing day. But this doesn’t mean that you have to cut your outdoor entertainment short. There are many creative ways to light up your garden and outdoor living space this fall from rustic tabletop candelabras to elegant hanging garden lanterns, there are many options to choose from. Walking paths are especially fun to illuminate as soft lights can be strung from along rungs or over walkway greenery to a charming and whimsical glow while still providing warm lighting for guests to see. Other options include outdoor fireplaces, fire pits and tiki torches. Fire places and fire pits provide heat as well as light on chilly autumn evenings; fire features also create a centerpiece for gatherings.

Marvin Gardens has a wide variety of unique garden accessories to suit your sophisticated taste. Contact us today to learn more about our exquisite collection for your landscape today!

 

 

 

 

Add Some Fall Color to Your Landscape

While we certainly can’t say that summer doesn’t offer some of the most beautiful foliage around with its glowing hydrangeas, freesia and carnations galore, there’s something uniquely magical about a fall landscape. Here in Wilton, CT, we’re fortunate enough to be able to experience a full turn of four seasons throughout the year that brings these robust seasonal landscapes to life. But what about our dear friends to the south in places like sunny Savannah and tropical Miami Beach? Shouldn’t they get to experience this lush fall landscape we’ve come to know and love here in New England as well?! Luckily, there are a handful of plants that you can still add to your landscape to introduce a fall look even if you live in an area where summer cools down softly into a slight winter and many leaves simply go brown before they drop.

Marvin Gardens would like to present you with a few plant varieties that fare well in a number of different climates.

From ThisOldHouse:

All of them dazzle in the fall, and, as a bonus, many also put on a show in other seasons, too, with flowers in the spring or summer, fruit later in the year, and interesting bark in the winter.

Gingko

Smokebush

Katsura Tree

Witch Hazel

Pomegranate

Photo Credit: This Old House

 

Crazy About Containers

If you’re a fan of Marvin Gardens on Facebook, you’re probably well aware of the fact that we’re just crazy about using industrial containers for new planter styles this fall as we’ve been uploading images of plenty of them. Well we’re not just crazy about them anymore—we’re carrying an exclusive handful of them that are now on sale! Many are made of zinc and have clean lines and a few particular recent additions include unique turpentine barrels (early 1900s) and bakery ingredient bins from the 1920-1940s. These styles can’t be found in catalogs anywhere and are entirely unique, which is our new focus. We want as much vintage as possible with the exception of modern day castings of iron urns.

Faux Asbestos Pots - Fabulous Design!

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be introducing individual items with photos and the story behind each, so check back with us soon to see them all!