Sunday, December 12, 2010

Hudson Valley Seed Library Guest Blog

As the leaves fall and we put our gardens to bed, seeds keep next year's garden alive in our imaginations. They grow in our dreams.

And as you gear up for the fast approaching holiday season, everyone here at Victoria Gardens wants to encourage you to forgo the usual mall picks, and give everyone on your list the promise of spring.

What better way to do that than with Hudson Valley Seed Library Art Packs? Here are some fun gift pairings we put together for everyone on your lists:

The carnivorous plant theme is a great gift for kids of all ages. The Venus Fly Trap lures insects into its clutches with a sweet smell, and when the unfortunate victim lands, the open jaws snap shut! (What entertainment!) A good match for these Muncher Cucumbers with teeth!



For the dreamer on your list, this fairytale-inspired grouping matches mercury glass mushrooms with Tiny Tim Tomatoes and stain glass inspired hummingbirds and butterflies. The colorful insects are on clips for your tree or suction cups for anywhere!



For the introspective thinker on your list, give the gift of Zen with beautiful glazed Buddha heads and an assortment of seeds. (They have all winter to contemplate which ones they’ll plant.)



Just like the lady you love, Orchids have an elegant and long-lasting bloom. A sure winner for moms, sisters, daughters, and granddaughters alike, by the time the flower fades; it will be time to start her favorite seeds inside.




For the gardener who has everything, we recommend this pair of garden defenders. The praying mantis garden stake is more of a talisman, where as the packet of Good Bug Blooms will bring real insect predators to the garden to eat aphids and other destructive garden pests.



And for every Secret Santa in the office, we recommend pairing Hudson Valley Seed Library Art Packs with these animal ornaments for a very affordable, adorable gift.







You can find these and other great gift ideas, indoor plants, and gift certificates at Victoria Gardens on Rt. 213 and Cottekill Rd between Rosendale and High Falls. Now that Rt. 213 is open, it’s easy to get to us. For directions, hours, and more gift ideas, visit our website www.victoriagardens.biz.


*Of all the reasons we at Victoria Gardens love Hudson Valley Seed Library, and there are many, (they help maintain food diversity with heirloom varieties, their regional seeds are accessible and affordable, plus Ken and Doug are just so gosh darn cute!) the reason we love HVSL the most is their fun and fabulous art packs.

Local artists and local seeds are only the beginning of what has become a network of people and local small businesses cultivating a different kind of consumption. In the spring we carry organic, heirloom vegetable starts, which are grown at Regeneration Farm on Clove Valley Rd. in High Falls (3.5 miles away). Many of the vegetable starts are from HVSL seeds (Ken and Doug are only a couple miles away from Regeneration). So from seeds to our greenhouses, your baby veggies have traveled less than 5 miles! Talk about shopping local!*