Costa Farms and Earth Day New York teamed up to give the gift of 'clean air' to new moms of NYC. On Tuesday, May 6th, representatives from both organizations visited both New York's NYU and Bellevue hospitals to hand out a peace lily gift to all the new moms and to explain how indoor plants provide health benefits for both them and their new addition to their family. Read about it here...



Welcome to The Garden Plot!
Check out the GMG 2008 Trends Report.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
PLENTY Magazine's Spotlight on Costa Farms Peace Lily Giveaway to New Moms in NYC!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Hey Diane and Robin! (of GMA fame!)
Well, needless to say we caught the attention of the GMA staff!!!!! (We know how to get our message heard, don't ya think?)
Green Heroes...Silent and Always "Working"...
Thank a plant today. Silent and always “working,” these green heroes toil tirelessly to purify our environment and improve our lives, naturally cleansing the very air we breathe. And since most of us spend 90 percent of our lives inside, pay special attention to your indoor plants. They provide truly amazing health benefits.
Working 24/7, they filter the very air we breathe from common pollutants and continuously release oxygen and moisture in our homes and offices. Former NASA research scientist Dr. Bill Wolverton, author of “How to Grow Fresh Air” says, “Houseplants perform these essential functions with the same efficiency as the rainforest in our biosphere.” To maximize the health benefits and freshen the air in your home or office, he recommends at least one houseplant for every 100 square feet.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Oh Joy! terrain at Styer's Opens!
Joy Deangdeelert Cho, a writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, posted these comments about Urban Outfitters' newest brand launch, terrain at Styer's...."all I can say is we were totally blown away. The fact that we spent almost four hours there says it alone. The new home & garden lifestyle concept turned out to be even more amazing than we could have imagined. The setting is airy, lush, and peaceful with a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces. "
Shrub Roses Add Easy, Ever-blooming Color to Landscapes
Looking for instant color to dress up your deck or patio for that summer garden party or backyard barbeque? Or maybe you need a dash of color to brighten your landscape with long-lasting visual drama. Whatever your garden quandary, consider a low-maintenance shrub rose for nonstop color from spring until fall.
Shrub roses are easy to grow and cover any landscape with gorgeous color and flowers. They look beautiful spilling over the sides of a container, either alone or mixed with your favorite perennials or annuals. User-friendly and low-maintenance, they need little to no care for year-round color and nonstop blooms.

2. Sun Kissed: For the most prolific blooms, plant Drift Roses in a location with plenty of sun. Hardy to zone 5, these ground hugging, ever-blooming shrubs are perfect as a border or bedding plant. Growing only about a foot around, they make a stunning low hedge or edge on a border.
3. Feed Me: Drift Roses aren’t fussy eaters. Give them a good dose of slow-release or timed fertilizer, which releases nutrients to the plant when the plant needs it most, and you’re set for the season.
4. Cover Up: And remember to mulch your roses. Mulching helps to buffer the cycle from wet to dry, keeps the feeder roots from drying out, and helps to establish the roots quicker. And less watering is required.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Urban Outfitters Launches their 1st Lifestyle Store
America’s garden centers have just taken a giant leap in evolution.
Leading lifestyle retailer, Urban Outfitters opens its first garden and home store, terrain at Styer's, on Baltimore Pike in Concordville, PA.
Setting a new standard in garden retailing, terrain artfully marries home fashion and horticulture from around the world. More than a store, terrain promises to be a gardening experience savored by all the senses.
“We inspire people,” says Richard Hayne, chairman and founder of Urban Outfitters, and an avid tomato grower.” That’s what Urban and Anthropologie are known for. We want to excite people in a way that leads them to enjoy gardening as much as we do.”
“We’re bringing fashion outside the home,” says John Kinsella, managing director of terrain. “Our well edited collections span continents, offering elements of classic to contemporary concepts. We’re mixing influences from Europe, Asia and Africa with local artisan’s designs and products.”
According to Kinsella, the confluence of found objects “allows our guests to travel around the world, spanning cultures and generations. It’s like shopping in a world garden market.”
A Garden of Delights
At terrain, you stroll curvaceous pathways only to discover ‘ah- ha’ moments: A sculptured bathtub hand carved from one piece of stone from Indonesia, bubbling Zen fountains, sculptures and found artifacts and objects crafted from wood, stone, and metal blend into the delightful landscape. Stumble upon a hand-carved 300 year-old wooden doors from India; their twenty-foot height creating a dramatic entrance to one of many “garden rooms.”
Stroll into the attached 3,000 square feet of “plants under glass” and you’re greeted by a sumptuous array of indoor plants. Within the garden of delights is the 8,000 square foot Home and Décor center, or bask in the relaxed ambience of the 1,000 square foot greenhouse style café featuring delicious local fare, expertly prepared by a renowned chef.
True to the people who brought you the design innovations of the Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People, stores, terrain celebrates the beauty and abundance of nature while offering rare and contemporary décor for inside and outside the home.
For information visit: http://www.blogger.com/www.terrainathome.com
Monday, March 24, 2008
Campania graces the cover of Better Homes & Gardens
Campania's Low Zen Bowl from their Genesis Collection of lightweight containers is currently appearing on the cover of Better Homes & Garden's April issue, which has an astounding circulation of 7.6 million!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Smart Gardening...saving time and money in the garden
Luke Miller is the editor of Better Homes and Gardens® Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living. Each week he shares tips for saving time and money in the garden at www.bhg.com/smartgardening. He covers all aspects of the home garden, from how you can raise tasty organic produce to low-cost ways to plant a new garden.
Check out his Feb. 6 blog on Own Root Roses
All the presidential hopefuls have one thing in common: they want to bring about change. Change is good, they say. I guess that depends on what you want to change. Here are a few things I’d like to see change in the garden industry. Less Waste. It pains me to fill a garbage can with plastic nursery pots after planting. Some are Number-2 plastic and can go in the recycling bin, but many are made out of other plastics that aren’t readily recycled.
Some solutions: Look for plants in peat or coconut-fiber pots that can be planted directly in the ground. Re-use smaller cell packs to start your own seeds (reducing the need for even more containers). And see if your local nursery, retailer or botanical center has a recycling program.
More Composting. As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been really getting into composting lately. I want to make sure every last teabag makes its way into the garden via the compost bin. You can even compost kitchen debris in an apartment — there are small units available where red wiggler worms do the job for you.
Staying Local. Grow your own vegetables and herbs or buy them at a farmer’s market or roadside stand. The taste is almost always superior, the cost is usually lower, and you’ll be helping to save gas and reduce emissions. The easiest things you can grow are also what you’ll probably use the most: tomatoes and lettuce. Merging Edible with Ornamental. I predict there will be a movement toward landscape plants that serve more than one purpose. By that I mean, it won’t be enough to just have a privet hedge. We’ll be expecting an edible hedge, full of shrubs with eye-appealing looks and mouth-watering fruits and nuts. The shrubs are out there. Stay tuned to a future blog when I’ll introduce you to some good candidates. By the way: Do you know how eco-friendly your garden really is? Check out our fun quiz!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Home Composting 101, Part II
Mark Highland, President of The Organic Mechanics Soil Company, once again is contributing some important information regarding home composting.
- Check with local authorities for special laws or ordinances against composting…start by calling your county extension agent.
- Choose a compost bin…build your own or purchase a prefabricated compost bin.
- Decide where to put your compost bin…look for a shady spot, not full sun.
- Prevent excess moisture accumulation from rain…cover or keep lid on bin
- Protect the bin from rodents…purchase ½ mesh hardware cloth, place on ground, fold up sides of hardware cloth an inch or two past the outside edge of the bin, cover edge with soil, pack down soil with foot.
What makes up compost ingredients?
- Starting ingredients are “greens” and “browns”
- Greens = Nitrogen; Browns = Carbon
- Compostables...Greens = grass clippings, kitchen waste, coffee grounds, tea bags; Browns = leaves, shredded newspaper, stale bread, straw.
- Non-compostables…no meat, bones, dairy, oils, dressings, salt, pet waste, diseased plants, dead animals, sand, pressure-treated lumber, or trashStore kitchen scraps in the freezer to reduce kitchen odors.
Thanks Mark for the great ideas!

