This year, though, the train is even more magical and special. It’s partly because of the great theme - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - but mostly because of the people who made this year’s train happen. Especially one new addition to the train team, a boy named Sam. Sam is an autistic person who has specific and deep passions, one of which is Willy Wonka. He knows everything about the story, the characters, the setting. He can discuss the finer points all day long. And that’s how this year’s train took shape. So how did Sam get involved with the Swansons’ train?
Happy Holidays! This season, celebrate the joy of giving with thoughtful gifts that reflect the unique passions of your loved ones. Our carefully curated selection of gifts is sure to make this holiday season unforgettable for everyone on your list. Let us help you spread cheer with gifts that inspire and delight!
The holidays are winding down and despite the desire to keep your beautifully-decorated Christmas tree as a centerpiece in your living room forever, at some point (sob!) it's gotta go. Here are 6 ways to transform your tree into a critter-feeding-bird-sheltering-kid-entertaining-garden-mulching thing of wonder this year.
Here are some quick tips for protecting your less-hardy plants from cold damage.
With cheerful red bracts and delicate yellow flowers framed against velvety green leaves, colorful poinsettias are an indisputable symbol of Christmas. In fact, poinsettias are the most commercially important potted plant in the world because of their endearing association with the December holiday season. But how did this warm-weather shrub native to western Mexico become so closely associated with Christmas?
It's late summer and what’s needed is a pop of color to spruce up the garden - even better if the plants continue to bloom well into fall! Luckily, there are plenty of flowers that are in their prime right now and that will keep on blooming into fall or even until frost. Here are a few of our favorite late-summer flowers.
Pollinators come in all shapes and sizes: bees, moths, butterflies, beetles, flies, and even bats, just to name a few. Knowing which plants serve our pollinators the best helps create a healthy and vibrant ecosystem where flora and fauna thrive. It also creates a diverse and beautiful garden for us to enjoy. Here are a few of our favorite flowers to attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your garden year after year.
August is the quintessential summer month here in the Pacific Northwest. Consistently dry, sunny, and warm, but with a slight tinge of fall in the air by the second half of the month. The sun is starting to set a little earlier, but we still have pleasantly warm summer evenings to enjoy in the garden. Flowers abound and we can enjoy sizzling colors under the sun as well as find comfort in the coolness of the shade garden. Here are some of our favorite plants for August.
Summer has arrived and the garden is in high gear. It’s beginning to feel like the time to enjoy the fruits of our labor (literally and figuratively). Our top picks for July are plants that come into their own at the height of summer, offering bright colors, beautiful blooms, a tropical vibe, and often, intoxicating aromas. Let the sun shine, the garden grow, and the gardener relax and enjoy!
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