National Poinsettia Day

Happy Poinsettia Day!  I'm not making this up- today, December 12, is National Poinsettia Day.  This little-known "holiday" commemorates the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett on this day in 1851.  Poinsett is the namesake of the Poinsettia, and it is thanks to him that the poinsettia was brought to the United States.  Sometimes the truth really is almost stranger than fiction!

But there's a second (and equally important!) part to this story- the Ecke family.  Today, Ecke is synonymous with poinsettias in the greenhouse industry.  Three generations of the Ecke family developed the poinsettia into what we know it to be today, as well as the poinsettia market.  We are loving this picture from a 2014 Ecke ad (yes, we're already thinking about Christmas 2014!).  An early glimpse into the poinsettia business and a far cry from the poinsettia we know today!

-Anna Mary

Gift Certificates

Henrys' Greenhouse Gift Certificates are a fun way to treat your favorite plant lover!

At the Greenhouse

Gift certificates are available at the check-out during our regular retail hours.  Christmas 2013 hours are here.

USPS Mail

Send us a self-addressed, stamped envelope with a check for the amount of the gift certificate (we cannot accept credit/debit cards as payment).  We'll send it off to you right away!

Henrys' Greenhouses

1258 Oregon Hollow Rd

Holtwood, PA 17532

Questions?  Email me at henrysgreenhouses@gmail.com

Happy Gifting!

-Anna Mary

Open House Eve

We're busy bees getting ready for tomorrow's Poinsettia Open House! Today's rain hasn't slowed Marty down one bit- she spent beginning of the afternoon cutting off fresh winterberry.   Gorgeous!

See you tomorrow!

-Anna Mary

"Luv" It!

It's always exciting to watch the poinsettias come into full color!  The past few weeks we've been enjoying the sea of green plants turning white, burgundy, red (of course!), and all sorts of variations in between. This season we've been especially enjoying the transformation of the "Luv U Pink" euphorbia hybrid.  Technically this isn't a poinsettia, it's a euphorbia hybrid (but still in the poinsettia family).  

You can see some slight differences from traditional poinsettias in its bract shape and coloring; it also had been bred to eliminate the little yellow centers, called cyathia, like you will see on traditional poinsettias.

The pictures barely do the electric pink color justice.  I don't know about you, but I think they're pretty irresistible!

-Anna Mary

P.S.  We're officially on facebook!  I'll continue keeping up with the blog, but plan on sharing some extra tidbits on our new facebook page too.  

Check us out here: 

www.facebook.com/henrysfarmandgreenhouses

Preparations

This week has been crammed full of Christmas as we've been getting the greenhouse ready for our retail hours next week!  Cutting twigs & berries, planting bulbs, gathering greens... and today we delved into wreath-making for the first time of the season.  Amid decorating the wreathes with gorgeous red winterberry and pinecones, we couldn't help but throw tradition to the wind and stuff a few full of peacock feathers.  So fun!

-Anna Mary

P.S.  There's still space available in our Amaryllis Workshop on Thursday.  Bring a friend & make a morning of it!  Hope to see you there!

Treasure Hunting

We're taking turns "treasure hunting" in the woods this week.  During her (chilly!) adventure today, Miriam found quite a trophy!  Along with the mosses, bark, pinecones, sticks, bird nests, and other little treasures for our amaryllis terrariums, she brought back a branch with a perfect woodpecker hole.   

I wonder what we'll find tomorrow..!

-Anna Mary

A Winter Workshop

A Winter Workshop:

DIY Amaryllis Terrariums

Thursday, November 21 at 10:00 AM

Space is limited, please R.S.V.P. to henrysgreenhouses@gmail.com.

Cost: $40 per person

Join us for an exclusive morning in the greenhouse!  We're so excited to offer a small-scale workshop to create your own unique amaryllis terrarium, perfect for your own holiday decor or as a thoughtful gift. The greenhouse girls will be on hand to provide as much or as little assistance as you like.  Then participants are welcome to visit, browse or shop until 12:00 noon.

All supplies will be provided; including glassware, an amaryllis bulb, plus a bounty of natural embellishments.  Of course, participants are welcome to bring personal embellishments to use as well- let's be creative!  Light refreshments will also be available.

Space is limited and R.S.V.P.'s are required for planning purposes. Spots will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

~~~

Please direct any questions or R.S.V.P.'s to me at henrysgreenhouses@gmail.com.

Hope to see you there!

-Anna Mary

Christmas 2013 Hours

Henrys' Greenhouses

1258 Oregon Hollow Rd, Holtwood PA

2013 Christmas Hours

November 19- December 21, 2013

Tuesdays 9:00- 5:00

Fridays 9:00- 5:00

Saturdays 8:00- 12:00 Noon

Christmas is coming...we'll be opening up on Tuesday, November 19 with bulbs, greens, and more!  Please keep in mind that we can only accept cash and check payment.  And don't forget to swing by on Saturday, December 7 for our Annual Poinsettia Open House.  See you soon!

-Anna Mary

2013 Annual Poinsettia Open House

Poinsettia Open House

December 7, 2013 from 8:00- 12:00

*Coffee, treats, & surprises!*

There's nothing like December in the greenhouse!  The poinsettias are flushed with color, the bulbs are beginning to show, and the berries and greens are too lovely to be ignored.  We'd love to have you join us for our annual Poinsettia Open House to kick off this vibrant season!

-Anna Mary

Shifting Seasons

Fall brings us gorgeous foliage as well as beautiful berries!  Our Winterberry bushes are becoming quite spectacular, and the Beautyberry is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Of course, you can't ignore the color in the greenhouse!  

The most photogenic today was this traditional red, but I'm always fascinated how different types of poinsettias can be so distinct before there is any color to them.  Get a good look- they won't stay like this for long!

-Anna Mary

Introducing...Jackson!

The last few months have been extra exciting in the Henry Household thanks to our newest addition, Jackson!  If you've been to the greenhouse, it's almost guaranteed that you've met our two dogs: Wolfie the Pomeranian and Beiler the Jack Russell.  Well, over the summer we just couldn't help but add this little guy into the mix!  

He's living the good life on the farm, and keeping us all (and Wolfie and Beiler) on our toes!  Keep an eye out for him in November & December- I'm sure he'll love to meet you!

-Anna Mary

Moving In

It feels like fall has finally caught up to us!  Marty began moving some of her favorite pots back into the greenhouse this weekend. Even though we're well into October, this Ensete maurelii (ornamental banana) is still quite a showstopper- it would be a shame to sacrifice it to the cold!

-Anna Mary

Basil & Begonias

Savour Greek Basil Tree

It was a beautiful afternoon to be in the greenhouse!  Sue was up to her elbows in basil while Marty was busy planting begonias.  If it weren't for all of the poinsettias, we might have thought it was spring!

I cannot get enough of these basil topiaries!  They're everything you could ever want- practical (who doesn't use basil?!), sophisticated, easy to care for, and they smell delicious.  We'll have them for sale in November & December.  They're a perfect hostess gift.

Seriously, the scent is amazing- I can't wait to put one in my kitchen!

-Anna Mary

Behind the Scenes

Every few years our greenhouses need a little "redecorating". Greenhouse plastic has a finite lifespan and it's up to us to keep it in the best possible condition and replace it when called for.  After all, we're depending on this plastic to keep our plants protected!

The process is simple enough:  remove the old plastic, put the new plastic in place, secure it and inflate.  In reality, it can be a little complicated, especially if the weather isn't on your side!  Thankfully, Saturday morning was the perfect morning to work- clear skies and no wind.

Up bright and early!  No sun yet, we work by the interior greenhouse lights.  The old plastic has been deflated and unattached.

Did I mention there were poinsettias inside?  Miriam described this as a "cross-section of a greenhouse".

The easy part- pulling off the old sheets.  There's no going back now!

The skeleton.

Rolling out the first sheet of the new plastic.  It comes as one continuous 30' by 96' sheet and is so much heavier than it looks!

The key to pulling the new plastic over is to be gentle- the last thing you want is a tear.  At this particular moment I held a camera in one hand and a rope in the other (and I may have been scolded for not pulling enough... whoops!).

Sheet number one is in place, time to repeat with the second sheet!

The sun is brightening the sky into a beautiful blue, bringing the slightest bit of early morning breeze.

When both sheets are in place, it's time to secure them to the greenhouse frame and inflate the space between the two sheets. This is what provides the plants with protection and insulation.

The finished product!  If you look closely, you can see both sheets of plastic.  

Whew!  All in a good day's work.

-Anna Mary

Planning Ahead

Planning ahead?  We are!  

Our calendar is already marked for this years' Poinsettia Open House and we would love for you to join us!

2013 Poinsettia Open House

Saturday, December 7

8:00- 12:00 Noon

Henrys' Farm & Greenhouses

1258 Oregon Hollow Road

Holtwood, PA 17532

Regular retail hours will begin in November.  More details to come... for now, enjoy this beautiful fall!

-Anna Mary

Fall Foliage

It's beginning to look a little like Christmas!  The poinsettia "leaves" are just beginning to change in the greenhouse.  Not your typical fall color, but we're loving it!

-Anna Mary

Bountiful Basil

On these hot summer days we hardly want to set foot outside. Thankfully, there was a good excuse to sit in the kitchen under the fan this morning!  Marty's had pesto on the mind and today was the perfect day to freeze basil cubes.  

So pretty!  I can't get enough of the varigated leaves of the Pesto Perpetuo.  An added bonus for this project:  the plant is unbelievably thick with leaves.  

Our process is pretty basic:  strip the leaves, grind them up with some olive oil in the food processor, and pat them into an ice cube tray.  Sue (our pesto expert) recommends topping the cubes with a little more olive oil before you freeze them.

These little cubes are super versatile.  Use them as a base for pesto, add them into spaghetti sauce... theres's tons of room for creativity!

-Anna Mary

The Gathering Has Begun...

WOW.  I have to admit, I had no idea how much awesome stuff we could gather for the Porch Sale on Saturday!  Here's a few of my favorite things but, trust me, this is only the start...

-Anna Mary

Come One, Come All... To The 2013 Porch Sale!

Well, we just had too much fun at last year's Porch Sale to not give it another go!  Here's the deal:

The Porch Sale at Henrys' Greenhouses

1258 Oregon Hollow Road, Holtwood

Saturday, June 22

7:00 AM until we're done!

Rain or Shine

We're putting together fresh planters & hanging baskets, gathering our funky odds and ends, and of course, there will be plants!  

Hope to see you Saturday!

-Anna Mary

A Greenhouse Wedding

June 16, 2012

Our lovely greenhouse wedding.  Hard to believe it's been a year already!

-Anna Mary

Photography by John Powl & Flowers by Sandra Porterfield