Urban Oasis Garden Centre at CityHub Victoria

Urban Oasis Garden Centre at CityHub Victoria: Sandra Nelson created Urban Oasis Garden Centre where horticultural creativity flows, and gardens, and gardeners bloom. Home of the

That Poinsettia You Boughts back Story

This is a great story, about hybridizing, and one man's story, and what can be behind a single cultivar.

http://www.gardeninggonewild.com/?p=19340

Big Christmas Tree

Anyone need a really big tree this year, I have the tree of a life time, good times for the right family, or business!

Every Year there is one tree that stands out, not always in a good way, but they are definitely different than all the rest. This year it is a beauty, but it needs a big house! This is one BBT!

Hmm, does this front room make my tree look big?

The Christmas Rose

Helleborus Culture link

Helleborus Jacob is a wonderful new hybrid that blooms in Nov/Dec, so unlike most other Helleborus that bloom closer to February it truly is "The Christmas Rose"

This makes it a wonderful candidate to be brought indoors to enjoy for Christmas. Unlike the Pointsettia, the Helleborus can be be used outdoors in the garden, or containers for years of pleasure.

The Christmas Rose

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When the Magi laid their rich offerings of myrrh, frankincense, and gold, by the bed of the sleeping Christ Child, legend says that a shepherd maiden stood outside the door quietly weeping.

She, too, had sought the Christ Child. She, too, desired to bring him gifts. But she had nothing to offer, for she was very poor indeed. In vain she had searched the countryside over for one little flower to bring Him, but she could find neither bloom nor leaf, for the winter had been cold.

And as she stood there weeping, an angel passing saw her sorrow, and stooping he brushed aside the snow at her feet. And there sprang up on the spot a cluster of beautiful winter roses,-- waxen white with pink tipped petals.

``Nor myrrh, nor frankincense, nor gold,'' said the angel, ``is offering more meet for the Christ Child than these pure Christmas Roses.''

Joyfully the shepherd maiden gathered the flowers and made her offering to the Holy Child.

By Lizzie Deas (Adapted

(from Good Stories for Great Holidays , by Frances Jenkins Olcott)

A link for a long version of the Legend, as well as other stories.

The Legend of the Christmas Rose

The buds are getting ready to open, and should be ready for Christmas.

I warmed these guys up in September, then returned them to the cold to initiate good bud formation for December.

They will make lovely indoor or outdoor Christmas containers.

The Christmas rose is to the Pointsettia, what the Orchid is to cut flowers, one is short lived and the other lasts for months in bloom. These plants could potentially bloom outside till May. I would enjoy them indoors for only a couple weeks so as not to knock their natural bloom cycle off.

Here are some outdoor containers potted up with pansies, perennials , and Spring bulbs. They should be amazing next Spring.

Helleborus Culture link

Christmas Greens & Trims

This year Urban Oasis is excited to have our wreaths being made by the fabulous

Sarah Williams, a Goddess with Greens

Sarah has been busy, collecting, pruning, snipping, and wiring away her wonderful creations this week, it's exhausting watching her go.

Every wreath is a one of a kind, made with local materials most often harvested by some volunteer pruning to a neighbor in need. Sarah is also a budding garden coach, who's clients are happy to let her do a little timely tidying of their shrubs in exchange for materials.

The store not only is starting to look a lot like Christmas, it smells like it too.

The Holly is beautiful this year, and Sarah has access to some really cool, rare varieties.

Sarah has whipped up a bushel of bows, that can be purchased ready made for your own decorating, many of us know how hard it is to make a nice bow. Sara makes it look easy, hmff.

I love this ribbon, Sarah has many wonderful ribbons to choose from.

Here are just a few of her door swags.

Very good prices too.

Red or Yellow twigs

Good selection of bundled greens

Fabulous year for Holly

Bagged cones

Bagged Holly

You have to check out Sarah's trims at the craft fair, her hand folded ribbon balls will be a Christmas ornament treasure for years to come.

lots of gorgeous choices, in the rich colors and textures of real ribbon.

This is a stocking stuffer someone will appreciate for many years, it could be a family heirloom one day.

Christmas Trees Arrive Dec 5th

We have been out to Wintergreen Christmas Tree Farms to pick trees for Urban Oasis. The cool wet Spring has been a good thing for Christmas trees and they are gorgeous this year.

We are all set for our first shipment Dec 5th

Douglas fir

Grand fir

Noble fir

Pine

Christmas Arts & Craft Fair

Urban Oasis id hosting a Christmas Craft Fair, we are clearing out the gift shop, and turning it over to local Artists, Crafters, and other vendors who self locally produced food, or products. Watch for progress reports, and links to vendors starting Nov 15th.

We still have room for vendors, so if you would like to sell, and promote your wares in a unique venture, let us know, and we would love to share the details. We are very excited with this concept, and to be the first buy local samples cafe venue in town. It's a win win for customers, and vendors alike.

The customers get to check out samples of many local Artisan products, and learn about the Artist, Crafter, Chef, or Farmer, so they can visit them in their own location. It's meant to be a hub, of buy local products.

The vendors get to show of their products, and promote themselves. They can keep their products competitively priced, as there are no retail mark ups, or consignment. The shared costs of the space for one month works out to a small percent of the cost of a table at a weekend Craft event. The vendor is able to stay in their gallery, kitchen, studio, or farm, while we take care of the storefront sales.

We would love to hear any thoughts, or suggestion for our buy local samples cafe. We are using the Craft Fair as a Christmas event and trial run, but hope to make this a regular feature at the store. We are also looking for a name, so far Local Flavors, your buy local boutique is what has made it to the top of the list.

My Favs and a couple new this year bulbs.

Sabine Hay Narcissus, it's cutting edge breeding that will no doubt lead to interesting future cultivars. The differences are subtle, but the petals are orangey-er than found in other narcissus, there are no Orange petals yet... it is found only in the cups. Look carefully and you will see a little hook at the center of the petals too. Will we see teeth and fringy edges on Narcissus soon? Hmmm.... see I told you, it's the stuff of hybridizing dreams, very exciting!

Muscari Pink Sunrise, I had to try this, if you love your blue Grape Hyacinth you will need to have this one.

Iris Lion King, a must have if you want something different, can't wait to see this in bloom.

Iris Eye of the Tiger, was my favorite new bulb last Spring.

Tulip Blue Wow, the name says it all!

Deer Resistant Spring Bulbs

Here is a link to Deer resistant Spring Bulbs

Dafodils are in!

It's time to plant Spring bulbs. Take advantage of the beautiful weather and get them in now. Daffodils will in fact continue to grow through the cool weather so since bigger bulbs are better, the earlier the better for them.

We have some amazing new Daffodil's released this year, as well as some great tried and true cultivar. Daffodils really are the heralds of Spring. And best of all, deer don't eat them.

Cool Flame

Cool flame is just as it says, a stunning bright white, with a large cup that starts out apricot, and then pure flaming orange almost red.

Irene Copeland

So, so pretty! Irene Copeland is a perfect blend of white and yellow petals, it looks like a starburst.

This beauty is truly unique and will add a lot of pizazz to your Spring border. For a truly elegant Spring bouquet and a few of these dazzlers to the vase.

Tripartite

For a change from the typical trumpet daffodils try Tripartite, a split corona narcissus( note how the cup is split and lays flat). It's a vigorous grower with the added bonus of a sweet fragrance.

White Marvel

An unusual looking white Narcissus with a frilly closely packed double cup. White Marvel is another good choice to add interest to cut flower arrangements.

We have several other Daffodils to choose from, as well as some great mixes.

Biggest Sale of the Year Event

It’s our biggest Sale Event of the Year, starting Saturday Sept 25^th

Come visit us for our giant annual sale event.

We have thousands of plants, and garden supplies that need to go so we can gear up for Christmas.

We are well known for having the best Christmas trees. This year I have been invited to hand pick each one. You not only will be getting the same local grown fresh trees, from the best grower, but this year the best of that best!

Pass this invitation to your gardening friends, and remember if you have any gardening questions you can drop in and "Ask the Garden Coach", or set up a personal consultation.

Outdoor Paintings

I installed the final touches to the fence at the top of the pond today. We haven't put any fish in the pond because I am worried about our resident minks making meals of them. I am settling for some painted fish that swim above the pond instead.

Well....I thought it was funny.
Here is the first rough sketch on concrete board so it can be outside.
Branding is important so of course now I am laying in the corporate colors, lol.
more fishes
We can't not use the Urban Oasis blue
Look both the store colors
The final four panels
Here are some fishy colors

...And the final panels installed above the pond, just in time for the pond tour tomorrow!