80 Main Street, Sutter Creek, California ~ ~ ~ Attempted Hours: Open Daily 11am-5pm, Closed Tuesdays

Friday, March 23, 2012

Now available online!

It has been an exciting week for us here at The Antique Gardener!  We were featured in the Spring issue of Souvenir Lifestyle Magazine
I am also happy to announce that I am now selling online! I recently started an online store on Etsy. I have purchased items on Etsy for a year or so and love the community feeling there.  After working out all the kinks I wanted to share our online store with you! 
You can visit our Etsy shop here.

Our online store will include items for your Vintage Home inlcuding these vintage french canning jars.

Vintage Garden items like old terra cotta pots, old tools and plant markers.


 And of course miniature garden supplies.  This is a cute little birdbath.
And this water trough garden shows how to add a birdbath to your miniature scene.  More on the trough garden later!

So, I hope you will take a minute and check out our online shop here.  If there is something you are looking for please let me know and I would be happy to add it to the shop! 
Have a happy Spring day!
Aimee



Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Have you heard the news??

Have you heard?  I am so proud and excited to share our news!!!!  The Antique Gardener was featured in the Spring issue of Souvenir Lifestyle Magazine!

This beautiful magazine was created by Heather Bullard and her amazing team of contributors.  Heather is very talented - - she photographed the cover pictured here - as well as several stories in the magazine. 
Souvenir is available here for purchase online or you can also order a print copy.  Souvenir is full of inspiring ideas and photographs for Spring and is completely ad free!

 I would also like to thank my friend Maria from Dreamy Whites for photographing my shop for Souvenir.  She did an amazing job!!!  Maria is very talented and was so easy to work with - and our kids had a great time helping out too!  To learn more about the Souvenir contributors visit Souvenirs Facebook page here

Thanks again to Heather and Maria!  This is truly a dream come true to have my shop featured in this beautiful magazine!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Chester and Hank

I am excited to introduce the latest addition to our shop family - - baby bunnies Chester and Hank.

Although these two little guys are brothers they are very different from one another. Hank the Tank (as my daughter Emma likes to call him) is pictured above on the right.  He is black and white and much larger than his brother.  Chester is gray and white and very small and gentle. 
 
The bunnies actually live here at the shop.  They have adjusted well and are very cuddly and SO soft!  My son Jack loves to hold our babies!  They snuggle right in and even eat carrots out of the kid's hands.  Jack and Emma love to lay out on the lawn with them and just watch them hop around.

Our baby lop eared rabbits were raised by my friend Maria's children. This amazing family raises all kinds of animals.  So far this Spring they have baby bunnies, a colt, a darling bull calf and puppies! Check out pictures of their baby animals on Marias blog Dreamy Whites
(This is a picture of Hanks head and Chesters back end!)

Chester is checking out plants in the front window at the shop. I'm sure I'll be posting more pictures soon.  If you are in the area stop by and say hello to our new little babies!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Spring Blossoms

 It is starting to look like Spring here in northern California!  One of the first signs are the beautiful blossoms on wild fruit trees in our area.

I always have so many comments about our blossom branches.  Visitors are generally surprised that they are real.  They are equally surprised that I am willing to bring them inside as they do tend to make a mess!
But, everyone agrees that they are so beautiful and well worth the extra work once the petals drop.

I was even able to get a close-up.  Can you smell Spring in the air?

I recommend cutting branches on your own property or getting permission from a friend or neighbor.  Please do not cut blossoms from trees that are grown for fruit or nut production. Even though there may be a lot of trees you just cut off a hardworking farmers livelihood!

I always cut from trees that grow wild along roadsides or stand alone in fields on my parents property.  Most of the early blooms are from almond, plum and cherry trees. Often, these trees are so old they rarely go on to bare fruit so sometimes it can be hard to know for sure what type of blossoms they really are.

I love these branches which are sitting under the skylight in my shop.  They look great on this chippy old blue and white metal patio table.

I generally try to cut longer branches to make a real impact.  Try to find branches with unopened buds so that they will last longer.

I added these blooms to a willow wall basket.  I placed a mason jar of water to the bottom to keep them fresh.  Wouldn't this look great on a front door?  I hope this inspires you to bring a little of the outdoors into your home.  Enjoy your Spring...I'll be back soon to share some exciting news at the shop!
Happy Spring!
Aimee