Spring is here! The days are getting longer and warmer. It’s time to get your gardens and landscape ready for optimum growth this season. Assess your garden. Is your landscape how you want it to be? Ask yourself a few questions. Is the look what I want to see (structure, color, texture) now and through [...]
Hear Suzanne's thoughts on the value of adding native plants to your landscape. She reviews many plants and flowers that will flourish in our area. Thank you to the Saratoga Springs Public Library for hosting this Balet Flowers presentation. It's never too soon to start thinking about next year's garden!
Designing a diverse and beautiful shade garden requires considering how to build visual interest using a combination of plants and other features (rocks, water, pathways), with different textures and -- yes -- even different colors, subtle though they may be. While a sun-soaked garden is often abundant with brilliant colors, shade gardens are more understated. [...]
Gather your family and friends to join us in celebrating the season while supporting a unique group of a dozen local artisans. Join us at our greenhouse (5041 Nelson Avenue Extension in Malta) on December 8th from 11:00 to 4:00 for displays of pottery, arrangements, wreaths, pottery, jewelry, wine plates, soaps, cards, glass and metal [...]
Though plenty of snowbanks were still visible on our first day of spring this year, we are excited to have a busy event line-up to get everyone ready to garden this season! Suzanne Balet Haight, flower farmer, garden designer, and the owner of Balet Flowers & Design, will teach several classes and we also urge [...]
Companion Planting Just like people, our plants benefit from having the right partner at their side. The concept of companion planting has been around for thousands of years. The Native Americans practiced it actively. Most die-hard gardeners have heard of the concept of the “Three Sisters.” This is a common term used to describe the [...]
Native perennials are very popular now, as people realize that plants that originated in this climate are well-suited and likely to thrive. Gaillardia, Iris, Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Baptisia, and Helianthus…these are just some of more than four dozen native plants and shrubs we frequently recommend for our climate zone. As with any garden, planning ahead to [...]
How to Prune Shrubs & Trees March through early May is a great time to get out there and prune your shrubs and trees. Without foliage, the structure of the plant is clearly visible, making it easier to plan how you would like to direct growth. The worst of winter is past, and your plants [...]
Attracting Butterflies to Your Garden Butterflies in the garden are a beautiful and whimsical sight. They flutter through with elegance and help pollinate the flowers. Here are several perennials that attract butterflies: Achillea (Yarrow) Aster New England Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed) Clover Delphinium Gaillardia (Blanket flower) Leucanthemum (Shasta daisy) Monarda (Bee balm) Phlox Verbena bonariensis [...]
Creative Succulent Displays & Garden Inspiration I was excited to hear that the Capital District Garden and Flower Show (March 23-25, 2018) is having a special category in the floral arrangement competition this year for succulents. I’m sure that will provide creative inspiration. I hope you get a chance to attend, as Balet Flowers and [...]
