Buzz Off!

Now that it’s finally warm, and it’s Memorial Day weekend, it’s time to start thinking about being outside for parties, grilling or just hanging out under the sun (at last!). But with all of the news about bad mosquitos, especially the Zika-carrying ones, you have to think about keeping bad bugs away. But you also have to think about the bees, which are disappearing at an alarming rate because of the way we splash chemical bug deterrants around.

Worry no more! We have a great solution for you. Flyaway sticks, in their fun feedbag! We have tried these at the farm, and can’t recommend them highly enough. We only wish we could stick one on the cows’ tails to keep the flys off of them.

Although these sticks say they will repel unwanted guests, that’s only of the flying type, not the two-legged variety. You’ll have to take care of that yourself. Sorry.

But what if you don’t want to stick the sticks in your lawn or a plant? How about these elegant Chinese incense holders then!

If you want to reserve your Flyaway sticks, please contact our Eric to hold a set for you. It won’t bug him at all.

We Do Ladew

Once again, Halcyon House is participating in the Ladew Gardens for the 2016 Garden Festival on Saturday, May 7th.

Halcyon House will be bringing a wide range of items for you, your house and even your garden. We will look forward to seeing you there!

Dahlia Days

As the fall days shorten, there’s one bright spot in the garden – at least until the first frost. Stiles and Jonathan’s collection of dahlias is second to none!

When you visit Halcyon House Antiques, you will see masses of freshly cut dahlias decorating the tables, using some of our vases and bowls.

At the recent Valleys Planning Council’s Art for Land’s Sake Show and Sale, Stiles made the most magnificent arrangement, nearly FIVE feet tall!

At the top, you can get a glimpse of one of the most beautiful dahlias – it’s the palest shell pink on the outer petals, and fades to a creamy white on the inner ones.

Sometimes, when we’re closing on Saturday, we give the flowers at the shop to friends who are at the store, and they re-arrange them at home.

We’re expecting the first frost any week now, and once that happens, the dahlias will be gone again for another year. But while they’re here, they bring a lot of joy!

Zinnias from Our Garden

As you may know, both Stiles and Jonathan are master gardeners and at this time of year, the gardens are lush with a variety of flowers which we like to use in the shop.

Last week, we put zinnias (Zinnia violacea) in two big hurricane lamps, which do an excellent job of doubling as vases.

Because we were closing on Sunday and Monday, a friend took the zinnias home and used them in loose arrangement, this time in an old champagne buckets.

We hope that you’re taking advantage of the final burst of fresh flowers from your garden or from the local farmers’ markets in the area. The days will be drawing in soon, and fresh flowers will be at a premium.

Flowers at Halcyon House

One thing we pride ourselves on is our selection of fresh flowers around the shop throughout the year. Jonathan and Stiles both excel at arranging flowers, and can both do it with virtually no effort!

For this arrangement, in an old salesman’s sample, Jonathan went out and picked some pink and white azaleas and stuck them into the trough. They won’t last long, because there’s no water, but for the few hours, they looked terrific.

Here’s another little arrangement a friend whipped up, using azaleas and lilacs she picked at the shop… with our permission, of course. She used a small double-handled bowl for the arrangement.

Here are some of our other arrangements through the years.

Be sure to check out the flowers at Halcyon House Antiques!

Ladew Garden Festival on Saturday!

Please join us at Ladew Gardens on Saturday for the annual garden festival.
Halcyon House will have a booth. Do stop by and say hello.

The Little Red Barn

No doubt you’ve seen our little red barn as you’ve driven into Halcyon House Antiques. We had it built by a bunch of hunky Amish guys a few years ago to replace the old barn that had fallen down. It’s sited so perfectly in a dip in the meadow, with a bank of trees behind it.It’s become a tradition to take a photograph of the little red barn on every visit to the shop. Each time we see it, the light is different, the sky is different and the weather is different.

We thought we’d share a few of our favorite images of the little red barn at Halcyon House. Next time you stop by, be sure to look at the little red barn and maybe take a picture of it!

Naked Ladies in Our Driveway!

It’s at about this time each year when we are visited by a group of naked ladies. They stand on the edge of the driveway in front of our shop, trying to be unobtrusive, but really showing off all of their glory.

You need to be quick to see them, as they don’t hang around for long.

A Country Garden at the Cusp of Summer

It’s no secret that Stiles and Jonathan have a spectacular garden, and on a recent Saturday, Jonathan gave me a tour, which we’re sharing with you. It was a perfect day, sunny, with some fluffy white clouds scudding across the sky. There was a nice breeze and it was in the 70’s. We were accompanied by darling Sophie, whom you can see below.As we walked in from the drive, one of the first things Jonathan pointed out were some great old urns filled with a variety of flowers and plants.

A little bit further along, there was another massive urn with a huge yucca plant in it. At this point, I should probably mention that Jonathan is an amazing gardener and he and Stiles have an impeccable eye for how the gardens should be laid out.

As we wandered into the main gardens, Jonathan pointed out the parterres that will become the cutting garden later in the summer. There were dozens of dahlias grown from tubers that are waiting until some hedge trimming is done to be planted.

Jonathan knew I had paid an outrageous amount for peonies last week, so he offered to cut some of theirs for me! They have two rows of white and hot pink ones, which were just at their height.

In addition to growing flowers, Stiles and Jonathan also grow a wide variety of vegetables, including tomatoes, squash, beans, chard and lettuces. All are arranged in tidy tows with straw and hay between the rows to keep down on the weeding and to conserve moisture.

There are also copious herbs including these chives which have just gone to flower.

Stiles and Jonathan also have fruit trees, which they have espaliered in the traditional European style.

The trees alternate pear and apples, and you can just see the fruits which have formed on this tree.

I was playing around with my camera and captured this panoramic view of the vegetable gardens.

As we headed back towards the house, I captured some more images.

Gorgeous purple clematis

Last year’s gourds on a trellis, waiting for this year’s plants to grow.

Another urn, this time with a banana plant

A cast iron bench tucked in below the stone wall and old hedges

Outside the kitchen of the house is a small shaded patio which brims with plants and flowers!

One of the spectacular pieces is this tree fuchsia. While commonly seen in hanging baskets, these trees make a stunning showpiece in the patio.

Another stunner was the espaliered tree against a plain wall. This is a great technique if you don’t have room for a huge spreading tree.

Thanks to Jonathan for the tour of the gardens!