This past week Julia and I saw our first crocuses of the year. A hearty bunch of white, purple and lavender ones were blooming in a south facing bed.
At this time, we were on our way to the annual Boston Flower & Garden Show at the Seaport World Trade Center in South Boston. Now we’ve been going off and on to the show over the past 15 years or so, and we look forward to spending an afternoon there soaking in the atmosphere, obtaining interesting ideas and chatting with a few of the exhibitors. It provides a wonderful respite from dreary winter days of nothing more than bare gray branches and foul piles of retreating snow and melting ice. We took some pictures of the displays provided by landscape exhibitors. These large displays are always the creme de la creme of the show, and this is the reason why most folks attend. If there is one binding theme with them this year it would be water and waterfalls.
Unfortunately, the downturn in the economy has made the exhibits less spectacular than in the recent past. There is just not as much diversity of themes between the competition. We miss the large expanses of greenery with ducks, pheasants, peacocks, and a wide assortment of arbors, trellises, bamboo, exotic topiary, tropical plants, etc. If nothing more than purely fanciful, couldn’t such eye-popping displays be more indicative of the “what if” rather than “what’s within budget”? As business people ourselves, we know you have to sometimes take a risk above and beyond what is comfortable in order to create something not yet available in the marketplace.
If you are looking for something to do this weekend (March 22-26), I suggest you make a trip over there. You’ll see plenty of inspirational thingys and ideas for your home, yard and garden. Plus some wonderful vendors have a wide range of garden delights and the usual assortment of plants, seeds, bulbs, tools, etc. What caught our attention among the vendors was one who had some wonderful handcrafted glazed tiles made with a specular type of glaze. These tiles just glowed. Another vendor offered cork handmade bags and accessories. Products made from this material appears surprisingly durable, similar to leather. Plus, it is a renewable resource as it is harvested from the tree every eight years.
Lilac Fever
Hi All,
Well, this spring is shaping up here in the northeast as a great season for two flowering plants: the lilacs and the dogwood trees. Some really spectacular blooms have occurred and they seem to be lingering rather than being just a fleeting moment in time before the plants get down to serious productive rather than reproductive activities. All other blooms have mostly been a big fizzle. I guess it was due to the cold spring. I just heard the other day that March’s average temperature was less than either the ones in January or February! The relatively warm winter coupled with a cool spring has definitely impacted the plants, flowers and trees. In fact, the magnolia blooms were virtually nonexistent due to the early cold weather. The tree across the street never bloomed at all!
Later this week everything changes. We’ll finally be in some solidly seasonal spring weather. Temperatures are expected to be in the 80s so outdoor activity will be finally in full swing.
I hope all of you have had a good spring (so far). Julia and I have, however we wished we were able to get outside some more to enjoy the spring and all the anticipated changes it brings after having a bleak and dreary winter. I’ll post more on this in the coming weeks. Have some fun and enjoy nature while you can.
Regards, Paul.
Spring is Making itself Visible
This past week Julia and I saw our first crocuses of the year. A hearty bunch of white, purple and lavender ones were blooming in a south facing bed.
At this time, we were on our way to the annual Boston Flower & Garden Show at the Seaport World Trade Center in South Boston. Now we’ve been going off and on to the show over the past 15 years or so, and we look forward to spending an afternoon there soaking in the atmosphere, obtaining interesting ideas and chatting with a few of the exhibitors. It provides a wonderful respite from dreary winter days of nothing more than bare gray branches and foul piles of retreating snow and melting ice. We took some pictures of the displays provided by landscape exhibitors. These large displays are always the creme de la creme of the show, and this is the reason why most folks attend. If there is one binding theme with them this year it would be water and waterfalls.
Unfortunately, the downturn in the economy has made the exhibits less spectacular than in the recent past. There is just not as much diversity of themes between the competition. We miss the large expanses of greenery with ducks, pheasants, peacocks, and a wide assortment of arbors, trellises, bamboo, exotic topiary, tropical plants, etc. If nothing more than purely fanciful, couldn’t such eye-popping displays be more indicative of the “what if” rather than “what’s within budget”? As business people ourselves, we know you have to sometimes take a risk above and beyond what is comfortable in order to create something not yet available in the marketplace.
If you are looking for something to do this weekend (March 22-26), I suggest you make a trip over there. You’ll see plenty of inspirational thingys and ideas for your home, yard and garden. Plus some wonderful vendors have a wide range of garden delights and the usual assortment of plants, seeds, bulbs, tools, etc. What caught our attention among the vendors was one who had some wonderful handcrafted glazed tiles made with a specular type of glaze. These tiles just glowed. Another vendor offered cork handmade bags and accessories. Products made from this material appears surprisingly durable, similar to leather. Plus, it is a renewable resource as it is harvested from the tree every eight years.
Spring is Around the Corner
Welcome Customers and Potential Customers,
We here at PaulJulia Designs are about to welcome in Spring! A cold spell here in the Northeast has turned a fairly warm Winter into a cold one, plus, as I write, we aren’t out of it yet. A late Winter storm is expected tomorrow with 18+ inches of snow. However, as each day increases with the amount of daylight, Julia and I look forward to warmer temperatures and time for wearing lighter clothing. This means it will be time to accessorize! Please view our items to see if anything could improve upon your wardrobe. We certainly want you to look and be your best for any occasion!
Best regards,
Paul (and Julia, of course)
Five tips to find the perfect gift for someone special this holiday season
Customer Care
Customer Care at PaulJulia Designs™
Since we’ve been in business for well over a decade, over thirteen years to be exact, and have had many hundreds of satisfied customers throughout the World, our business has grown considerably. The economic downturn of 2008 changed much about the way we do business and how customers literally and figuratively arrived at our door, but we’ve successfully helped all to meet their needs for a wide range of unique hand-made accessories.
We continue this trend and appreciate and respect all new and returning customers. Many buyers have indicated through their testimonials satisfaction with the product(s) they’ve purchased our handling of the transaction(s). This, and product feedback, is important to our success as we use such to improve upon our offerings based upon real-world use.
We hope you browse our newly redesigned website. If you don’t see something, an inquiry is easily submitted. We have other items that aren’t displayed online, and perhaps we may have one available.
Both of us here thank you for being a part of our family of satisfied customers.
Paul
The right bags or purses to prevent back and shoulder pain
Tips for having shiny and healthy hair
Looking for a mythical creature
Colorful Autumn Season
Our New Sparkling Website!