The Garden at Bank of Memories Pewaukee

In June 2009, owner Melissa Maas and the ladies of Pewaukee's Bank of Memories & Flowers planted a garden on the east side of the store.  Their efforts that year and every year since have produced a small but beautiful retreat for insects, wildlife and customers alike.  It has grown into a sustainable perennial garden that we harvest and use in arrangements and bouquets.  No pesticides are used on the flowers and the store's rain barrel uses runoff to water the garden.  As a matter of fact, when the shop's flower buckets are cleaned weekly, the week old flower water is used on the garden as well.

Every spring we are surprised by the daffodils and tulips pushing up through the dirt, and sometimes the snow (well, it is Wisconsin).  The first signs of spring like hyacinths and veronica, are then harvested in time for use in Prom and Mother's Day corsages.  The veronica and cottage yarrow sometimes bloom twice in a season.  Next in our time line are the peonies, my personal favorite.  These fresh fragrant peonies are a popular wedding flower.

Summer, of course, is the best time for the garden!  Hydrangea, Liatris, Lilies and Echinacea (cone flower) are in full bloom right now.  We love how lush and full the garden looks and hate to cut the flowers but nothing is better than being able to go out into the garden and pick the flowers we need for an order.  Our garden is also one of our favorite sections of store merchandise.  This summer we have a several Art Peace Poles, metal and glass rain gauges, and garden astrolabes.

In 2014, we decided to expand our gardens to the back side of the building and we added Astilbe, Tall Phlox and Echinacea.  More flowers for more arrangements.  I personally, am asking for the whole backyard to be a garden next year!  Wish me luck.  By the end of summer and into the fall, the leftover Coneflowers are used for their "pods" and the Sedum is finally blossoming and ready for use.  This year for Halloween our garden will be the home to families of ghosts, 3 different sizes of metal decorations for the yard.  I can't wait!  In late fall, we put the garden to bed.  We cut back those plants that need it and leave the rest as shelter and food for the birds.  At Christmas time, we decorate the garden with holiday yard art as well as different seasonal greens.  Some people have sugar plums dancing in their heads this time of year, we tend to have perennial plants dancing in ours.  Watch for new plants next summer!

Be sure when you drive by or stop in the Pewaukee store, give yourself some time to look at our garden. Like any "parent", we are proud of our garden and want to show off!

Luan M. Kurriger, Manager
Bank of Memories & Flowers, Pewaukee
262-695-9911
https://www.bankofmemories.com/

As Good in the Vase as it is in the Garden...

Here at the Bank of Memories & Flowers shop, we always love having something unique and fun to work with. This past week, it's been Veronica or Speedwell, as it is sometimes called, grown in the garden at our Pewaukee location. 

I've always been a huge fan of this plant and its blooms in the perennial garden but I never really thought of it as a cutflower. After seeing it in the bouquets and corsages we've done this week, I've definitely changed my mind!

 

These vibrantly pink Veronica stems add amazing texture and a fun twist on an otherwise common bouquet. The hue plays off of that of the Gerbera daisy perfectly.

After being asked by multiple customers what these little beauties were, we realized that we weren't the only ones intrigued by them! And the coolest part? Veronica is a perennial here in the Upper Midwest! Grown in sunny locations, the common blue variety of this plant is one of the truest blues available in a blooming plant. 

 

These plants grow in a mounding habit, approximately 1 - 3 feet tall. As if the beauty and cutflower use of these blooms wasn't enough, they also are great attractors for pollinators, such as butterflies, hummingbirds, and honey bees.

The Veronica stems were the perfect addition to this corsage, completely the more "natural" garden look.

Summer is upon us, so why not head to your local garden center and pick up a few plants? Or just come on in and ask us -- we may just have some to put in a bouquet for you!