Michler's News: Flowers, Gardens & Design

If you are looking to spend lots of time with us, consider applying for the open café position.  

Click here for the application.  Ability to work evenings and weekends is a must, as well as a willingness to lift and cary heavy dish racks.  

PS Michler's is also hiring a person for greenhouse, landscaping and delivery.  Interested in that position? Click here

Spring is near and we are gearing up for a busy season. In order to care for our plants and customers, we are in need of one or two dedicated employees to join our team.  

Duties may include one or more of the following: landscaping, delivering flowers, assisting customers, and working with plant material. A strong knowledge of botanica and horticultural experience is a plus. Work at Michler’s requires prolonged standing, walking, lifting, squatting, and bending, sometimes in extreme heat or cold.  The applicant must have the stamina and schedule to work until the job is done. Absolutely no smoking during the workday will be permitted. The starting hourly wage will be between $9 and $10. 

Recently the Chevy Chase Magazine reached out to us and other local businesses in search of holiday decor DIY projects.  We wrote up directions for how to make a Michler's quality wreath - it is a customer favorite and many of the supplies are outside in your yard.  You can find the full Chevy Chase article by clicking here.  

DIY Holiday Wreath

By Robin Michler, Michler’s Florist, Greenhouses and Garden Design

Each December, you can find Michler’s owner John Michler working long evenings at the Michler’s wreath table, where he creates dozens of handmade, full-bodied, mixed evergreen wreaths. An annual customer favorite at Michler’s, the mixed evergreen wreath can also be beautifully made at home following John Michler’s instructions.

1. Gather the following materials: a wire wreath frame, a paddle or spool of wire, and a selection of fresh evergreens. For the evergreens, take a look around the yard, as many people have excellent options right at home – boxwood, holly, magnolia, taxus, spruce, pine and juniper are all good choices. Michler’s also sells evergreens by the pound.

2. Cut evergreens into pieces about the size of your hand. If they are too long, they will be too floppy.

3. Take your paddle or spool of wire, and tie the loose end to the frame.

4. Layer a few pieces of greens – we call this small group of greens a “hand” – and using the paddle of wire, wrap the base of the hand to the frame.

5. Repeat, placing the top of each new hand over the stems of the previous one and wrapping the newly placed stems firmly with wire to the frame until the greens go all the way around.

6. Cut the wire, leaving enough room to pull it through the frame and tie it off.

7. Using additional wire, attach decorations such as a bow, pinecones and berries onto the wreath.

Now your wreath is ready for the door of your choice.

You may not have an interest in what types of shrubs are in your neighbor’s yard or woodland spring ephemerals, but you have eaten something in your life that has come from a plant.  In many ways that is the perfect place to start your gardening adventures and luckily for you growing a culinary herb garden is easy!

Culinary herb gardens can be as simple as window box or an entire garden.  At Michler’s we have locally grown herb plants to suit a world of culinary tastes.

Michler’s Favorites

Lemongrass – an aromatic culinary staple thorough out Asia, lemongrass is an essential ingredient in coconut curries and soups!  Wrap up a small bundle and drop into a broth, when cooking rice or stuffing a chicken.  Lemongrass pairs well with ginger and garlic.

Thyme – a versatile herb that lends a depth to sweet or savory dishes without overpowering.  Use a whole stem and drop it into a soup or strip the leaves for a lemon thyme pound cake. Plant it outside your kitchen door and to enjoy this herb year after year.  Thyme pairs well with garlic and lemon.

Cilantro – an herb is best used fresh, Cilantro brightens up dishes with a lemon pepper taste.  Chop it into small pieces and serve on the table to finish a dish.  Alternately, let the plant bloom and go to seed for Coriander. Use this herb in your salsas!

Bay Laurel – this herb does double duty!  It will add depth to your soups and stews and is unique suited to keeping indoors as houseplant (a rarity for culinary herbs). Bay laurel is an herb from the Mediterranean and pairs well with fish and tomatoes.

We loved hosting local artists and artisans for last weekend's Christmas Market at Michler's. This year was our first market and it was a huge success.  Many thanks to all the vendors who brought their tents and art to set the scene and kudos to our staff that baked 2,000 cookies, designed stunning wreaths and worked all weekend.  Here are some pictures from the weekend.  

Anne is a butterfly lover and she has been diligently growing beautiful Asclepias (Milkweed) at Michler's farm for several years.  Below is a video Anne made of Monarch Caterpillars chomping down on some of Michler's Milkweed. 

Monarch Caterpillars Eating Milkweed from Michler's Florist on Vimeo.

Interested in planting some Asclepias for the Monarchs? Michler's grows and sells several varieties and we still have a few left.  

Want to see some examples? Don't miss the upcoming Monarch Waystation Garden Tour organized by the Lexington Chapter of Wild Ones.  More information can be found at http://lexington.wildones.org. 

Michler's accountant, Neil Morrison, has one of the Monarch Waystations on tour (yes, even the number crunchers here are plant people).  There is also an informal gathering following the garden tour at the Kentucky Native Café here at Michler's Greenhouses.  

Thanks to everyone for a great first two weeks.  We have enjoyed seeing and serving so many long time friends.  If you are looking to spend lots of time with us, consider applying for the open café position.  

Click here for the application.  Ability to work evenings and weekends is a must, as well as a willingness to lift and cary heavy dish racks.  

Are you looking to work, learn and sweat?

Michler’s is hiring. We are gearing up spring and are hiring assistants in the florist, greenhouses, delivery, & garden crew.  As we are a small business, expect more than one role and weekend flexibility is required.  

We have an all-star staff and new positions are (at least initially) assistant positions.  Thus, prior horticulture experience is not a requirement.  Work at Michler’s requires prolonged standing, walking, lifting, squatting, and bending, sometimes in extreme heat or cold.  The applicant must have the stamina and schedule to work until the job is done.  Absolutely no smoking during the workday. 

If you are interested in applying for a position, please visit our Now Hiring page for the application and more details. 

These beautiful summer evenings are perfect for spending in the garden.  

John Michler is available to consult with you on making your garden a beautiful outdoor room.  Give us a call us at 859.254.0383 or visit us at 417 East Maxwell Street. 

The summer heat has arrived and spring bulb flowers have retreated to the ground. It is the season for Sunflowers, Lilies, and Lisianthus.  Consider sending a custom composition including locally grown Sunflowers from Three Toads Farm or fragrant Lilies from Little Miami Flowers.  

As always you can order:
Online: www.michlers.com
Phone: 859.254.0383
In person: 417 East Maxwell Street

Busy Bees 

at Michler's 

The butterflies and bees have been busy at Michler’s and we hope in your garden too.  After some struggling, our honey bees look like they will give us a sweet harvest this year.  We are also excited to report that we have spotted Monarch larvae on our Milkweed. 

At Michler's we have many beautiful plant collections on display this month to enhance fluttering, buzzing, and humming in your garden.  Looking for hands on advice in your garden?  Consider scheduling a garden consultation with John Michler.