Introducing Verde Cosi's new Woodland Character velvet pillows. Simply join our mailing list to learn more and order by December 14, 2019. Thank you, and Happy Holidays from Verde Cosi! For more info please contact suzanne@verdecosi.com
There aren't many things more satisfying than having garden fragrances available in your home. Growing an herb garden is an excellent investment and in many cases, I'm in zone 6a, your herbs will return year after year, like a perennial. Your patch of herbs will spread and grow larger as it becomes more established over time. Here are a few staples that I just rescued from my garden before frost. I brought these indoors to dry easily in bunches hanging in my home. I cover the tops with a bit of tissue paper to prevent dust as they dry. Shown from my garden are lavender, thyme (variegated and regular), marjoram, chocolate mint, oregano, and sage. Use the sage for Thanksgiving!
Please shop Verde Cosi at Sowa Holiday Festival - December 6, 7, and 8th, 2019
Shop Verde Cosi's "Joyeux Noel" collection for the Holidays!
Bursting with berries at the end of August and September this European Rowan Tree has been on the property of an established farm for many years.
The wood of the European Rowan Tree is dense and used for carving and turning for wood handles. Rowan fruit are a traditional source for vegetable dyes. In Finland it is a traditional wood for sled shafts and rake spikes.
The fruit of the European Rowan can be cooked and made into a slightly bitter jelly which in Britain is traditionally eaten with game. European Rowan berries are also used to flavor liqueurs and cordials.
Fruit eating birds thrive on this plant.
The dense clusters of varied orange berries and spiked foliage are a beautiful visual for fall, I would love to use them in an arrangement for my table.
Suzanne Ahrens
On July 4, 2019 a lovely customer from Maine found Verde Cosi and ordered several pillows - she had been looking for over a year for just the right salmon colors and design.
It was a pleasure to make these pillows and create custom tassels to coordinate with my Verde Cosi Crane and Ranunculus bright pink and salmon fabric.
You can order these pillows too! (links below) If you would like custom tassels, please contact suzanne@verdecosi.com
Please visit us Sunday September 15, 2019 at Sowa Open Market in Boston, Massachusetts
It's tomato season here in New England and there is nothing like a fresh picked tomato for lunch or dinner. Our plants have grown to about 8 feet and it is all about soil quality. We tested our soil in early spring and added organic calcium, fertilizer, and nitrogen/manure to our compost from our compost pile. The soil testing made all the difference this year as well as a generous amount of rain. I still watered nearly daily from our rain barrels.
Tomato Salad Recipe
by Suzanne Luby Ahrens
3 fresh garden tomatoes, heirloom, chopped
1/4 cup cannellini beans, room temperature
1/4 cup finely chopped vidalia onion
tiny clove of minced garlic
1/2 avocado chopped
1/2 cup arugula
1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
1 tablespoon basil chopped
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Enjoy!
Verde Cosi will be at Sowa Open Market Sunday September 15, 2019.
We will be selling our garden, home, fashion textiles and fine art.
Often times I like to document moments, but lately I understand even more how precious living in the moment without thinking about documenting is so important. It is natural and slow. However when I see a part of nature that isn't easily remembered - I try to honor it with a photo.
This little piping plover runs fast with it's tiny little legs, it is considered endangered and threatened. Families of these plovers can be found on some beaches on the East coast. They like to live in higher areas near the water and rocks. They are so tiny and fast you may even miss them while walking on the beach if your eyes aren't great. Piping plovers migrate from their northern grounds in the summer to the south during winter. Their breeding grounds can be found extending from lower Newfoundland south to the upper areas of South Carolina. The piping plover babies are fuzzy and beautiful as well. However, try not to disturb a breeding ground and observe these lovely swift birds from a distance.
I have been working with some special fabrics for a wonderful client on an island off the coast of Maine. The fabric that I have designed has the salmon color of the piping plover's legs and beak. I am working on special tassels for one of the pillows. Would you like to see any photos of when I make these pillows? Your journey is unique to you, savor it, and enjoy the small moments.
Some awesome news:
I was awarded 3rd place for my paintings at Beacon Hill Art Walk on June 2, 2019. We curated a selection of my paintings in a magical garden on historical Beacon Hill. I was right at home in the garden and was honored to be there. I met so many new and interesting people who were engaged with my work. Many of you came from different countries as well as the Boston area and it just makes me grateful to have had the pleasure to meet you. The fashion I observed that day - canary yellow tops, pulled off with ease. Men wearing red pants - unusual red with slight orange tone mixed in. John Lennon glasses. Pink glasses. I had a lot of fun seeing all of you. Thank you for purchasing my paintings! Summer is my favorite time to work on commissioned paintings - please contact Suzanne if you would like to discuss a project. Lead time is 4 weeks right now. Thank you for your support! I also want to let our new subscribers know that I am also a fabric designer with my paintings printed onto my fabrics as well as botanical drawings.
Verde Cosi specializes in commissioned fine art watercolors and upholstery with our exclusive Verde Cosi fabrics. We can assist you with decorating your space and strive to design an environment full of texture, light, and surprise elements that are garden inspired.
Visit us! At Sowa Open Market in Boston, Massachusetts USA, Sunday June 23, 2019
Throwing a garden party is fun - it also takes planning and thoughtful details to create a memorable time for your guests. Here are 7 ways I like to prepare for hosting a party. Hint: I have found that practice, aka, throwing more parties - the better you get at it!
1) Always test the goodies while preparing; especially sweets!
2)Prepare everything ahead so you can enjoy along with your guests.
I can't emphasize this enough! Have an activity planned for your young guests - badminton is an easy way to enjoy the outdoors and everyone can play!
3)Prepare your guests favorites - however you must like it as well.
I like to prepare a fresh vegetable tray with a healthy dip. Seasonal fruit tray. Fresh sandwiches. My last party I prepared fresh mozzarella, sliced, with fresh basil, sliced fresh tomato, a slice of fresh avocado and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a bit of salt and pepper on ciabatta bread. Toasted in a panini press.
4)Decorate with Verde Cosi fabrics, art, and fresh flowers and plants. My alliums are still going in my garden right now, they're a great bulb to add to your garden. Lately, I have been interested in climbing plants such as morning glory (easy to plant from seed), climbing hydrangea, and clematis.
5)Set up vintage folding tables and chairs in your yard, use your garden as inspiration for color and atmosphere. Potted plants are an easy way to add more interest to your garden. Agapanthus is a perfect plant that does well in a tall terra-cotta pot. The tall stalks of agapanthus add height to a table. Shop our
fête des pétales
collection for table linens for your party. I use custom cut plexiglass on my outdoor vintage tables with Verde Cosi fabrics underneath, so beautiful!
6)Wear your Verde Cosi occasion apron! Consider Verde Cosi outdoor pillows and fabrics to decorate your outdoor furnishings. Any of our fabrics are available for sheltered outdoors. Shop here for a few of our outdoor pillows.
7)Be rested and have fun!
Shop Verde Cosi at Sowa Open Market - Sunday June 23, 2019
Hire us for commissioned watercolor paintings and our exclusive Verde Cosi fabrics for your home. We do in house consulting if you live on the Eastern part of the United States. Verde Cosi strives to create light filled environments drawing inspiration from the garden.
The Beacon Hill Art Walk takes place the first Sunday June 2, 2019 from Noon – 6pm,
throughout the nooks & crannies of Beacon Hill’s North Slope.
throughout the nooks & crannies of Beacon Hill’s North Slope.
Residents open up their private gardens, alleyways, and courtyards and allow artists to display and sell their artwork. It is a chance for visitors to tour the private spaces of Beacon Hill while viewing original, handmade artwork. Thousands of people attend each year. It is a free popular event in the neighborhood, with a festive atmosphere and volunteer musicians playing in various gardens throughout the day.
Around 100 artists usually participate, with a variety of styles, media, and subject matter. As a visitor you will enjoy a unique atmosphere boasting bursts of colors at the background sound of live classical, klezmer, and folk music playing in various gardens throughout the day. Artists display a variety of styles, media, and subject matter.
Please come to see my latest paintings in watercolor!
Each year our family is taken aback at how green our neighbors' lawns are and how quickly they become green. Recently we received a call to action from our town not to direct gutters toward the street - the debris flowing into the street and eventually into our streams, lakes, ponds, and rivers is polluting the water and putting wild life at risk. The chemicals in the substances being used to "weed", chemicals used to "feed" lawns and gardens are polluting our environment. It is detrimental for humans too!
As we celebrate Earth Day today I want to share with you some steps our family and our small business, Verde Cosi, has taken over the years to aid in helping our environment and increase the bio diversity in our own back yard.
1) Decrease the use of plastics.
- We wrap lunches in biodegradable parchment. Also we hope to try the reusable wax coated fabric pouches available.
- We use reusable bags at the grocery store.
2)We do not use gutters on our house.
-Instead we use the small rocks collected while gardening to eliminate back splashing of water against our house.
-We collect rain water with simple storage containers and rain barrels. This reduces the amount of water used to water our gardens. It also reduces our water bill!
3)We collect kitchen scraps in a bucket and combine in our compost pile with leaves and grass clippings. Over time all of this turns into the best soil for our gardens. This saves money on purchasing soil! This has dramatically reduced what we throw out each week in the garbage! We use a small tight lidded metal bucket by the compost pile year round to put organic kitchen scraps in. When it is full we dig a hole in the compost and cover with soil.
This method reduces raccoons, foxes, etc. Actually we haven't seen any in our yard in the past year by using this method.
4)We buy organic whenever possible. My primary motivation is knowing that the farmers that produce organic crops will benefit from your purchase. More people buying organic will increase the number of organic farms and improve our environment. This is healthier for people too!
5)We try to buy local. Local farms and businesses who are making efforts toward improving our environment will grow from your purchases.
What does Verde Cosi do to help the environment?
-We purchase our supplies locally.
- Our fabrics are printed here in the U.S.A. using environmentally responsible processes. This also means considerably less fuel spent shipping our products. Imagine the products that are made overseas - large tanker ships are used, polluting our oceans.
-Verde Cosi uses local talent to assist in sewing our products. This helps our local community.
-Verde Cosi saves fabric scraps and repurposes them for smaller products. Our studio on average throws out only one garbage bag per month!
Verde Cosi is constantly examining how we do business to better our environment.
Connecting with nature by teaching our children, families, and friends the importance of trying to become more aware of our environment is a priceless step in the right direction for our earth and future generations of people and wild life.
I want to thank you for your support of Verde Cosi. I hope this post inspires you to take action. Small steps make a big difference. There are many rewards to not having greener grass until it is ready to turn green. People in our neighborhood observe the gardens we have and enjoy with enthusiasm the beauty of our yard. Over the years our family has observed over thirty varieties of bird species! We do not even feed them with bird feeders. Our children pull weeds on their own properties instead of using chemicals. Remember good soil from your compost pile means less weeds.
Honestly, seeing our children be aware of what we do is the best reward, ever!
For more information about what we can do to help the earth, people, and wildlife - visit https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-tips/
and thank you for supporting Verde Cosi!
We will be selling our Garden, home, fashion textiles and fine art at SoWa Open Market. Sunday June 23, 2019! Visit http://www.verdecosi.com for our schedule and details of upcoming shows and markets! We will also be selling Suzanne's fine art at Beacon Hill Art Walk June 2, 2019.
Oxalis Regnellii or more commonly known as black shamrock has some of the most fascinating foliage. Dark purple/red it will captivate you with it's triple triangular leaves. The leaves also sleep when in low light - so it's a moody plant! It has tiny little bell shaped flowers - light pinky/purple that dangle. This arrangement felt appropriate for today since it is raining and the dark purple leaves remind me of an umbrella. Oxalis Regnellii is an annual in zone 6a but is a perennial in growing zones 8 to 10. It thrives in partial shade.
I bring my cluster of oxalis indoors for the winter - I've had mine for years. It is a rhizomatous bulb, native to South Africa. Oxalis likes well drained soil and is easy to care for. Oxalis is poisonous for cats and dogs. I have my Oxalis planted at the base of my large ficus tree. It is well worth the investment.
After much trial and error my husband and I have figured out how to propagate lavender organically without growth hormone. This is very important to gardeners committed to organic gardening.
Cut about a 3 to 4 inch softwood cut from new growing stems on your existing lavender plant. Remove the outer "skin" on the stem at the base of the cutting, as well as leaves at base (see photo). Place in a clear glass jar with less than a half inch of clean water at the base. Place in a sunny window sill and keep that amount of water at the base of the jar. It is very important to keep just a small amount of water at the base - this is key to the success of establishing roots. It should take 2 to 4 weeks to establish roots ready for transplanting into a small terra-cotta pot. Lavender thrives in a sandy well drained soil. I always put small stones or gravel, a generous layer, at the base of the pot. Once your small plant has established itself, acclimate it gradually to the outdoors. Eventually have it in sun with heat. Water when the soil looks dry, with a small amount of water.
The origin of lavender is believed to be from the Mediterranean, Middle East and India. Its history goes back some 2500 years. Lavender produces small flowers and belongs to the mint family, known for its fragrance, lavender has endless culinary, beauty ingredient, medicinal, and decorative uses.
Verde Cosi will be selling our live lavender topiaries and small plants along with our garden, home, fashion textiles and fine art at Sowa Open Market - Sunday May 5, 2019.
https://www.sowaboston.com/sowa-open-market
On January 19, 2019 Verde Cosi hosted a Floral and Fabric Workshop!
In this workshop Suzanne Ahrens, owner of Verde Cosi, shared some of the unusual flowers and plants that she sources for inspiration. Participants enjoyed the opportunity to create an arrangement for their home using Verde Cosi fabrics, ribbon, and the most glorious flowers and greens available from local farmers and beyond. Participants shopped Verde Cosi garden inspired wares and home and garden accessories, and enjoyed coffee, tea, and treats.
It was so great to meet everyone who loves flowers and Verde Cosi fabric as much as I do!
I hope we can all stay in touch!
Thank you! for attending Verde Cosi's Floral & Fabric Workshop!
What a perfect day for the Verde Cosi Floral and Fabric Workshop! Attendees had the opportunity to hear about Suzanne of Verde Cosi's creative process, her inspirations, and the incorporation of nature, flowers, and fabric in our interior environment for events and everyday.
Accepting Registration for Verde Cosi's Floral and Fabric Workshop in Providence Rhode Island USA until Thursday January 16, 2019. Visit https://verde-cosi.myshopify.com
I want you to know we are busting with joy that the response to our workshops on Saturday January 19, is so awesome!
It’s January and be ready to be transported, think warm, botanical and fabric related interior inspiration. I don’t follow rules when it comes to design so be ready. This is your day to be creative. I will talk to you about what inspires me, my process and why being yourself is when great things happen. Registration for Verde Cosi’s Floral and Fabric Workshop Saturday January 19, 2019 @thefloralreserve in Providence, Rhode Island USA
Reserve your spot here: https://verde-cosi.myshopify.com
