Brie Grows

Big day here with two greenhouse classes and August-like temperatures (thankfully, much cooler weather arrives tomorrow!).

My dear friend Katie Elzer-Peters is in town celebrating her birthday and leading the watercolor class this morning!

It’s amazing how many poppies have opened all at once, and I’m thrilled to have guests here to experience them in person at their peak.

If you missed today, the next opportunity to preview the garden is Thursday, May 7 from 5–7pm for the Cottage Garden Sip N Stroll Preview Party. https://www.briegrows.com/greenhouse-classes-1

Poppies everywhere! Hope this cottage garden tour will brighten your day! https://youtu.be/EB0u9NHcEwg?si=pte4Jo7MVlc__JCX

I’ve had the pleasure of hosting a fun group of Aussie horticulturists this week! It is always a joy to experience things through the eyes of first time visitors, who even made a stop at Home Depot special!

They were super impressed with the Raleigh Farmers Market, especially my favorite grower Gerald and Henry’s Plants who have the most incredible selection of summer veggies and herbs available!

We also hit up Logan’s which was brimming with gorgeous plants and even my favorite grocery store Wegmans in addition to wholesale growers, which I will share more about tomorrow.

With a focus on sustainability and recycling in the nursery industry it’s been a great few days of information exchange, but most of all, developing new friendships. I had yet to meet an Australian I didn’t love!

Last chance to register for Saturday's awesome classes! Join us in the greenhouse for a morning watercolor art session and an afternoon learning about propagating native plants! https://mailchi.mp/briegrows/april2026-17618163?e=26c8b638ff

Wow! There are so many poppies in bloom today! Hope this garden tour video will bring you some cheer in this chilly Tuesday! https://youtu.be/F-AkmjVaXJI?si=3qIkhHz6SHMYgbNG

Happy Monday y’all! I hope you are enjoying the actual spring-like weather! It’s short lived. But a great opportunity to water deeply without it all evaporating! (Yes , all I do is water now).

Hope this spring garden tour will inspire you! https://youtu.be/zK7lB3uJMf8?si=VK1z6IG0GFodxGy0

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens… a Lowcountry garden that enchants more deeply with every visit.

After two decades of coming here, it somehow continues to get better. Under the leadership of Jim Martin, a truly world-class team is raising the horticultural bar year after year. Next weekend they’re hosting a plant sale and educational sessions. I had an early look, I can say the offerings are exceptional. Huge kudos to Preston Sherwood for the outstanding propagation and growing work.

I’m especially impressed by the new labeling systems introduced by Mike Brewer. Most visitors may never notice, but a strong accession program is what separates a beautiful space from a true botanical garden. This collection absolutely deserves that recognition.

Strolling these historic grounds is both humbling and inspiring, always the highlight of any visit to Charleston 💚

Learn more about next weekend’s event: https://www.magnoliaplantation.com/events/plant-sale

Earlier this week we headed south to the low country for a few days with friends in Charleston.

I was especially excited to hear Sam Hoadley of Mt Cuba Center, one of my favorite native gardens in America. Sam leads the amazing trials planted there and creates the must have annual report! Thanks to The HORT ( Charleston Horticultural Society ) for hosting him at the Cultivating Minds Lecture that was co-hosted by the Lowcountry chapter of the SC Native Plant Society.

Thanks to Madeleine McGee we had an action packed Tuesday scheduled. First we met with the Stewards of Public Places at Middleton Place where we had a behind the scenes tour with camellia legend Sidney Frazier. This meeting of the minds included representatives from all of the the low country tourist destinations.

This experience left me excited and dreaming of the opportunities that cross promotion/ marketing can provide to increase awareness of gardening in every community, bust especially those in the Charleston region.

From there we headed to Roots and Shoots nursery, who specialize in natives and rare edibles, including the sugarcane I have been searching for since the Super Bowl halftime show! This is such a cool nursery and yes I had a shopping spree… Happy to report everything is already planted!

Charleston Aquatics wholesale nursery was our next stop. There we met with a great group of professionals and toured this one of a kind nursery where Stu and Tanner are propagating natives liners. I am thrilled to bring IPPS here in 2030!

Tuesday ended in style with a delicious shrimp creole dinner party at Summer Feet 👣 Very special thanks to Bunky Wichmann and David Arthur for being such extraordinary chefs! It’s was such a joy to catch up with everyone… these low country friends feel more like family with every visit!

I got the first tomatoes planted for 2026, of course my favorite variety ‘Cream Sausage’! In today’s video I explain why I never “throw out” my used container soil, but rather just add to it season after season.

https://youtu.be/fQetC9P6k-o?si=VF5b2F4pC2QsDoUY

2026 poppy season is starting early, with all three species showing color today April 16.

It’s looking like the display will be fantastic this year, and likely will be in full bloom for the Spring Open Garden on Saturday 9 May from noon-4pm. As always this is a FREE, NO REGISTRATION, RAIN OR SHINE event.

There will be a great plant sale including native perennials and grasses, succulents, and rare summer veggie varieties. Hope you can plan to stop by!

Details at https://www.briegrows.com/2026-spring-open-garden

Greenhouse classes are filling fast! We have a fun assortment of sessions scheduled for April with a few spots left in each. Check out all the offerings here

BOOKS & CLASSES — Brie Grows Books and Gardening Classes with Brie! Plan to attend a Greenhouse class for a unique hands-on learning experience that will leave you ready to grow anything!