“Secret Garden Delivered” is a new service being offered to My Secret Garden clients who wish to have all of their special floral details taken care of, effortlessly.

You supply the occasions that you or your “special someone”  wish to celebrate (birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc.), likes and dislikes, personal greetings, price range, and your credit card details … and My Secret Garden will do the rest.

Also, My Secret Garden will bring the magic of flowers into your life, on a regular basis, with our Seasonal Bouquets Delivered every 3, 6, or 12 months of the year. Let us design something for your home or office , which complements your decor.

For more information on our SECRET GARDEN DELIVERED service,
contact us at

mysecretgarden@mts.net
or
204.338.7749

Secret gardens appeal to us for different reasons. Perhaps it is the sense  of past experiences, happy, tragic, or romantic, that may have been acted out within the enclosing garden walls that intrigues us. Sometimes The Secret Garden is usually bordered by trellis, fence, or stone walls, or may be  a “garden created within a garden”. These secret places, with fountains, arbours and walks are usually planted with roses, and other fragrant flowers. So true is their design, that even when filled with people, the sense of romantic seclusion in The Secret Garden is evident.

Historically, the Italians had their “giardino secreto”, but these intimate enclosures were not introduced to England until Tudor and Stuart times. Later replaced by landscape gardens and  elaborate parterres, they experienced a revival in the Edwardian area, and are popular still.

The Secret Garden, today, would be invisible to prying eyes, totally unexpected, and only accessible through a door in a wall or fence that would give no clue to the garden which lies beyond. In The  Secret Garden the outside world is to be forgotten, wholly inward looking, having a dream like atmosphere which permits the imagination to take flight.

Fragrance is  a very important component of The Secret Garden. The perfume of scented flowers arouses memories or sweet nostalgia. In the spring the grass, crocus, scilla, muscari, narcissus, and tulips bloom with ornamental plums, cherry,  and apple blossoms. Lily of the valley, violets, iris, lilacs, and peonies follow. Honeysuckle, lilies, sweet geranium, lemon verbena, thyme, and finally the roses bloom. The combination of beauty and fragrance of the rosemacts irresistably upon our senses and is more than any other, the flower of romance.

In the gardens of today The Secret Garden may well have a place, providing a tranquil retreat from the bustle of modern life, or the perfect setting for romance.

Favourite Rose Gardens Visited
Mottisfont Abbey, Hampshire
Queen Mary’s Rose Garden, Regents Park, London
Jardin du Bagatelle, Paris
Botanic Garden, Christchurch and Dunedin, NZ
Viceroy’s Palace, New Delhi, India

Favourite Rose Artist
Pierre Joseph Redoute (accent) “Les Roses”

Favourite Rose Quote
“and I shall make thee beds of roses, and a thousand fragrant posies”
~ C. Marlowe ~
*pic WWS Best Booth Award for Bed of Roses

Favourite Rose Fragance
“Evelyn” by Crabtree & Evelyn

Favourite Rose Breeders
David Austin Roses, Wolverhampton,UK 2010
introduced “Susan Williams-Ellis” and “Princess Anne”
www.davidaustenroses.com
and
Peter Beales, Norfolk, UK 2010
introduced “Beatrix Potter”
www.classicroses.co.uk

Favourite Place To See
Chelsea Flower Show, and Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, London, UK

Favourite Rose
Abraham Darby, Evelyn, Heritage, Radio Times by D. Austin

Famous Secret Gardens Visited
Hidcote,  and Barnsley House, Gloucestershire. Sissinghurst, Kent
Munstead Wood, Surrey
Great Dixter,Sussex
Museum Of Garden History, London

Favourite Book
The Secret Garden, Francis Hodgson Burnett, garden books by Gertrude Jekyll

Favourite Secret Garden
My Secret Garden

Favourite New Service at My Secret Garden
SECRET GARDEN DELIVERED

Celebrate  your mom, the special relationship you share, and the pride in all of those

little things she has done for you, over the years.

“I know of no pleasure that quite matches that of
seeing your youngster proudly flaunting something you have made.”

Enter the “My Mother Made This For Me” contest at MY SECRET GARDEN.

Include a photo (where possible) and brief description of the item your mother made for you,

and tell us why the item is special to you both.

We will make, and deliver a bouquet to the winning Mother, on Mother’s Day.

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PRE-BOOK your Mother’s Day arrangement and receive 10% off your order.

Be sure to visit our store at 84 1/2 Albert Street

in Winnipeg’s Exchange District

to check out our collection of giftware, perfect for Mother’s Day.

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SPRING FAVOURITES AT MY SECRET GARDEN
“THE TULIP”

Tulips for WINNIPEG WOMEN MAGAZINE by MY SECRET GARDEN

Tulips at the WONDERFUL WEDDING SHOW by MY SECRET GARDEN
Photo: TINHOLT PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN

The tulip which pops up in spring gardens in many different colours, has aroused more than it’s fair share of interest. In 14th century Turkey, during the “Tulipomania Era”, bulbs of unusual colour became status symbols for which many a sultan happily went to war. In 17th century Holland, the dutch speculated in tulips, on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. The best and rarest tulips are still hybridized in laboratories, whose experts seek out, and cultivate any new colours, and hope that they will assert
their individuality, among a field of less illustrious varieties.

MY SECRET GARDEN’S FAVOURITE spring time flower:
The Well Bred TulipMY SECRET GARDEN’S FAVOURITE varieties:
Species, Lily-flowered, Parrot, and Doubles

Photos: The Canadian Tulip Festival & The Skagit Tulip Festival

MY SECRET GARDEN’S FAVOURITE Favourite Tulip Book:
The Tulip, by Anna Pavord

MY SECRET GARDEN’S FAVOURITE Tulip Fact:
The tulip is the only flower, which continues to grow, after it has been harvested

MY SECRET GARDEN’S FAVOURITE Places to See New Varieties:
The Chelsea Flower Show, Chelsea, London (May)
The Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, Richmond Surrey, and Wisley
The Royal Horticultural Society, Woking, Surrey, G.B.
The Philadelphia Flower Show (Mar)
The Skaggit Valley Tulip Festival, Washington (Apr)
Keukenhof, The Netherlands (Mar-May)
Srinigar, Kashmir (Mar)
The Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa (May).

]]> http://mysecretgardendesign.com/blog/2010/04/30/my-mother-made-this-for-me-contest-at-my-secret-garden/feed/ 0 http://mysecretgardendesign.com/blog/2010/04/09/administrative-professionals-week-at-my-secret-garden/ http://mysecretgardendesign.com/blog/2010/04/09/administrative-professionals-week-at-my-secret-garden/#comments Fri, 09 Apr 2010 04:39:55 +0000 http://mysecretgardendesign.com/blog/?p=156 ENTER OUR CONTEST

A famous woman once said…

“If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well
better find some way that is going to be interesting”.

Tell us about your MOST interesting work day, good or bad.

You you could WIN flowers for your office!

To enter, email your story to us at

mysecretgarden@mts.net

by Saturday, April 17th

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Why not pick up a bouquet of flowers or a special gift for your
favourite Administrative Professional during

Administrative Proffessionals Week

April 18th thru 24th

Administrative Professionals Day in Canada is

Wednesday, April 21st

The Fringe Festival.
Albert and Arthur streets will be closed for The Fringe Market.
www.winnipegfringe.com

Look for My Secret Garden’s “Lost Sole Contest” in The Exchange.

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July 2nd

“First Fridays in the Exchange” 1st Friday of every month, vendors will stay open till 9pm. Special promos offered.

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June 21st

Graduation Season begins. See My Secret Garden for your corsages and boutonnieres.

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June 10th

“A Cosmopolitain Affair”, a Sex In Ihe City Client Appreciation Evening, hosted by Birks
www.birks.ca
Cosmos by Siku Vodka www.sikuvodka.com
Hors d’oeuvres by The District www.thedistrictwinnipeg.com
Sweets by High Tea Bakery and Chocolatiere Constance Popp
Flowers recreated by My Secret Garden
Vera Wang wedding dress (as seen in the Movie) by Atelier Couture Bridal
Photogtaphy by Red Photo Co.
Signage by Ayoko Design Inc.
Van Cleef and Arpel jewellery (as seen In the movie) by Birks

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June 3rd

Weddingbells Magazine Client Appreciation Luncheon, Brio, WAG
www.weddingbells.ca
www.wag.ca
www.stormcatering.ca

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May 8th

Gardening Saturday

presented by

Friends of the Assiniboine Park Conservatory

Canadian Mennonite University North Campus
500 Shaftesbury Blvd
9-4

Check out our stall in The Great Hall.
You will find beautiful flowers, cards, and gifts, for Mother’s Day.

www.friendsconservatory.com

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May 6

“A Venetian Affair” Damiani jewellery event at Birks, in the Exchange
www.birks.com

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May 1st

May Day Festivities in The Exchange

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April 30th

Assiniboine Park Conservatory

presents

Pots and What Nots Gala

7-11

A magical evening where we open this magical exhibit, which runs May 1-5, Assiniboine Park Conservatory.

www.assiniboinepark.ca

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April 30th

I H Asper School of Business, Commerce Graduation Dinner & Dance, 350-400  graduates will enjoy the ambiance created by My Secret Garden’s floral designs. We are a proud sponsor of the Asper School of Business.
www.umanitoba.ca/asper

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April 10th

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s 70th Anniversary  Fundraising Gala, an evening of dance, celebration, and elegant flowers by My Secret Garden ,The Delta Hotel.
www.rwb.org

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April 6th

Manitoba Music announces funding/media opp with harmonious bouquets by My Secret Garden.
www.manitobamusic.com

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March 23rd

Finance Minister Rosann Wowchuch announces new budget, wearing a corsage of gerberas and berzillia berries by My Secret Garden.
www.winnipegfreepress.com

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March 10th

Vanessa Lawson, soloist, receives presentation bouquet of white calla lilies and feathers, after her performance in The Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s  Swan Lake. Next A Cinderella Story, April 28-May 2. My Secret Garden is a proud sponsor of The RWB.
www.rwb.org

MY SECRET GARDEN’S

new

Spring Green Bouquet

to celebrate the first day of spring, March 20

Available March 17-23

Prebooking prices starting at $25 (does not include taxes or delivery)

Celebrate Spring in the Exchange!

“Comes the fresh spring in all her green completed.” ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Meaning of green: life/growth/renewal/balance/fertility/prosperity

It is not only necessary to love, it is necessary to say so. ~ French saying

Do you have a FAVOURITE CLIENT
that you would like to
recognize and appreciate?

This Valentine’s Day,
MY SECRET GARDEN is inviting you
to tell us a bit about the
CLIENT that YOU love!

Our favourite client (of yours),
will be the first to receive our
NEW Hat Box of Flowers,
delivered to their door on
Friday, February 12th ~
just in time for Valentine’s Day.

As well, our TOP 10 favourite clients
(of yours), will receive a
Francesco Rubinato Calligraphy
pen set with personalized stationery
(for writing their own love letters).

It’s SIMPLE to enter our contest …

Post your “Client Appreciation Letter”
in our Comments Section below
or
EMAIL us at mysecretgarden@mts.net

All you have to do is send us your client’s full name, company name, website (if applicable), as well as a brief description explaining WHY they are so special to you!

_____________________________________________________________

Here are a few of our favourite Love Letters in History …

Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine De Beauharnais
Paris, December 1795

I wake filled with thoughts of you. Your portrait and the intoxicating evening which we spent yesterday have left my senses in turmoil. Sweet incomparable Josephine, what a strange effect you have on my heart! Are you angry? Do I see you looking sad? Are you worried? … My soul aches with sorrow, and there can be no rest for your lover; but is there still more in store for me when, yielding to the profound feelings which overwhelm me, I draw from your lips, from your heart a love which consumes me with fire? Ah! it was last night that I fully realized how false an image of you your portrait gives!

You are leaving at noon; I shall see you in three hours. Until then, mio dolce amor, a thousand kisses; but give me none in return, for they set my blood on fire.

~ Bonaparte

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Beethoven to His Immortal Beloved
July 6, in the morning

My angel, my all, my very self -

Only a few words today and at that with pencil (with yours) -
Not till tomorrow will my lodgings be definitely determined upon – what a useless waste of time -
Why this deep sorrow when necessity speaks – can our love endure except through sacrifices, through not demanding everything from one another; can you change the fact that you are not wholly mine, I not wholly thine -
Oh God, look out into the beauties of nature and comfort your heart with that which must be -
Love demands everything and that very justly – thus it is to me with you, and to you with me.
But you forget so easily that I must live for me and for you;
if we were wholly united you would feel the pain of it as little as I -
My journey was a fearful one; I did not reach here until 4 o’clock yesterday morning.
Lacking horses the post-coach chose another route, but what an awful one;
at the stage before the last I was warned not to travel at night;
I was made fearful of a forest, but that only made me the more eager – and I was wrong.
The coach must needs break down on the wretched road, a bottomless mud road.
Without such postilions as I had with me I should have remained stuck in the road.
Esterhazy, traveling the usual road here, had the same fate with eight horses that I had with four -
Yet I got some pleasure out of it, as I always do when I successfully overcome difficulties -
Now a quick change to things internal from things external.
We shall surely see each other soon; moreover,
today I cannot share with you the thoughts I have had during these last few days touching my own life -
If our hearts were always close together, I would have none of these.
My heart is full of so many things to say to you – ah -
there are moments when I feel that speech amounts to nothing at all -
Cheer up – remain my true, my only treasure, my all as I am yours.
The gods must send us the rest, what for us must and shall be -

~ Your faithful LUDWIG

_____________________________________________________________

Henry IV to Gabrielle d’Estrees From the battle field before Dreux
June 16, 1593

I have waited patiently for one whole day without news of you; I have been counting the time and that’s what it must be. But a second day–I can see no reason for it, unless my servants have grown lazy or been captured by the enemy, for I dare not put the blame on you, my beautiful angel: I am too confident of your affection–which is certainly due to me, for my love was never greater, nor my desire more urgent; that is why I repeat this refrain in all my letters:
come, come, come, my dear love.

Honor with your presence the man who, if only he were free, would go a thousand miles to throw himself at your feet and never move from there. As for what is happening here, we have drained the water from the moat, but our cannons are not going to be in place until Friday when, God willing, I will dine in town.

The day after you reach Mantes, my sister will arrive at Anet, where I will have the pleasure of seeing you every day. I am sending you a bouquet of orange blossom that I have just received. I kiss the hands of the Vicomtess if she is there, and of my good friend, and as for you, my dear love, I kiss your feet a million times.

_____________________________________________________________

Here are a few exerts from a favourite book of ours

Love Letters
~ An Anthology of Passion ~
Michelle Lovric

“I have seen only you, I have admired only you, I desire only you”
~ Napoleon Bonaparte, French ruler, to Madam Marie Walewska, January 1st, 1807 ~

“I have told you my passion,
my eyes have spoke it,
my tongue pronounced it,
and my pen declared it:…Now my heart is full of you,
my head raves of you,
and my hand writes to you.
~ George Farquhar, English writer of comedies, to Anne Oldfield, an actress, around 1700 ~

My darling dear, delightful Ringo,
could you please send me something of yours?
Anything, a lock of hair,
a thread from your coat,
a smoked cigarette,
a button from your shirt,a piece of old toast, or
a bristle from your toothbrush.
I would treasure it forever.
~ Mary L, a New York fan, to Ringo Starr of the Beatles ~

]]> http://mysecretgardendesign.com/blog/2010/02/09/my-secret-gardensvalentines-day-contest/feed/ 2 http://mysecretgardendesign.com/blog/2010/01/08/the-wonderful-wedding-showjanuary-16-17/ http://mysecretgardendesign.com/blog/2010/01/08/the-wonderful-wedding-showjanuary-16-17/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:44:18 +0000 http://mysecretgardendesign.com/blog/?p=6 Visit MY SECRET GARDEN at the Wonderful Wedding Show, January 16 and 17 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre!

We are at BOOTH 707.

Ask us about our SPECIAL WEDDING SHOW PROMOTION!

We specialize in Flowers and Wedding and Event Planning.

Two time Winner of The Wonderful Wedding Show’s Best Booth Award.