January: January 10th is Houseplant Appreciation Day!  Spend some time with your plant buddies...or buy a new one to add to your collection. February: We all know that Valentine's Day is February 14th, but (more importantly) National Strawberry Day is February 27th.  Enjoy some with friends, or plan a strawberry patch of your own to enjoy in the months to come. March: March 28th is National Weed Appreciation Day.  Take a moment to learn about the plants we normally eradicate from our lawns and gardens.  You may be surprised by what you discover! April: April is full of plan ..read more

I didn't think much about grass until I bought my first house.  Grass was a default--the beige paint of plant life, so ubiquitous that you stop seeing it after awhile.  We only notice grass when it shows up somewhere we don't want it, like between stones in a walkway or smack in the middle of a flowerbed.  Naively, I assumed that grass was just what happens when no one does anything else with a patch of dirt. And then I bought my house. It was a newly-built house, and it came with a small yard of freshly laid sod.  I will admit to being annoyed about the sod, about what it ..read more

Thought I’d share with you some experiences, learnings and thoughts from the eight-day Portland Japanese Garden seminar at which I was a student this July. Called Waza to Kokoro - Hands and Heart - Intermediate Level 2, it was my second trip out to the Portland Oregon garden for instruction since completing level 1 in 2019.   Japanese gardens have always held a certain mystique for me.  In attending this program I hoped to demystify some of the thinking and techniques used in their creation.   After being accepted as worthy to attend (there were 11 of us from around the US ..read more

Opening reception from 5-8PM Friday, September 15th Free and Open to the Public Bonsai Exhibit on display September 15-17   This Exhibit is presented by Central Kentucky Bonsai Society and is region largest bonsai event. Different species will be displayed in stages of development from 1-100 years. All bonsai will be in display in the greenhouses at Michler's. Food and beverage will be available from Kentucky Native Caf ..read more

By Madison Heltzel  In our modern world of convenience, it is easy to become disconnected from the sources of food on our plates. We can lose the perspective that each ingredient was once part of a living plant or animal that existed in an ecosystem outside the kitchen. This spring, I had the opportunity to explore this connection between food, culture, and nature through the lens of food photography.  Kentucky Native Cafe supported me in traveling to London to attend a food styling course at Leiths School of Food and Wine. I joined a small group of students from all walks of life t ..read more

At the end of January this year, the Michlers generously sent me to Paris, France, to study with the florist Catherine Muller for one week. The course I attended was all about garden-style floral design. At Michler’s, we strive to imitate the gardens in which we surround ourselves. My goal for the course was to learn new ways to establish that connection to nature, to discover a new way of looking at things. Each day, Catherine would begin by demonstrating how to build a new bouquet. One morning, she demonstrated an arrangement she called the végétatif bouquet. She began by gathering an armful ..read more

February 13th, 2023 Update Our florists are in full swing designing flowers and writing love notes. If you are just now realizing that tomorrow is Valentine's Day, we must let you know that, alas, all of our preorder delivery and pickup slots are full until Wednesday.   However, fear not, for we do cater to the spontaneous amongst us.  Our florists will be designing hand-tied bouquets all day today and tomorrow -- no preorders needed.  Visit our Florist today and tomorrow from 9AM-6PM and bring your date to the café tomorrow, Valentine's Day from 11AM-10PM. We are located at 417 ..read more

Valentine's Day will be here before you know it!  If you're looking for a fresh way to tell your special someone how much you love them, why not do it with a plant? Many tropical houseplants have heart-shaped--or cordate--foliage that makes them perfect bearers of romantic sentiment. - Alocasia: Many varieties, like African Mask Plant, bear dramatic heart-shaped leaves with contrasting patterns. - Anthurium: As an added bonus, anthuriums also bear vibrant heart-shaped blooms.  - Ficus triangularis: A variegated ficus with a charming tree shape. - Heart hoya: Slow-growing succulent pl ..read more

Shortly before the holidays I had the opportunity to attend a bread making class at the King Arthur Baking headquarters in Vermont. As the name “Survey of Classic French Bread” implies, we learned about a variety of bread types and techniques, from long and thin baguettes to round and dense miche loaves. Not to mention this class was taught by two well-known bread makers - James MacGuire and Jeffrey Hamelman. What a special experience! Having had little formal training in the world of baking, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived. Would everyone in the class be bakery owners? Would we be ..read more

I'm not sure when carnations started to get such a bad rap.  Many people, however, seem to walk into our flower shop knowing that carnations are bad/tacky/fussy/dated/insert unflattering adjective of your choice.  When I meet a person who likes carnations--much less one who requests them--it's a surprise. I'm sure there are as many reasons to dislike carnations as there are colors of carnations.  The most common reason I hear is that they're "cheap" flowers.  There's certainly no denying that carnations are sturdy and long-lasting, which makes them cost effective for grower ..read more